Some of my earliest experiences in the outdoors came while camping with my family in central Pennsylvania. It was on these trips that I saw my first black ratsnakes, box turtles, wild turkey and many other animals.
Unfortunately, the natural beauty of the area is now under threat; My family and former neighbors are being forced to accept gas storage by a private company (Spectra Energy) on their property. Developing this land into a gas storage area poses a threat to both the natural beauty of the land, and potentially human health.
The development of gas storage is occurring despite the fact that many of the property owners did not sign agreements with Spectra energy allowing them the use of their property for this purpose. Instead, the US Government is using eminent domain to force property owners to accept gas storage on their land. Eminent Domain is supposed to only be used by the government to seize private property (1) for the public good and (2) in exchange for just compensation to the landowner. In this case, the 'public good' is the profit potential for a private company (Spectra Energy). The 'just compensation' offered to the landowners is substantially less than that offered for adjacent property managed by the Pennsylvania Game Commission.
You can find more information on citizen's struggles to protect their property, and how you can help, at Spectra Energy Watch
You may also be interested in some news stories about this situation:
Summary of Spectra Energy's use of Eminent Domain
polluting central Pennsylvania
3 days ago
