Pittsboro, NC – I saw a map of the Enbridge pipeline tonight. Looks like it plans to go smack dab over the Mt View AME Zion Church cemetery outside of Moncure. I was standing next to an elderly lady and her son and I pointed this out to them because I thought it could be their church, and it was.
And she said, “Lord, this thing goes right through my house.” And the best I could tell, it went right through her neighbors’ houses, too, because they were small adjoining lots.
And yet, somehow, Enbridge has the money to wrap around, like a horseshoe, a property that belongs to Tim Sweeney, our local billionaire. Funny how they can afford to do that, but they’ll don’t have a problem with going right past the church through it cemetery. It’s even labeled on their own map! So they know.
Smacks of environmental racism to me.
Don’t get me wrong, I am mighty grateful to Tim Sweeney for his conservation efforts, but I would like him to step up and help this cause.
This path was chosen because it’s the cheapest for EnBridge’s shareholders. That’s not fair.
Their CEO made a $22 million last year, and these people might lose their HOMES. And so might friends on the other side of the pipeline in Siler City who live in a very special historical place. A place full of native American artifacts. A place where you can still see the foundations of some pre-revolutionary war structures. Including a Native American dam. In a site where another African-American church held its annual baptisms in the river.
This pipeline would impact historically significant sites to Native American people and to two different churches in our African-American community.
And it smacks of corruption and greed.
Eminent Domain = Stealing Your Land because shareholders and CEO’s want money. We all need to stop this precedent. This pipeline won’t even serve Chatham County!
But they don’t realize that Chatham County people stand together! And they don’t realize yet that Chatham County people are going to stand up for each other and ensure that they do not put this pipeline that doesn’t even serve Chatham County through our treasured spaces.
Come to the meeting and speak up! Thursday at the ag center on Highway 64 at 6:00 PM, and sign up to speak, or you can hand them a written question. Ask about this and other things you want to know! All hands on deck