Thursday, December 5, 2013

PROPERTY RIGHTS ADVOCATES HELP POISONED FAMILIES; REGULATORS DITHER

Email forward via
Colleen Boddez
President
Alberta Landowners Council
http://www.albertalandownerscouncil.com/

Sent: Wednesday, December 04, 2013 8:18 PM
Subject: Families forced from homes by Baytex Energy . . . Let's help them get home for Christmas
 
Colleen,
 
I am helping some farm families near Peace River who have been forced from their homes by an unusual form of oil sands production.  Baytex Energy is operating dozens of oil sands wells that are connected to 86 super-heated bitumen tanks around these people’s homes and farms.  In fact, all of these heated tanks and wells are within a 1 by 5 mile area. 
 
But Baytex is open-venting the heated tanks to maximize production.  The aerosol plume and tar-solvent like smell I encountered when I was up there on October 28th was unlike anything I have every experienced before.  It was overwhelming.
 
These people and their kids started to get sick and had to abandon their homes.  The government is even concerned and has called a public inquiry but that does not get these people back into their homes or relocated. 
 
We need people power to help get this fixed. 
 
It turns out that the banks like CIBC, BMO, RBC and others are the major shareholders in Baytex.  The hope is that if enough people email the banks and other institutional shareholders about what Baytex is doing that Baytex will get the message and stop harming these people.
 
Below is an email from the families explaining their nightmare and how easily people can help.  The are not looking for donations, just people to email the banks and shareholders. 
 
All they have to do is go to their Stop Baytex website, and click on the yellow banner at the top.  A fresh email will open for people to send their concerns directly to the shareholders.  Here is the link to their website:  http://www.stopbaytex.ca/
 
The Labrecques are hardworking, honest farm families.  They really need our help.  It’s just wrong what’s happening to them.  Please send this to others. 
 
Also, here is a link to YouTube video a videographer from Britain made this summer that shows firsthand the nightmare these families are living:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OqfFeKWm9lc
 
Thanks for your help with this. 
 
Regards,
Keith Wilson
One Number (780) 991-5050
Fax (780) 401-3178
kwilson@wilsonlawoffices.ca
Wilson Law Office
Suite 195, 3 -11 Bellerose Drive
St. Albert, Alberta, Canada   T8N 5C9

*****




 

8 comments:

  1. Checked out these links this morning. What a buncha bastards. Surrounded by good folks, supportive (want oil development) and helpful (using tractor to pull tanker trucks in and out) and what do they do? Crank up the heat, open the hatches and let the toxic gases spew. And refuse to stop. Short-sell their stock, bring a class action suit, and teach these fuckers a lesson in how to treat thy neighbour!

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    Replies
    1. Couldn't agree more. Keith Wilson (lawyer representing) really gets the "property rights" thing. Need more lawyers like him.

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  2. I think the only way you're going to stop this folks, is to get a bunch of you together and blockade a highway or something like that.

    Only then will you have any hope of getting our lazy, uncurious media to carry the story and generate the political pressure you need.

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    Replies
    1. True enough Kodiakmac, but will the leftist media transmit the right message: stronger property rights vs more environmental regs? (enter Suzuki et al)

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  3. Here's Keith Wilson vs David Boyd: is more "environmental protection" policy/regulation/constitutional protection the answer? That'll make things worse. The Brits figured this out long ago: Property Rights
    http://podcast.cbc.ca/mp3/podcasts/current_20131129_65937.mp3

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  4. The media will not point out that Baytex is the only company that vents its toxic air in this manner. They will make it appear as if every oil company does this and then they will do what they usually do: paint all the oil sands as environmentally toxic and call all the oil companies bullies. And blame Stephen Harper, Mike Harris and George Bush for good measure.

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    Replies
    1. "...And blame Stephen Harper, Mike Harris and George Bush for good measure..."

      Don't know about Bush, but Harris did dick-all for property rights, and Harper lied: back in 2006 he promised to do something about our declining property rights, but he has not said one word about it since then.

      Delete
  5. Every now and then Big Bad Oil is exactly that. What is needed of course is continual sympathetic press coverage. Maybe the Labrecque family can find a dozen dead ducks?

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