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posted by martyb on Friday August 25 2017, @11:26AM   Printer-friendly
from the greenbacks-are-good-for-the-environment dept.

The company that built the disputed Dakota Access oil pipeline filed a lawsuit against Greenpeace and other groups on Tuesday, alleging that they disseminated false and misleading information about the project and interfered with its construction.

In its lawsuit, which was filed in federal court in North Dakota, Texas-based Energy Transfer Partners requests damages that could approach $1 billion.

The company alleges that the groups' actions interfered with its business, facilitated crimes and acts of terrorism, incited violence, targeted financial institutions that backed the project and violated racketeering and defamation laws. The company seeks a trial and monetary damages, noting that disruptions to construction alone cost it at least $300 million and requesting triple damages.

The group of defendants "is comprised of rogue environmental groups and militant individuals who employ a pattern of criminal activity and a campaign of misinformation for purposes of increasing donations and advancing their political or business agendas," the company said in a statement.

Greenpeace attorney Tom Wetterer said the lawsuit is "meritless" and part of "a pattern of harassment by corporate bullies."

The lawsuit is "not designed to seek justice, but to silence free speech through expensive, time-consuming litigation," Wetterer said.

http://www.foxbusiness.com/markets/2017/08/22/company-behind-dakota-access-oil-pipeline-sues-greenpeace.html


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  • (Score: 4, Touché) by KiloByte on Friday August 25 2017, @11:42AM (1 child)

    by KiloByte (375) on Friday August 25 2017, @11:42AM (#558814)

    who employ a pattern of criminal activity and a campaign of misinformation for purposes of increasing donations and advancing their political or business agendas

    No chances this argument passes, otherwise you'd have a precedent to make the Democratic and Republican parties illegal.

    --
    Ceterum censeo systemd esse delendam.
    • (Score: 2, Interesting) by c0lo on Friday August 25 2017, @12:37PM

      by c0lo (156) Subscriber Badge on Friday August 25 2017, @12:37PM (#558827) Journal

      You mean... there's a chance, even if a remote one, to create a precedent?

      --
      https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aoFiw2jMy-0 https://soylentnews.org/~MichaelDavidCrawford
  • (Score: 1) by Revek on Friday August 25 2017, @12:41PM (1 child)

    by Revek (5022) on Friday August 25 2017, @12:41PM (#558831)

    Greenpeace says truth. What I say is they both have different opinions. I'm pretty sure you can't win when its an opinion. Its to bad both sides can't be locked into a cage match with two rusty butter knifes. Two douches enter and one douche leaves.

    --
    This page was generated by a Swarm of Roaming Elephants
    • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Friday August 25 2017, @12:51PM

      by Anonymous Coward on Friday August 25 2017, @12:51PM (#558837)

      I say call Saint Elon to play Solomon. He'll suggest using a Boring Machine to put the pipeline completely under the Indian land and the big river...where it should have been in the first place.

  • (Score: 5, Insightful) by requerdanos on Friday August 25 2017, @02:54PM (11 children)

    by requerdanos (5997) Subscriber Badge on Friday August 25 2017, @02:54PM (#558877) Journal

    The company alleges that the groups' actions interfered with its business

    Undeniably true; that was the purpose of their actions.

    facilitated crimes and acts of terrorism, incited violence

    Also appears to accurately describe actions accompanying the protests.

    violated racketeering and defamation laws.

    Defamation, certainly. Racketeering, however, is a neat and novel way to cast it.

    The company seeks a trial and monetary damages

    As is their legal right.

    noting that disruptions to construction alone cost it at least $300 million and requesting triple damages.

    Not unlikely in the least.

    The group of defendants "is comprised of rogue environmental groups and militant individuals who employ a pattern of criminal activity and a campaign of misinformation

    Absolutely, undeniably correct. Even if we agree that "pipeline is bad, yo" and "save the trees/water/air" and all that, then in that case we would be coincidentally agreeing with a group of rogues, criminals, and eco-terrorists who engage in a pattern of criminal conspiracy that goes back for decades, who believe that "the ends justify the means." Even if they think nice things about the environment from time to time, that doesn't mean that the criminal and even violent things they do are *also* nice thoughts. Some things can be good while other, different things can be bad at the same time.

    Greenpeace attorney Tom Wetterer said the lawsuit is "meritless" and part of "a pattern of harassment by corporate bullies."

    Oh pot, call ye not the kettle black.

    The lawsuit is "not designed to seek justice, but to silence free speech through expensive, time-consuming litigation," Wetterer said.

    Arrant nonsense. The lawsuit will cast a spotlight on every detail of the "speech" that Wetterer is complaining about, and expose it for whatever it may be, good or bad. The lawsuit assists and calls attention to that speech, and the criminal acts surrounding it.

    • (Score: 1, Troll) by Anonymous Coward on Friday August 25 2017, @03:12PM

      by Anonymous Coward on Friday August 25 2017, @03:12PM (#558893)

      You're a fool, guess you enjoy corporate fascism.

    • (Score: 2, Insightful) by Tara Li on Friday August 25 2017, @03:37PM (5 children)

      by Tara Li (6248) on Friday August 25 2017, @03:37PM (#558908)

      Yep - sauce for the goose is sauce for the gander. Greenpeace, Sierra Club, and other organizations have made it clear for decades that the lawsuits they file are more about costing the companies money than actual justice. Turn-about is fair play.

      Though really, we do need to figure out some why to prevent the courts being used as weapons. Maybe some judges who take their oaths of office seriously, perhaps?

      • (Score: 2, Insightful) by Anonymous Coward on Friday August 25 2017, @05:35PM (4 children)

        by Anonymous Coward on Friday August 25 2017, @05:35PM (#558999)

        Greenpeace, Sierra Club, and other organizations have made it clear for decades that the lawsuits they file are more about costing the companies money than actual justice.

        Actual justice would be prison terms for CEOs, dismantling the systems that cause massive environmental damage. This new trend of equalizing everything is a pretty sneaky form of propaganda. Erode people's ethics, make everything seem relative, then its all about who can bribe the most.

        • (Score: 2, Insightful) by khallow on Friday August 25 2017, @08:01PM (3 children)

          by khallow (3766) Subscriber Badge on Friday August 25 2017, @08:01PM (#559091) Journal

          dismantling the systems that cause massive environmental damage

          In the developed world, that was done long ago. Didn't need to jail a bunch of CEOs for non-crimes either.

          • (Score: -1, Troll) by Anonymous Coward on Friday August 25 2017, @09:46PM (2 children)

            by Anonymous Coward on Friday August 25 2017, @09:46PM (#559122)

            Corporate stooge you're the one, you make astroturfing look like so much fun!

            The saddest part is I don't think you are a stooge. It would truly be a preferable scenario, but I think you may actually just enjoy sucking corporate cock. For free.

            • (Score: 2, Insightful) by khallow on Friday August 25 2017, @10:35PM (1 child)

              by khallow (3766) Subscriber Badge on Friday August 25 2017, @10:35PM (#559138) Journal
              Hopefully, you do realize that pollution was far worse in the 1950s than it is now in places like Europe or the US?
              • (Score: 3, Insightful) by Anonymous Coward on Friday August 25 2017, @11:28PM

                by Anonymous Coward on Friday August 25 2017, @11:28PM (#559148)

                Yeah, thanks to the hard work of a bunch of "tree hugging hippies" which you and your stooge friends would gladly have left in a ditch to die. Protections that were hard won and are now being rolled back as quickly as your favorite political stooge can push them through. Pffft, I bet you would give all the credit to companies for cleaning up instead of the heroes that fought them tooth and nail to FORCE them to clean up.

    • (Score: 1, Insightful) by Anonymous Coward on Friday August 25 2017, @05:38PM

      by Anonymous Coward on Friday August 25 2017, @05:38PM (#559003)

      'Even if we agree that "pipeline is bad, yo" and "save the trees/water/air" and all that, then in that case we would be coincidentally agreeing with a group of rogues, criminals, and eco-terrorists who engage in a pattern of criminal conspiracy that goes back for decades, who believe that "the ends justify the means."'

      There should be no "if we agree" in there. But that aside, how about addressing the criminal conspiracy to suppress evidence and knowingly pollute the environment for the sake of profit. Does profit justify the means?

    • (Score: 1, Troll) by melikamp on Friday August 25 2017, @06:00PM

      by melikamp (1886) on Friday August 25 2017, @06:00PM (#559023) Journal

      HAHAHAHAHA wow you really got them!

      The joke is on you, though, buddie. Every time you open your mouth to defend a fossil fuel dinosaur such as ETP, their execs crouch, take a big dump in your mouth, and then highfive each other. Or perhaps, if you look at what they actually do to the environment both in terms of carbon pollution and the toxin release, you may wish it was actual literal shit you were swallowing and breathing, as it would probably be safer overall.

      As AC pointed out already, orgs such as Greenpeace defend the planet and the environment, YOUR planet and YOUR environment, whereas you seem to be keen on defending ETP's right to profit. If you are being sincere, you must be dumber than Republican astroturf chatbots.

    • (Score: 2) by captain normal on Friday August 25 2017, @06:04PM

      by captain normal (2205) on Friday August 25 2017, @06:04PM (#559027)

      "...group of rogues, criminals, and eco-terrorists who engage in a pattern of criminal conspiracy that goes back for decades, who believe that "the ends justify the means." Even if they think nice things about the environment from time to time, that doesn't mean that the criminal and even violent things they do are *also* nice thoughts. Some things can be good while other, different things can be bad at the same time."

      The same could very well be said about Energy Transfer Partners and the whole petrol energy gang of big oil and energy.

      --
      When life isn't going right, go left.
    • (Score: 4, Insightful) by frojack on Friday August 25 2017, @09:54PM

      by frojack (1554) on Friday August 25 2017, @09:54PM (#559125) Journal

      Racketeering, however, is a neat and novel way to cast it.

      Civil Rico is a thing [supremelaw.org]. (As is criminal Rico - but the latter must be a charge leveled by the Government)/

      So its not THAT novel of an approach, and it (IMHO) brings a much stronger ability to win a judgement in front of a jury.

      Especially now in these days, since its become quite apparent that there are professional paid protesters that travel from event to event, where ever they are paid to go, and to a far lesser extent, where ever they feel motivated to go. People see these same protesters show up in town, inflict a lot of damage and escape any consequences, then scurry off to the next city and the next protest, rinse, repeat for years.

      --
      No, you are mistaken. I've always had this sig.
  • (Score: 4, Interesting) by Runaway1956 on Saturday August 26 2017, @12:41AM (2 children)

    by Runaway1956 (2926) Subscriber Badge on Saturday August 26 2017, @12:41AM (#559194) Journal

    The protestors. Buncha kooks, really, but I at least partially agreed with them. We only have one earth, maybe we should work harder to ensure it stays clean? Kinda beside the point though.

    The corporates knew early on that a lot of people were going to protest, in many different ways. They knew that they would be tied up in court, and they knew the potential for protestors physically disrupting their operations. And, they chose to go forward with their plans.

    I deem any money lost by the corporations as part of "the cost of doing business". A billion dollars? How much of that is loss, and how much is just hoped for punitive awards? Not that I care a whole lot. If the corporates actually "lost" a billion dollars in all of the confrontations, they can just eat that cost.

    I guess my bottom line on this is, "Leave the kooks alone because they help to keep corps somewhat honest." The alternative is a one sided report from the corps, telling us how things are going to be.

    • (Score: 2) by gottabeme on Saturday August 26 2017, @02:08PM (1 child)

      by gottabeme (1531) on Saturday August 26 2017, @02:08PM (#559440)

      > I guess my bottom line on this is, "Leave the kooks alone because they help to keep corps somewhat honest." The alternative is a one sided report from the corps, telling us how things are going to be.

      No, the ones who have committed acts of violence and vandalism are criminals. The alternative is law and order.

      You're arguing that the ends justify the means. You're arguing in favor of a violent war between corporations and vigilantes. That's not what we do in civilized society.

      • (Score: 2) by Runaway1956 on Saturday August 26 2017, @02:32PM

        by Runaway1956 (2926) Subscriber Badge on Saturday August 26 2017, @02:32PM (#559449) Journal

        Actually, the only violence cited in that whole thing, was committed by corporations.

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