The Stop the Ruby Pipeline coalition -- made up of ranchers, farmers, landowners, conservationists and others -- is working to prevent El Paso Corp. from digging and dredging personal property in Rich, Cache and Box Elder counties in order to transport 1.2 billion cubic feet of gas or more a day nearly 700 miles from Wyoming to Oregon.
Coalition members warn that the 42-inch line would establish a new utility corridor that would devalue the land, endanger people and the environment and establish a path for future utility construction.
Ruby Pipeline spokesman Richard Wheatley concedes the latter point.
"Once you have a utility corridor that's designated a utility corridor, that could be an easier way for additional utilities to go through, but that's not to say it's a green light," Wheatley said. "We don't allow, based on our company policies, the co-location or close proximity to our lines, for anyone to come back in on our easements. We try to restrict, in all cases, our easements."
Pipeline backers say the $2 billion project is needed to funnel natural gas from Opal, Wyo., to Malin, Ore., where it then could be steered farther south to meet surging demand.
Cache County Executive Secretary Lynn Lemon is urging the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission to steer the planned pipeline back to a previously favored northern route.
"The route as currently proposed can be expected to have a substantial negative impact on private property rights and important agricultural and environmental aspects," Lemon wrote to FERC.
Several northern Utah property owners vow to sue, but Logan resident Val Grant proposes a more direct -- and less expensive -- approach.
"I encourage landowners to withhold survey permission until an agreement can be reached," Grant said, encouraging residents not to accommodate the gas company's requests for access to their land. "El Paso is a visitor asking for permission."
This tactic could prove effective. Wheatley said trespassing is against company policy - although apparent violations already have occurred.
"Some of our contract personnel mistakenly encroached on some private property. It was not done intentionally," Wheatley said. "They apologized for that and then subsequently we sent letters of apology to the landowners."
