Those of us who have been close to the Nexus Gas Transmission pipeline-Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) process are dismayed at how our country has been captured by monied interests over the rights of average citizens.
Soon the oil and gas industry-funded FERC will grant its rubber stamp on the NEXUS pipeline. The process is a fraud. The sad facts are, the NEXUS pipeline has no Ohio customer contracts (13 Tee Taps with no future commitments) and has only a 56 percent usage rate, with 90 percent of that capacity going to Canada.
Spectra Energy, parent company to the NEXUS pipeline, is being bought by Enbridge Energy Partners, a Canadian company. So we have a Canadian Company taking American-fracked natural gas to Canada against the will of private property owners across Ohio and Michigan.
The Environmental Protection Agency has ruled fracking can pollute ground water sources forever, a short-term gain with long-term consequences for landowners. There is no support for this pipeline except from industry-supported politicians in Ohio and Michigan. Every one of your Ohio state and federal politicians has received funding from the oil and gas industry.
This is an export pipeline engineered to export our natural gas to foreign markets to raise the price of our natural gas for their private gain. Where is the public need?
Paul Wohlfarth
Ottawa Lake, Mich.
