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A Texas judge has ordered TransCanada to temporarily halt work on a private property where it is building part of an oil pipeline designed to carry tar sands oil from Canada to the Gulf Coast, the latest legal battle to plague a project that has encountered numerous obstacles nationwide.
Michael Bishop filed the lawsuit, and today the court intervened. There are 2 arguments here.
1) That Trans-Canada lied about the definition of tar sands oil - This argument is iffy. If the end product going through the pipeline is just about the same as conventional crude, then I don't see how Bishop can prevail here.
2) Is the condemnation of Bishop's land in the public interest of Texas citizens, or is it for private gain? Here, Bishop may have an argument. I believe he will lose on this one too, but Trans-Canada will be forced to pay him fair market value for the land they are running their pipeline through. This kind of a decision would be a win-win for both sides. In Texas, you cannot just ram your project over someone else's land without reasonable compensation in return. I think that's what this case is going to turn on.
Finally, some words from Bishop, who is an ex-marine who fought in Vietnam:
"Bring 'em on. I'm a United States Marine. I'm not afraid of anyone. I'm not afraid of them," he said. "When I'm done with them, they will know that they've been in a fight. I may not win, but I'm going to hurt them.
Semper Fi, Mr. Bishop, and thank you for your service.
Article is here.
PS - Don't Mess With Texas!!