Legislators listen to Crossroads residents about eminent domain
“The Eagle Ford Shale play has been booming through the Crossroads and it has brought money and prosperity to the area, but all of that oil and natural gas has to be shipped to market somehow. And that has created a frenzy to install pipelines and build the infrastructure to get it to market. To do that, pipeline companies have been using the power of eminent domain to have land condemned and forcibly sold to them. For years, the law of Texas leaned in favor of pipeline companies, but all of that changed last year.
The town hall meeting was set up to give people a chance to talk to their representatives about the problems they have faced with Eagle Ford Shale play in the area, Medina said.
“In Austin, the industry representatives say they don’t use the power of eminent domain very often and only as a last resort, but that’s not what we keep hearing tonight,” Medina said.”
Wray, Dianna. Victoria Advocate 8 November 2012.