Landowners in Western New York are presenting legal challenges to efforts by National Fuel to forge ahead with the Northern Access Pipeline. The natural gas conduit would cross numerous sensitive waterways as well as track across private lands. Eminent domain has been used against some landowners, but Lia Oprea, the owner of a Sardinia farm, is among those fighting the effort in court.
"To claim emminent domain, eminent domain is supposed to be for public necessity and the public good, and this is not bringing anything other than possible threats to our safety, threats to our drinking water, threats to our air quality. Once you put those dehydration stations and compressor stations in Pendleton and Wheatfield and upgrade the one that's in Elma, I mean it's just irresponsible."
The pipeline will send fracked natural gas to Niagara Falls for distribution elsewhere. A denial of permits by the state DEC was overturned by a federal agency, but critics claim the DEC's findings have not been addressed in the reversal.
WBFO's request for comment from National Fuel was not returned.
A demonstration is being held Saturday at Bidwell Parkway until 2 PM.
