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The Columbiana County Farm Bureau was one of many groups to prevent expansion of a pipeline that would have cut through many farms in Ohio. After a six-year battle, the landowners have won, and the pipeline company removed its application for expansion. Columbiana County Farm Bureau and other groups lobbied against a proposed natural gas transmission pipeline that would have cut through farms from Defiance to Leidy, Pa.

The county Farm Bureau held informational meetings, and Nan Still, OFBF director of ag law information, attended a meeting to explain the laws of eminent domain.

Columbiana County Farm Bureau also passed a resolution against taking county landowners’ land by eminent domain. They also made a donation to the Columbiana County Landowners Association.

"This was such a long campaign," said Lucille Huston, Columbiana County Farm Bureau president. "We’re glad that for now our land is safe."

Columbiana County Farm Bureau believes the need for improved pipeline safety policies and updated eminent domain laws is imperative. Many of the landowners have fought a pipeline battle before when a similar proposal from the Erie-Transylvania pipeline arose in the mid-80s. Groups like Columbiana County Farm Bureau believe another proposal is always possible, therefore it is important to keep fighting for landowners’ rights. Opponents of the pipeline believe codes and policies governing pipelines are not up-to-date.

The Independence Pipeline Company submitted a motion to the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission June 24 requesting the commission vacate the certificate issued to Independence to construct, own and operate a new 400-mile pipeline. The proposed pipeline would have extended from ANR Pipeline Company's existing compressor station in Defiance, Ohio, to National Fuel Gas facilities in Leidy, Pa.

Independence officials said the company had been unable to get sufficient customer contracts to proceed with the project. The commission had granted a certificate, or permission for the pipeline to proceed with construction July 12, 2000, however the companies involved had to secure contracts for 35 percent of the pipeline's total capacity with "non-affiliate shippers" that had no form of "out" clauses.