Legalectric

Yesterday, I received a missive about the Plains & Eastern Clean Line that was disconcerting to say the least.  After all the Comment periods have closed, both DEIS and Section 1222, the DOE now says that based on comments received, there have been changes, and we get this:

Route Variations and Modified Converter Station Siting Areas

Route Variations Project Overview
Route Variations by Regions
Route Variation Sheet Maps
Modified Arkansas Converter Station Alternative Siting Area
Modified Tennessee Converter Station Siting Area

Here’s an example that makes no sense to me — look at the site for the so-called Arkansas Converter Station — it’s surrounded.  Does DOE think it can ram through Wildlife Management Areas?

Given all this new information, where’s the announcement of opportunity to review and file DEIS Comments on this?

Given the alterations of routes, are new landowners affected?  If so, where’s the announcement of opportunity to review the whole mess and file Section 1222 Comments?

Check out this great slap down of Ameren Transmission Company of Illinois by the Missouri Court of Appeals when Ameren challenged the lower court’s dismissal of their attempt to circumvent state regulation (thanks to Paul Henry for passing this on):

Ameren (ATXI) – Missouri Court of Appeals

As you know, Missouri is the state that had the wherewithall to declare that Grain Belt Express and its Clean Line was not a utility.  In this case, Ameren went in and said, with it seems quite a bit of arrogance, Missouri, don’t touch me, we don’t have to play with you, you don’t regulate me:

WOW, whew, that sure didn’t work for Ameren.  Love it when that happens.

Thinking Presidential, John Kennedy & Jimmy Carter’s “Life is unfair.”  Right now, I regret the passage of time, oh, to be young again… but Dog I love the internet, love this “Too-Much-Information Age” and our broad range of ability to speak out.  From The Independent:

Women are live-tweeting their periods at Donald Trump to prove menstruation can’t be used against them as an insult

#periodsarenotaninsult

Thanks to Sheila in Frontenac who gave us TWO van loads of day lilies.  They’re in, looking kinda bent up and tired, they’ve had quite a journey, but they’re perking up and next year they’ll look like something, and the year after, even better.  The grass wasn’t coming in on the boulevard after the West Avenue redo, it looks like crap, so let’s see how the day lilies do.  To be covered with chips soon, we have lots of the left over from the West Avenue construction.  And on the other side, in the yard, in addition to the day lilies, I’ve added a bee balm and a few cone flowers.  Soon, the Little Free Library on the metal post, and I found the perfect browsing chair to chain to the post.  Before winter?

And speaking of plantings, we often have a picnic up on Memorial Bluff at the lower quarry, the beautiful newly refurbished area with huge stone benches overlooking the garbage burner.  They’d reopened it last year, but this year, it was clear most of the newly planted trees had died.  Tonight I saw there were new ones… GREAT!  But look, really, 6 of them are planted under the transmission line.  It’s bad enough that they put two big stone picnic benches under the transmission line, but TREES? How long will it be before our friends at Xcel Energy mow them down?

Joe Biden and Champ

I wish Joe Biden would get over himself and stop musing about a Presidential run.  He is not a contender.  Biden’s intent?  I’d guess it’s nothing more than a distraction from the strong showing by Bernie Sanders.  Bernie is the nightmare of Democratic leadership, precisely because he’s the most compelling candidate for democratic voters (small “d”), people interested in preservation, revival, of our democracy.

Biden sure isn’t what I’d look for in a candidate.  A recent post on Politico, How a Young Joe Biden Turned Liberals Against Integration, brings to light Biden’s efforts to preserve segregation.  That should be enough to take him off anyone’s potential Presidential candidate list.

Alan Muller, Green Delaware, has had to deal with Biden for a long time now, and has a lot of insight into Biden’s character based on Biden’s record and actions.  One story I’ve heard often is of a group opposing the Iraq war meeting with Biden in his office, and of Biden’s absolute and nasty dismissal of them and their concerns (expletives deleted for this PG-13 post).

Racial issues have been a struggle for Delaware, and Biden provides an example of white resistance to integration.  Delaware was a slave state.  Though it bills itself “The First State,” and though  Delaware was the first state to ratify the Constitution, it was also the first state outside the Confederacy to reject the 14th Amendment, in 1867, and Delaware was very slow to ratify the 14th Amendment — it held off until 1901, 33 years after it was approved by enough states to be added to the Constitution.

Here’s an example of Biden’s “leadership,” a reminder of Biden’s efforts as a U.S. Senator to maintain segregation:

How a Young Joe Biden Turned Liberals Against Integration