Vermont Gas Uses Bullying Tactics on Landowners

Vermonters deserve to know the truth about the strong-arm tactics Vermont Gas has used behind-the-scenes to bully landowners into signing away their land.

When Maren Vasatka of Monkton heard, one year ago, that Vermont Gas wanted to run its high-transmission fracked gas pipeline 325 feet from our house, she cooperated. She even allowed Vermont Gas onto our land to survey and study it. But she had questions. Wouldn’t you, if any sub-contractor had 24/7 access to your property for 2 years? Did you know that every week, 2.6 fracked gas pipelines explode?

A year later, the next time she heard from Vermont Gas, it wasn’t with answers. It was a menacing letter, threatening Maren and her husband: Accept Vermont Gas’ offer, or we’re taking your land anyway. No mention of what their rights are, or how they can appeal (which they can). Oh, and “time is of the essence.”

“During this whole process, when we requested the first meeting with Vermont Gas in November of 2012, we have waited a total of 362 days for them to respond to our offers or questions, and they have waited on us for 32 days.  Who is negotiating in good faith?” Maren said.

There is no excuse for the way Vermont Gas is conducting business. Check out the press coverage here: WCAX, Burlington Free Press, Fox44, VTDigger.

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