DEAR EDITOR
Who has the right to say “not in my backyard” any more? In these days of rampant oil and gas exploration, very few.
The CEO of Exxon Mobil and his noteworthy neighbors are trying to say that in a complicated lawsuit regarding their upscale Texas ranch neighborhoods and the installation of a water tower plus increased truck traffic fundamental to fracking in the area.
I wish I had several million dollars to fund a lawsuit against the oil companies for the wells, pipelines and truck traffic that will cause irreparable damage to land, air and water in my ‘neighborhood.’
Better still, perhaps the nearly 1 million annual visitors to Moab, Arches and Canyonlands national parks and Dead Horse Point State Park could each donate $10 to a legal defense fund to preserve the amazing wild lands and rivers where they have come to indulge in a wealth of experiences. For American visitors and concerned locals who live here, we have a big stake in protecting this area. We taxpayers own it. To stop the abuse, we must act.
Conservation voices, rise above those of the rapacious profiteers. We must protect Greater Canyonlands.
Shout…“not in our backyard.”
Carol Mayer, Moab
