Last week, a new Texas law went into effect that increases penalties for anyone who interferes or seeks to damage any piece of critical infrastructure in the state, including pipelines. The law makes it a felony for anyone who trespasses on a critical infrastructure site to damage or interfere with operations, a radical tactic often used by environmentalist protestors in opposition to pipelines that endangers construction workers as well as themselves.
Vice President of Public Affairs for Kinder Morgan Allen Fore stated:
“There are ways to protest, but don’t do it on a construction site because you could get hurt or hurt somebody else.”
Since the law passed, environmental groups have turned to other radical tactics. In May, a Texas Sierra Club leader called for the harassment of all private citizens who support the industry at their homes and churches.
Despite the radical efforts of environmentalists, Texas oil and gas continues to benefit the country. A new report by the Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas estimates that the recent shale boom accounted close to one-tenth of American economic growth. From 2010 to 2015, U.S. GDP grew by 10.8 percent, with an approximately 1 percent GDP increase from light oil production.
