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Texans Whose Land Was Usurped to Build Keystone XL Pipeline Will Join Public Citizen at Historic Climate Rally

Feb. 14, 2013

Texans Whose Land Was Usurped to Build Keystone XL Pipeline Will Join Public Citizen at Historic Climate Rally

Action Will Call for Obama to Get Aggressive on Climate Change

WHAT:  Public Citizen, along with other environmental leaders, landowners, activists, organizers and concerned citizens, will converge on Washington, D.C., to rally against the controversial Keystone XL tar sands pipeline and demand action on climate change. The event, which is expected to draw more than 20,000 people, is expected to be the largest climate rally in history. Participants will call on President Barack Obama to take bold action to address the climate crisis, starting now by denying Transcanada a permit to transport toxic tar sands from our northern border to the Gulf of Mexico via its Keystone pipeline.

The Calgary-based company has been building its environmentally hazardous pipeline piecemeal, relying on claims of eminent domain to condemn private property so it can be grabbed from its owners without their consent.

Public Citizen will host two Texas landowners who are fighting to reclaim their land from Transcanada. They will be available for interviews Saturday afternoon, Feb. 16, at Public Citizen prior to the event and at the event itself on Sunday.

WHEN:  Noon, Sunday, Feb. 17

WHERE:  People will assemble at the northeast corner of the Washington Monument on the National Mall and from there march at 1 p.m. to the White House.

WHO: Eleanor Fairchild, a 78-year-old great-grandmother, owner of a 350-acre ranch in Winnsboro, Texas, and vocal activist against the tar sands pipeline. Nearly one mile of pipeline has been built across her land without her permission, destroying trees and threatening water sources.
Julia Trigg Crawford, third-generation owner of a 650-acre cattle ranch and farm in Direct, Texas, who is challenging Texas authorities for allowing her land to be usurped by eminent domain. Transcanada had her property condemned but has yet to build on it. 
Robert Weissman, president, Public Citizen
Tyson Slocum, director, Public Citizen’s Energy Program
Allison Fisher, outreach director, Public Citizen’s Energy Program