In June, the Woolman Hill board approved joining four other plaintiffs in a lawsuit challenging the taking of land by eminent domain for “public use” when the proposed gas pipeline is intended primarily for export of gas.

This legal case has the potential to be an important witness against environmental destruction and economic gain by private companies at the expense of the natural world and of impacted landowners and communities. While there is no guarantee of success, the board found themselves united in the significance of this witness.

The opening paragraph of the lawsuit reads as follows:

The Fifth Amendment of the United States Constitution grants the United States the power to take private property for “public use,” by paying adequate compensation to property owners, as well as the right to grant such power to private entities. The sole issue in this litigation is the constitutionality of Section 15 U.S.C. § 717(a) of the Natural Gas Act 42 U.S.C. § 7111 et seq., which grants the United States power to allow private entities to take Plaintiffs’ real property by eminent domain, with adequate compensation, for the construction of pipelines to carry natural gas, not for “public use” but for exportation to foreign countries.

Links to the full complaint and exhibits follow.
NOTE: Some of the exhibit files are too large to provide as links, and those can be made available upon request – please send an e-mail to info[@]woolmanhill.org indicating which exhibit(s) you’d like to see.

Complaint: Lovelace et al., Plaintiffs, vs. The United States of America, Defendant

Exhibit 1
Exhibit 2
Exhibit 3
Exhibit 4
Exhibit 5
Exhibit 6 (large file, available upon request)
Exhibit 7 (large file, available upon request)
Exhibit 8 (large file, available upon request)
Exhibit 9
Exhibit 10
Exhibit 11
Exhibit 12
Exhibit 13
Exhibit 14 (large file, available upon request)
Exhibit 15
Exhibit 16
Exhibit 17 (large file, available upon request)
Exhibit 18
Exhibit 19
Exhibit 20 (large file, available upon request)
Exhibit 21