County Legislature

Talking Points:

Do not approve this resolution, but do create a separate bonding resolution for the mitigation money.Currently the approved $3 million mitigation money is being bundled into the same resolution with the $22 million overrun requested for the pipeline. There are clear reasons to bond these two issues separately:

1. Through the approved Intermunicipal Agreement, the city has already given up its appeal regarding the contested land at Oxford-Blaine (and the Trolley site) for mitigation money.
2. The mitigation money is being unfairly connected to the pipeline construction. The money is going to the people who live near the RTF and none of it is going to those on the pipeline.
3. The Midland plant is built and the neighborhood has already been disrupted and now must live with the plant. The mitigation is more than deserved by the impacted community.
4. Bundling the money has the appearance of a pressure tactic. It creates a situation of "if you want your mitigation money, you must approve this expensive pipeline."
5. Bundling the money prohibits a fair debate on the pipeline project (Phase III).