New Tracker Details Attacks On Pipelines
Yesterday, Energy Builders, a project of the Energy Equipment Infrastructure Alliance (EEIA), launched a new tracking tool to monitor the growing number incidents of illegal action against pipeline projects across the country. As we’ve seen, radical environmentalists and project opponents have resorted to increasingly unlawful and violent attacks against a number pipeline projects. Whether it be against the Dakota Access Pipeline in North Dakota, the Sabal Pipeline in Florida, or the Enbridge Line 3 in Wisconsin, these perpetrators have consistently entered private property and sabotaged legally permitted energy infrastructure projects – projects that have adhered to every state and federal regulation.
These actions are unacceptable by any metric. Thankfully, the newly launched incident tracker consolidates these eco-terrorism actions in one place, and provides a means by which others can report unlawful acts against pipelines as well.
The new Energy Infrastructure Incident Reporting Center, creates a well-sourced database of these actions against approved pipeline projects. The reported incidents date back to last February, and will continue to expand as more people traffic the site and provide firsthand accounts of other such attacks.
Open discourse is vital for projects that stir such passion like these, but once the process has been followed and regulators have granted permits for pipeline projects, it is simply unjustifiable to resort to violence. Frustration and disagreement are not vindication for dangerous acts of vandalism like these.
The GAIN Coalition is glad to see a brighter spotlight shine on this important issue. Providing the public with access to information that directly affects them is a noble undertaking. We must discourage these attacks, and instead follow the rule of law and trust the process. Energy Builders have provided a tremendous resource, and we’d encourage others to take a look at the site as well.