Pipeline Fairness and Transparency: Protecting Property and Environment
This act aims to enhance property owner rights in pipeline construction, ensuring fair compensation and greater public involvement in decision-making. It also introduces new environmental impact assessment requirements, especially for protected areas, potentially affecting local communities and nature.
Key points
Stronger private property protection: Federal government can only take private land for public use, not for private company profits. Compensation for taken land, especially with conservation easements, will consider lost conservation value.
Increased public input: Public meetings will be required in every county affected by a pipeline, at various stages of environmental review, giving citizens more opportunities to voice concerns.
More thorough environmental review: Companies must prepare supplemental environmental reports if pipeline plans change or new environmental concerns arise. These reports must include mitigation plans for unavoidable impacts.
Protection of scenic trails: Environmental impact assessments must consider cumulative visual impacts of multiple projects on national scenic trails and include visual simulations. Forest management plans cannot be amended if they substantially interfere with scenic trails.
Expired
Citizen Poll