Gas industry in Berks: What’s in the pipeline
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The path of the MARC 1 pipeline required digging a swath through farms, secluded vacation properties and state game lands. The builders obtained Federal Energy Regulatory Commission approval to use eminent domain, if necessary, to secure rights-of-way through private property.
On Tuesday, John Shoemaker, an attorney who represented landowners along the MARC 1 route, will speak in Berks as part of a pipeline education workshop.
FERC approval does not mean the pipeline company holds all the cards, according to Shoemaker.
“If it does get to the point where they file to use eminent domain, there are a lot of protections for the landowner,” Shoemaker said. “There are a lot of reasons for landowners to not become intimidated.”
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Turner, Ford. Reading Eagle 7 April 2013.