Crime

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    DOJ Pledges to Vigorously Prosecute Pipeline Eco-terrorists

    Members of Congress, indeed members of the public, are sick and tired of eco-terrorists targeting our pipeline infrastructure. In October we told you that 84 Members of Congress sent a letter to Attorney General Jeff Sessions asking the Dept. of Justice to step up its enforcement of existing laws against these sick terrorists (see 84 Members of Congress ask DOJ to Pursue Domestic Eco-Terrorists). Illegally shutting down a pipeline or damaging pipeline infrastructure, specifically petrochemical pipelines, puts lives at risk. Our nation needs hydrocarbons for transportation, electricity generation, to heat our homes, and to produce thousands of household products. Pipelines provide a safe and economical way to transport that energy. Eco-terrorists put all that in jeopardy. We’re happy to report that last Friday the AG Sessions and the DOJ responded to the good Congresspeople to say the Department will vigorously prosecute those who damage “critical energy infrastructure in violation of federal law.” Good! It’s about time. We’ve had enough of the inmates running the asylum. Back to law and order. Thank you Jeff Sessions and thank you Donald Trump…
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    3 Old Ladies Cause 3 Hr Delay in Atlantic Sunrise Construction

    When did little old ladies become climate jihadists? That’s what happened yesterday in Lancaster County when three old ladies, obviously radicalized at some point (maybe they’re old hippies who have always been radicalized?), tied themselves together with a plastic pipe device that needed to be cut away so they could be removed from the spot where they were blocking Atlantic Sunrise Pipeline construction equipment. The entire episode took three hours. When asked nicely by the police to remove the plastic device and unhook themselves, the old ladies refused. So the police had to carefully operate to cut them apart. We figure their stunt easily cost $3,000 in delays–so we sincerely hope Williams sends each of them a bill of $1K to cover the downtime. Plus the old ladies will need to compensate the police and court system for handling their unnecessary case. These three added to the 29 previously arrested in two other episodes now make 32 arrested opposing Atlantic Sunrise–out the “thousands” the clattering Clatterbucks (Mark and Malinda, the radicals spearheading these actions) claim said would rise up to illegally block construction. So much for the big boasts of radical antis…
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    84 Members of Congress ask DOJ to Pursue Domestic Eco-Terrorists

    On Monday, a bi-partisan group of 84 Members of Congress signed a letter addressed to Attorney General Jeff Sessions at the Department of Justice. The letter asks whether existing federal laws allow prosecution for criminal activity that threatens energy infrastructure and additionally, if attacks on energy infrastructure that threaten human life fall within the DOJ’s classification of domestic terrorism. The Congressfolks are tired of radicalized environmentalists who tip over into acts of vandalism, like burning holes through pipelines and destroying construction equipment–actions that happened in North Dakota last year, part of the “peaceful” Dakota Access Pipeline protests. The not-so-subtle message for the DOJ is that such acts should be considered domestic terrorism. Let’s call it what it is. The people who perpetrate these acts are not to be dismissed as overly enthusiastic but well-meaning, perhaps going an inch or two over the line. NO. They endanger the lives of innocent adults and children with their violent actions. They are to be considered terrorists and treated as such under the laws of the United States…
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    6 More Arrested for Blocking Pipe Work at Lancaster Nun Property

    Last Monday 23 radicalized protesters tried to block access to equipment being used to construct the Atlantic Sunrise Pipeline in Lancaster County, PA–on property owned by a sect of Catholic nuns whom we call Sisters of the Corn (see Lancaster Pipeline Protesters ‘Do the Hokey Pokey’ & Get Arrested). The protesters began singing the Hokey Pokey as they waited their turn for the handcuffs–including the arrest of a child. Such is the psychological abuse these people perpetrate on children. Over the weekend, on Saturday, another six protesters at the same location were arrested and carted away. One of them was a priest from New York, showing solidarity with the radical Sisters of the Corn. We have the names of the six arrested on Saturday, and a report of their arrest. What remains interesting to MDN is the low, low numbers of protesters who have been arrested. The people in charge of the protest movement, Mark and Malinda Clatterbuck (from Lancaster County) claim to have more than 1,000 people signed up to protest against the pipeline–to engage in illegal actions to block it. Yet so far 29 have been arrested. So much for the big boasts of the Clatterbucks…
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    Lancaster Pipeline Protesters ‘Do the Hokey Pokey’ & Get Arrested

    Although the anti-fossil fuel group Lancaster Against Pipelines claims “over 1,000 people” have pledged to protest the pipeline in the county, only 26 (or 23, depending on the news source) showed up to get themselves arrested for attempting to stop the pipeline. We’ve previously written about the hypocritical Catholic nuns who operate a retirement home that uses fracked natural gas to heat it, yet oppose a pipeline to flow the same fracked gas under their property. The nuns, called Adorers of the Blood of Christ, have tried several strategies to derail the Williams Atlantic Sunrise Pipeline project. One of stunts they pulled, in league with the radicals from Lancaster Against Pipelines, is to stick a few wooden park benches in the middle of a corn field that they own (leased to a local farmer), and call it a “chapel”–which is why MDN dubbed them Sisters of the Corn. The sisters sued to stop the pipeline on religious grounds, claiming it violates a core religious belief in preserving Mom Earth. A judge saw through that sham and threw out the case (see Fed Judge Tosses Lancaster Nuns’ Freedom of Religion Lawsuit re ASP). So Lancaster Against Pipelines pledged to show up and attempt to block machinery when it begins construction on the sisters’ property. That happened yesterday. As they always do, the antis put on a circus freak show–singing the song “Hokey Pokey” as they were arrested and removed. But it wasn’t 1,000 people–it was just 26 (or 23) from the same small, core group of leftists. Everybody sing along: “Put your right wrist in…Put your left wrist in…Put both wrists in as the officer clicks the handcuffs…You do the hokey pokey…And get yourself arrested…That’s what it’s all about!”…
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    Climate Terrorists Convicted in ND for Damaging Keystone Pipe

    Finally, some justice against law-breaking eco-terrorists. You may recall in October 2016, eco-terrorists were arrested when they cut padlocks and chains at five remote flow stations (four different states) and shut down five oil pipelines coming from Canada into the United States (see Climate Radicals Turn Terrorist, Shut Down 5 Canada-to-US Oil Pipes). Two of them shut down the Dakota Access Pipeline, part of which was up and running at that time. The two who shut down Dakota Access were convicted by a jury last Friday–found guilty of their crimes. One of them faces 11 years in prison, and the other 21 years. It’s about time! Why do we care what happened to a couple of loser eco-terrorists in North Dakota? Because some of their members promised to target the Marcellus/Utica region next (see Dakota Access Pipeline Protesters Turn Violent; Coming Here Next?). If people are actually held accountable for their criminal actions, maybe they’ll think twice before doing it elsewhere…
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    Anarchists Brag About Vandalizing Mariner East 2 Constr Equipment

    A group of lawless anarchists–people calling themselves “anti-capitalists” from the Philadelphia area, have admitted in a blog post that they engaged in illegal, criminal (we’d call it eco-terrorist) activities against construction equipment being used in Media (Delaware County), PA for the Mariner East 2 Pipeline project. The criminals, from the anti-American group Philly Anti-Capitalist, said they filled the fuel tanks of a flatbed truck and several excavators with sand and sugar–meant to ruin the engines. They even outline how to inflict maximum damage to the engines by removing the fuel filters. These idiots justify their criminal actions by saying, “Human-caused ecological collapse and mass extinction are upon us.” In other words, they’re loony tunes. Crazy. Driven to commit criminal acts because they’ve been brainwashed into believing mankind is poisoning Mom Earth by extracting and using fossil fuels. And brainwashed against liberty and freedom as personified in the United States. They are serious (and dangerous) nutjobs. We sincerely hope the FBI, Homeland Security and other police organizations hunt them down and jail them for destroying private property…
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    Lancaster Police Get Ready to Arrest Atlantic Sunrise Protesters

    Police in Lancaster County, PA are trying to get out in front of what they expect may be a tense situation. Big Green groups along with local nutters in the Lancaster area have pledged so-called non-violent action to stop work on the now-fully permissioned Atlantic Sunrise Pipeline project. Atlantic Sunrise is a $3 billion, 198-mile natural gas pipeline project running through 10 Pennsylvania counties to connect Marcellus Shale natural gas from northeastern PA with the Williams’ Transco pipeline in southern Lancaster County. Lancaster Against Pipelines, headed up by Mark Clatterbuck (who participated in the ineffective protests against the Dakota Access Pipeline) and his wife Malinda. The clattering Clatterbucks have made threats that they and their “many” followers will enter private land and do whatever it takes–lock arms, chain themselves to something, etc.–to stop the backhoes and bulldozers. Several local town police departments, wanting to be prepared, sent a form letter/survey to residents where the pipeline will cross, to ask them (a) if they (the landowners) plan to allow antis onto their property, and (b) if they don’t plan to allow antis, will they consent to allowing the police to arrest antis on their property. Manor police Chief Todd Graeff says his department is neutral with respect to the pipeline–they just want to know where they have permission to enter and arrest people, and where they don’t. In West Hempfield “many” of the questionnaires have been signed and returned. Every single returned questionnaire gives the police permission to arrest antis on their property. Which is a VERY loud and clear signal to the troublemakers: You WILL get arrested and jailed for your shenanigans…
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    19 Radicals Arrested for Blocking DEQ Building in Richmond, Va.

    As MDN told you two weeks ago, radicals from the Chesapeake Climate Action Network (CCAN) said they would stage “massive” protests at several Virginia Department of Environmental Quality offices last week to protest against two Marcellus/Utica pipeline projects: the $5 billion Atlantic Coast Pipeline and $3.5 billion Mountain Valley Pipeline. Both projects have large segments crossing Virginia (see Radical CCAN to Protest VA DEQ Against Marcellus/Utica Pipelines). CCAN said up to 1,000 people would turn up to behave badly at DEQ office sites–using sit-ins, “prayer circles” and sidewalk “rallies.” The so-called “massive” rallies where held–and it was bust. At the main DEQ office in Richmond, “dozens” turned out to protest the pipelines. If it weren’t for the signs and sloppy dress code, you wouldn’t have known they where there–they would have blended in with the crowd. In the end, 19 of the radicals were arrested for blocking an entrance to the building where the DEQ has its office. The news account of the “arrest” of these radicals sounds more like a tea party than a crime scene. One radical said she though the police “were just great”…
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    ET Says Accident or Anti Sabotage Caused Diesel in Rover Mud Leaks

    Rover Pipeline is Energy Transfer’s $3.7 billion, 711-mile Marcellus/Utica natural gas pipeline that will run from PA, WV and eastern OH through OH into Michigan and eventually into Canada. On April 13, Rover workers experienced an “inadvertent return” of “horizontal directional drilling fluid”. That is, they sprung a leak and spilled nearly 2 million gallons of drilling mud (see Rover Pipeline Accident Spills ~2M Gal. Drilling Mud in OH Swamp). The leak did not spill into the Tuscarawas River (thankfully), but into a wetland next to the river. As we pointed out at the time, “Fortunately the primary component of said drilling fluid is nontoxic bentonite–the same ingredient used to make shampoo, deodorant, toothpaste and kitty litter.” The Ohio Environmental Protection Agency (OEPA) investigated the spill, following an “anonymous tip” and found the presence of diesel fuel in the spilled mud. Diesel fuel IS toxic–and its presence is not a good thing. OEPA’s testing found “very very low levels” of diesel fuel, whatever that means. Even very very low amounts are not good–and in fact are illegal. Since that time Energy Transfer has tried to figure out why there is diesel in the drilling mud–because they sure didn’t order it, and they firmly believe their drilling contractor did not add it to the mud. So how did it get there? On Friday Energy Transfer offered two theories–either an accident spilled diesel into the mud, or it was intentionally placed there by antis, as an act of sabotage. We do find it interesting that OEPA Director Craig Butler, who has been combative against Energy Transfer and the Rover project, claims an anonymous source tipped him to the presence of the mud. Was the anonymous source a whistle blower who worked for the contractor and claimed this is a routine practice? Did OEPA find diesel in unused drilling mud? Have they found the presence of diesel at ANY other locations where HDD is being used? We certainly had the thought fly through our brains, for only a moment, “What if an anti deliberately put diesel in the mud?” when this story first broke several months ago. But we immediately dismissed the idea. Not even antis would stoop so low as to poison Mother Earth to advance their cause. Or would they?…
    Read More “ET Says Accident or Anti Sabotage Caused Diesel in Rover Mud Leaks”

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    Bunch of Old Hippies Arrested in Mass. for Blocking Pipeline Work

    Very early on when MDN editor Jim Willis began to write Marcellus Drilling News and he attended local meetings where fracking (and later pipelines) were discussed, he noticed a strange phenomenon: Many in the audience appeared to be old hippies–men with no hair on top, but long (gray) hair on the sides, still braided in a ponytail, all these years later, like it was back in the day when they smoked weed and protested the Vietnam war. Whenever Jim raises that observation he almost always gets vitriolic emails–because he hits a nerve. A little too much truth in what Jim writes. It is with some amusement we report more old hippies protesting once again. This time it’s in Massachusetts. On Saturday Massachusetts State Troopers arrested 22 people. When you look at their ages (and the pictures), you quickly come to the conclusion that this is yet another group of old hippies trying to relive the glory days. Their last chance to “make a difference” and protest “the man.” Only this time they’re protesting a 2-mile pipeline through a state forest–part of Kinder Morgan’s TGP Connecticut Expansion project. As we stated in a previous post, “Perhaps if pipelines flowed marijuana instead of fossil fuels, they’d feel differently about them?”…
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    “Privileged White” Actor Cromwell Serves < Half of Jail Sentence

    Being famous (and “privileged” and “white”) has its perks. Actor James Cromwell, as we noted yesterday, reported to jail last Friday for refusing to pay a fine and do community service following his illegal activities in blocking construction at the $900 million CPV Valley Energy Center project in Wawayanda, NY (see “Privileged White” Actor James Cromwell Jailed for Power Plant Protest). In an interview with People magazine, Cromwell said he was “excited” to experience something most “privileged white people” don’t experience–time in the clink. Cromwell endangered himself and others with his actions. A judge found him guilty. He refused to pay a small fine, so he received a sentence of seven days. Although we assumed he was in the midst of his sentence when we posted our piece yesterday, alas, come to find out, he was not. Cromwell was already released–after serving just 3 days of his 7-day sentence–less than half of his sentence. Jail officials tossed him out Monday morning, after spending the weekend in jail. So yes, apparently being a famous Hollywood star who is “privileged” and “white” gets you a free get-out-of-jail card–at least in Orange County, where the wheels of justice grind differently, depending on race, economic status and celebrity…
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    “Privileged White” Actor James Cromwell Jailed for Power Plant Protest

    James Cromwell as Zefram Cochrane in Star Trek

    Hollywood actor James Cromwell is not only a privileged, spoiled 77-year old, he’s also self-loathing–because he’s white. That’s what we take from an article appearing in People magazine and its interview with Cromwell, who starred in movies like Babe, The Sum of All Fears and (one our favorites), Star Trek: First Contact. Cromwell, a Manhattanite, maintains a home in Orange County, NY (i.e. “Upstate”). When Cromwell learned that an electric generating plant that burns evil fossil fuels (natural gas) would be built near his home, he thought he would do what all Hollywood stars thinks will work–shut the project down by protesting. You know, because he’s famous. What a dope. After initial court challenges went nowhere, CPV (Competitive Power Ventures) began building the $900 million Valley Energy Center project in Wawayanda, NY (see Orange County, NY Marcellus-Fired Electric Plant OK’d by Judge). In December 2015, Cromwell and a few star-struck sycophants got themselves arrested for illegally blocking the entrance to the construction site (see Actor James Cromwell Arrested Protesting NY Power Plant Site). The wheels of justice grind slowly, but finally, two years later, the “Wawayanda Six,” as they call themselves, were found guilty and ordered to pay a fine. Some of the six did, but Cromwell and a few others refused. So last Friday Cromwell went to jail, where he’s sitting right now, for a seven-day sentence. Prior to heading off to the clink, Cromwell gave an interview to People in which he says, among other things, that’s he’s “excited” to be going to jail. He then said this: “So yes, I’m excited. I’m excited because I will have had an experience that not a lot of privileged white people have, what it’s like to be in there. What that system does to people who have no choice of how long they’re in there — they’re not gonna be in there for a week, they’re gonna be in there for years.” Our translation: Cromwell hates himself because he’s white and he’s privileged. Which is kind of ironic–because he tried to stop a $900 million project that will benefit the unprivileged people living in his area (with jobs and local tax revenue) precisely by USING his white, privileged status. Talk about conflicted!…
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    Major Gen. James “Spider” Marks Takes Aim at Lawless PA Protesters

    Major General James A. “Spider” Marks is the former Commanding General, U.S. Army Intelligence Center, and was the senior intelligence officer for the 2003 liberation of Iraq. Since retiring from the military, General Marks has led many business ventures in education, energy, and research, and served as the President and CEO of Global Linguist Solutions, a private company that provided linguistics services to the U.S. military in Iraq and was the largest employer of native Iraqis. He is an on-air national security, military, and intelligence contributor to CNN and an adjunct professor at Georgetown University. Spider Marks doesn’t suffer fools gladly. In an op-ed written for the Harrisburg Patriot-News, Marks takes aim at so-called protesters (paid activists) who ran up a $40 million tab of destruction in North Dakota (paid for by taxpayers) with their so-called protest camp there, and who now are attempting to invade Pennsylvania and recreate the same chaos. Marks calls a spade a spade in his deft column… Read More “Major Gen. James “Spider” Marks Takes Aim at Lawless PA Protesters”

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    PA State Senator Introducing Law to Send Protesters Cleanup Bill

    Here’s a story we LOVE! As we previously reported, anti-fossil fuel “protesters” (i.e. paid thugs) in North Dakota, there to try and stop the Dakota Access Pipeline from being completed (which didn’t work), left a major mess behind when they finally moved on (see Dakota Access Pipeline Protesters Turn Violent; Coming Here Next?). The protesters, supposedly there to protect Mom Earth, left behind massive piles of garbage which, with the spring floods, threatened the local environment they were supposedly there to protect. State and local governments ended up paying millions of dollars to clean up the filth left behind to avoid an environmental catastrophe. As we’ve also reported, a number of times, anti-fossil fuel zealots from Lancaster County, PA are attempting to lure the same group of paid rabble-rousers to peaceful Lancaster County to reenact the same destruction–in a bid to stop the Williams Atlantic Sunrise Pipeline project (see PA Anti Hopes to Bring Standing Rock Disaster to Lancaster County). Earlier this month a local state senator from Lancaster, Scott Martin, convened a closed-door meeting to help local law enforcement and first responders prepare for the coming lawlessness of the protesters (see Lancaster Forum to Focus on Handling Anarchists in Pipeline Protest). Now Sen. Martin is set to introduce legislation that will give the bill for any cleanup of a large protest camp–to the protesters! That’s right, if they want to “assemble peaceably” and speak their minds–go right ahead. But if you create a massive dump like you created in North Dakota, this time you (the nutty protesters) are going to pay to clean it up. LOVE IT!… Read More “PA State Senator Introducing Law to Send Protesters Cleanup Bill”

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    PA Protesters Protest Outside Mtg to Discuss Handling Protesters

    This one has us spitting nails. We have reported, for months, about the activities of so-called protesters against Williams’ $3 billion Atlantic Sunrise Pipeline project. In particular, there is a group in Lancaster County, PA opposing the pipeline creatively called Lancaster Against Pipelines (LAP). Some of their members previously attended and participated in protests against the Dakota Access Pipeline in Standing Rock, ND–protests that turned violent and destroyed millions of dollars in equipment (see Dakota Access Pipeline Protesters Turn Violent; Coming Here Next?). In February, the chief organizer of LAP, Mark Clatterbuck, who participated in the illegal activities in North Dakota last year, announced he intends to bring that kind of mayhem to Lancaster County (see PA Anti Hopes to Bring Standing Rock Disaster to Lancaster County). Clatterbuck set his plans in motion in March (see Protesters Try to Resurrect Failed ND Pipeline Fight in Lancaster). Let’s see, thousands of protesters illegally blocking construction workers, burning equipment, and taking shots at police officers. How does that all sound for Lancaster County? Not very good, according to local State Senator Scott Martin, who organized a closed-door meeting yesterday with area first responders and police, piping in a satellite feed from North Dakota officials to discuss what Lancaster might do to prevent what happened in North Dakota (see Lancaster Forum to Focus on Handling Anarchists in Pipeline Protest). The forum was held yesterday, and protesters were there to protest the meeting about how to handle protesters (kind of meta, isn’t it?). The protesters said it was “disrespectful” and “irresponsible” to plan how to avoid the disaster of Standing Rock. Does that beat all? Are these people actually lunatics escaped from an asylum? To not plan how to handle a sizable group of people (many of whom will come from out of the area) that plan to engage in breaking the law–is the height of irresponsibility. Kudos to Sen. Martin for protecting area residents, the environment, and the workers who will build the pipeline irregardless of the temper tantrums thrown by these adult children who claim to be protesters… Read More “PA Protesters Protest Outside Mtg to Discuss Handling Protesters”