LAMAR COUNTY, TX--It's a source of energy that's fueling a fire in Texoma. Though President Barack Obama denied TransCanada a permit to lay the Keystone XL Pipeline, company representatives are still moving forward. They say they have every right to lay a path for oil from tar sands from the Gulf to the Red River. One Lamar County woman isn't budging. Friday, she and the energy company were in court.
For the Keystone XL Pipeline, TransCanada insists on plowing through.
In it's path is Julia Crawford's 600 acre property.
"This is a farm my grandfather bought in 1948," Crawford said. "It's 600 acres and is out in a little town called Direct, TX."
To stop TransCanada, Crawford filed a temporary restraining order. Based in Alberta Canada, the major energy corporation took court action Friday to dissolve Crawford's order.
Several other landowners appeared at the Lamar County courthouse that day, concerned that TransCanada would dig and send oil from tar sands in their direction.
"It would split my property in half and it would take out 1.4 acres of 100 year old hardwood," David Daniel said, Winnsboro Texas resident.
According to Texas Natural Resources and Property codes, the company claims it has eminent domain and will compensate residents accordingly.
North Texas activists disagree.
"There is no public use or common good to dedicate them as a common carrier," Rita Beving said, activist.
"In 2008, my neighbor called me and said 'people have been trespassing on our property,' so I go and check out my property when I get home, find it had been fully surveyed for a project I knew nothing about," Daniel said.
Crawford isn't just protecting her grandfather's property. She says priceless Native American artifacts are on her land.
"I can't, and the Caddo Nation does not, want construction to start before we know exactly what's out there," Crawford said. "The preservation of this is just in my DNA. Nothing means more to us than this property."
While TransCanada attempts to lay the groundwork for their pipeline, landowners say they'll keep fighting.
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