martic township landowner|right-of-way|atlantic sunrise pipeline
DESCRIPTION
Williams Partners’ proposed natural gas pipeline, the Central Penn Line South, is slated to come through your property, or you are in the survey corridor. You may have received a monetary offer from Williams securing the use of your land, if you have not already received one. Whether you are opposed to this line or not, the fact remains that this first offer is probably not the best offer you can receive. Before you sign an agreement with Williams, please consider the following.TRANSCRIPT
Martic SOUL • Save Our Unspoiled Land
550 Tucquan Glen Road Holtwood, PA 17532 (717) [email protected]
September 30, 2014
Dear Martic Township Landowner,
We are writing to you because the current primary route of Williams Partners’ proposed natural gas pipeline, the Central Penn Line South, is slated to come through your property, or you are in the survey corridor. You may have received a monetary offer from Williams securing the use of your land, if you have not already received one. Whether you are opposed to this line or not, the fact remains that this first offer is probably not the best offer you can receive. Before you sign an agreement with Williams, please consider the following.
FERC (Federal Energy Regulatory Commission) has not yet approved this project. Therefore, be aware that—while Williams reserves the right to alter the course or otherwise change project details—you are locked into a legally binding contract without that same right to alter the terms of the agreement.
Once a Right of Way (ROW), always a ROW. Once the gas company establishes a ROW, they have the right to access it whenever they want, utilizing your property for future pipeline construction, expansion, replacement, or additional infrastructure requirements such as compressor stations or pumping stations. You are not simply saying “yes” to this high-pressure 42-inch line, but to additional projects they envision for this same ROW in the future.
Homeowners’ Insurance and Mortgages: Be sure to call your insurance carrier and mortgage provider to inquire how this pipeline would affect your insurance coverage and mortgage rates. Some insurance and mortgage companies are refusing to take the risk and therefore denying coverage—OR, even if they do not drop your coverage, they may refuse to cover any damages relating to pipeline failures (accidents, leaks, water contamination, explosions, etc.). That means if there is any kind of accident in the future (or unforeseen damage done to your property during the installation), you would have to sue the gas company for any compensation. Williams’ insurance covers Williams—not you!
Property Values: If you had any inclination to sell your home in the future, the price of your property will likely decline substantially as a result of this project. This is particularly the case in scenic, rural areas—far more so than in urban or industrial areas.
Please find enclosed a document entitled “Eminent Domain or Negotiate.” It contains some information on your rights and the amount of money you may be eligible to receive beyond what the company is offering you at this point in the process.
What You Can Do
Thursday, October 16—FREE Landowners Mtg: Eminent Domain vs. Negotiation- Sponsored by Lancaster Farmland Trust & Lancaster County Conservancy- Farm and Home Center, 1383 Arcadia Road, Lancaster 6:30-9:00 PM- There will be several lawyers who specialize in protecting landowners’ rights against gas company officials who regularly underpay landowners what they are legally entitled to receive.
Sunday, October 19—Pipeline Fundraising Concert- $10 for adults; FREE for children under 16- 1-6 PM at Drumore Estates @ 331 Red Hill Road in Martic Township- Performers include: The Carmitchell Sisters, Corty Byron, Tam Tam Foli Drumming Group, Tim Desmond, Trixie Greiner & Bon Accord
Thursday, October 23—Attend the next Martic Town Hall Meeting- Focus: How to draft & pass a Community Ordinance for Martic Township to challenge Williams’ right to install this line in our community- Mt. Nebo United Methodist Church, 7:00-8:30 PM
Stay Informed! Check out these Websites:• www.lancasteragainstpipelines.com• www.lancasterpipeline.org
Also, visit these Facebook pages: • Save Our Unspoiled Land• Conestoga Community Group• Lancaster Against Pipelines
NOTE: For those of you who plan to reject the offer you are given, we will have a gathering on Saturday, October 4 to let Williams know we do not accept their offers as a community. If you want to join us, call Tim Spiese at 610-972-3594.
If you have any further questions, please contact Martic SOUL at the address, email, or phone number listed at the top of this letter.
Thank you for your time and attention to this important issue.
Sincerely,
Martic SOULSave Our Unspoiled Land