Germany Chancellor plans lithium deal with Serbia after Rio ruling
Olaf Scholz plans to visit Serbia this week to secure supplies of lithium that are critical for the nation’s energy transition and auto industry.
The controversial TransCanada’s (TSX, NYSE: TRP) Keystone XL oil pipeline won one of its last battles Wednesday as a Texas judge ruled in favour of the duct passing through a family farm and move forward to completion of its southern leg.
Farm manager Julia Trigg Crawford, from northeast Texas, was approached in 2011 by TransCanada’s representatives and offered money to allow for a segment of the pipeline to pass through her property.
She rejected the cash offer and looked to get a court to ruling against TransCanada’s plans, as she claimed the firm had no rights to use state eminent domain laws without her permission.
Lawyers representing the farm accused the company of acting in bad faith and withholding key information about the project. They also argued the Canadian firm did a “slipshod” study of the archaeological impacts, as the land contains artefacts from the Caddo Indians.
This case is only one of the several challenges from Texas landowners against the Canadian company. A Beaumont farmer making a nearly identical case before a separate appeals court saw his case dismissed in May.
Crawford told The Dallas Observer that she intends to take the case to the Texas Supreme Court.
“Our case is emblematic of those American landowners whose constitutional assurances have been trampled and we will continue to stand up for our rights,” she was quoted as saying.
Canada exports 2 million barrels of oil per day to the U.S. and almost all of it ends up at Cushing where refining capacity is limited.
Alberta production is set to more than double to 3.7 million barrels by 2025 out of a total of 4.7 million. Production in the US particularly from the Bakken basin in North Dakota will see the country ramp up current output of 7.8 million barrels to 10.9 million barrels over the next few years.
Image: Julia Trigg Crawford’ and her family (centre, back) via Public Citizen.
Comments
Jim K
The pipeline is a private endeavor used to ship oil for sale to the international market for profit. Not one argument can be made for the benefit of the common good in taking of one (in this case, many) man’s rights for the profit of another. Eminent Domain is again being abused. The slippery slope our government continues to follow…