Daryl Hannah freed after arrest in pipeline protest
TYLER, Texas (AP) - Actress Daryl Hannah has been released from a Texas jail following her arrest as she protested an oil pipeline designed to bring crude from Canada to the Gulf Coast.
The Tyler Morning Telegraph reported Saturday that Hannah was freed on $2,500 bond Thursday night, but faces criminal trespass charges. Her release came hours after being arrested in Winnsboro, about 100 miles east of Dallas.
Hannah and 78-year-old Eleanor Fairchild were arrested after blocking heavy equipment in an attempt to halt construction of the Keystone XL pipeline through Fairchild's land. Fairchild was released on a personal recognizance bond.
Hannah has long opposed TransCanada's construction of the $7 billion pipeline, which is designed to transport heavy tar-sands crude oil from Alberta, Canada, to Texas' Gulf Coast refineries. Known for roles in dozens of movies, including "Splash" and "Kill Bill," Hannah also was arrested in August 2011 while protesting the pipeline in Washington.
Her manager, Paul Bassis, said Hannah was meeting with Fairchild when they found out the equipment was operating on the Fairchild's 90 acres.
"When people engage in civil disobedience, it's a last resort," Bassis told the Telegraph. "They do it after local, state and federal agencies fail, after the courts fail, after everything else has failed."
TransCanada said in a statement Thursday that it's "unfortunate Ms. Hannah and other out-of-state activists have chosen to break the law by illegally trespassing on private property."
Pipeline opponents argue the project is unsafe because it would be carrying heavy, acidic crude oil that could more easily corrode a metal pipe, which would lead to a spill. They also say refining the oil would further contaminate the air in a region that has long struggled with pollution.
TransCanada says its pipeline would be the safest ever built, and that the crude is no dirtier than oil currently arriving from Venezuela or parts of California.
The company began construction of that portion of the pipeline this summer after receiving the necessary permits. Some Texas landowners, joined by activists, have tried through various protests to stop or slow down construction.
Fairchild complained to the newspaper about the "pushy, bullying" tactics used by TransCanada to take her land by eminent domain. She said she never signed a land agreement with the company.
"I don't think there is an even playing field for the landowners and the pipeline company," she told the Telegraph. "Most people can't fight these big companies so they take what they want."
When given the opportunity to go home and avoid arrest, Fairchild said she did not want to abandon her friend, Hannah.
"I am not a pro at protesting, but I think it makes more of a statement to be arrested," she told the newspaper. "They need to know landowners like me are being trampled."
The Tyler Morning Telegraph reported Saturday that Hannah was freed on $2,500 bond Thursday night, but faces criminal trespass charges. Her release came hours after being arrested in Winnsboro, about 100 miles east of Dallas.
Hannah and 78-year-old Eleanor Fairchild were arrested after blocking heavy equipment in an attempt to halt construction of the Keystone XL pipeline through Fairchild's land. Fairchild was released on a personal recognizance bond.
Hannah has long opposed TransCanada's construction of the $7 billion pipeline, which is designed to transport heavy tar-sands crude oil from Alberta, Canada, to Texas' Gulf Coast refineries. Known for roles in dozens of movies, including "Splash" and "Kill Bill," Hannah also was arrested in August 2011 while protesting the pipeline in Washington.
Her manager, Paul Bassis, said Hannah was meeting with Fairchild when they found out the equipment was operating on the Fairchild's 90 acres.
"When people engage in civil disobedience, it's a last resort," Bassis told the Telegraph. "They do it after local, state and federal agencies fail, after the courts fail, after everything else has failed."
TransCanada said in a statement Thursday that it's "unfortunate Ms. Hannah and other out-of-state activists have chosen to break the law by illegally trespassing on private property."
Pipeline opponents argue the project is unsafe because it would be carrying heavy, acidic crude oil that could more easily corrode a metal pipe, which would lead to a spill. They also say refining the oil would further contaminate the air in a region that has long struggled with pollution.
TransCanada says its pipeline would be the safest ever built, and that the crude is no dirtier than oil currently arriving from Venezuela or parts of California.
The company began construction of that portion of the pipeline this summer after receiving the necessary permits. Some Texas landowners, joined by activists, have tried through various protests to stop or slow down construction.
Fairchild complained to the newspaper about the "pushy, bullying" tactics used by TransCanada to take her land by eminent domain. She said she never signed a land agreement with the company.
"I don't think there is an even playing field for the landowners and the pipeline company," she told the Telegraph. "Most people can't fight these big companies so they take what they want."
When given the opportunity to go home and avoid arrest, Fairchild said she did not want to abandon her friend, Hannah.
"I am not a pro at protesting, but I think it makes more of a statement to be arrested," she told the newspaper. "They need to know landowners like me are being trampled."
"has long opposed TransCanada's construction of the $7 billion pipeline"
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I wonder what kind of car Hannah drives? I bet no matter what kind she drives, it uses some kind of petroleum product.
When she needs to fly to Los Angeles, does she realize that plane uses petroleum products as well?
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I bet she buys various products that are shipped from all over the world/country like most of us do. Does she think those things just magically appear out of thin air?? They get shipped by sea, ground, and air. ALL of which use fuel. Does she think that miracle anti-aging cream is made from all local products and delivered on the wings of flying Unicorns??
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Hypocrite.
Just Hollywood garbage doing what Hollywood garbage does best. Â Showing how big an idiot she and her fellow Hollywood buddies are.
Looks like she and Chaz go to the same doctor. Why does anyone care what she says?
She hasn't aged very well. A crewcut and some facial hair and you have a ......never mind.
I have to agree with Fairchild if they took her land by eminent domain. Keystone is a private company and for government to take it and give it to a private company is just wrong.
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That being said we need to work on getting more efficient at moving oil across the country and a pipeline is the way to do it.
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As for Hannah she is a total idiot. She has $15 million and can easily afford to buy expensive gas. Us common folks can't. Then again, celebrities like herself just think about themselves. We don't count in her world.
 @RalphCramdenÂ
Yeah Hanna is a nut but I think Fairchild might actually have a case.
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The story here is incomplete but it sounds like she claims they say they got permission from her for an easement. She claims no such thing was permitted.
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Now if it were eminent domain, she would have been compensated for that, and there is no mention she was.
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So the oil company may just be trespassing on her land for access without permission.
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 @Repoman Â
That is exactly what I was thinking. Something in this article just doesn't make any sense.
A few more surgeries and she will be one handsome man.
If they are going to have a story about Daryl Hannah, they should at least include a picture of her. I assume they just pulled up a picture of someone else.
The (formerly cute and affable) Grumpy Old Men star - looks like a shrill bored grumpy old woman now.Â
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Hmmmm - Darryl - go do a stint in the Peace Corp hon - if you are in "need" of a channel for your excess grumpiness. Or spend some privileged celebrity time "learning" how to get along with others. How about some of that, hypocrite one percenter, Darryl Hannah? Sheez...Â
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Hahahahahahhahahahaahaaaaaa
Another effing airhead witn more money than brains trying to make a statement about something they have no educational background in. Hahahahahaa
Sorry your career is over Hannahahahahahahha
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 @Fronk Not exactly my words, but what you said - all true.Â
Looks a little like Arnold Schwarzenegger in 'Conan the Destroyer'.Â
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 @Solipsist01 Yeah, it's kind of hard to take an activist seriously who has spent thousands and thousands in the name of vanity...
As usual the bought and paid for biased media doesnt tell the whole story, just enough to help form your opinion for you. Ok So I bet you are thinking, "those commie hippies need to get thier heads cracked by a police state terrorist for getting in the way of my oil pipeline" When in reallity " 78-year-old Eleanor Fairchild was arested ON HER OWN PROPERTY, or as it used to be before it was STOLEN from her by emenent domain by a criminal government that represents corporations over citizens.The transnational corporation is exploiting a loophole in Texasâ oil and gas regulation.In Texas, if a company qualifies as a âcommon carrierâ the state allows it to condemn land without the consent of land owners, a clear violation of the Fifth Amendment, which state ânor shall private property be taken for public use, without just compensation.â
 @!!! iii get real. I believe the rest of us - have Darryl's number. And we are dialed in - to her one percenter hypocritical progressiveness. Just fine. But then her staff will send out a statement clarifying it all for all of us (since it is too complicated for any of us to make sense of). And her driver will make sure she gets to her next appointment. And her next Botox treatment (don't progressive celebrites get to tax deduct all of those costs as business expenses?) is scheduled for next week. And she will need to make sure her agent knows she has to shuttle between her house in New York and her cottage on Martha"s Vineyard and her condo on the beach at Malibu in order to clear her head to "think" about all of the complexities of everything, absolutely everything - that "needs" her protesting hypocrisy representing something or another. Sure. Yeah - that's right... Darryl Hannah. Be sure and take an extra tax credit for yourself and pay no taxes on any of it  - that's right...Â
 @!!! I don't agree with the 2005 case where the Supreme Court expanded Eminent domain. But they did say it was constitutional. So if I like it or not it is legal and not unconstitutional. The constitution says that "just compensation must be paid". The landowner in this case was offered money and refused it. She has exhausted her legal options and lost all of them. Yes I feel for her and no I don't like what is happening but even though I feel what the government is doing in this case is unethical, it is not illegal or as you put it a "criminal government". There are always going to be many issues with more than one side in our society. There are always going to be people unhappy with the outcome of any issue. When an issue has passed legal the challenges of being legal or not, the only recourse is to work to change the law. In this instance that is being done. A bill was put before the house to limit Eminent domain in Feb of this year. HR 1443 passed the House and is stuck in the Senate. If you want the Eminent domain powers of the government limited, I suggest you contact your senator and urge them to vote for this or introduce their own legislation for that end.
 @Postmortem  @!!! Well stated Postmortem.  Your response to !!! may be the best explanation of a controversial subject I've read in a long while.  Non-emotional.  Fact driven.  Clear.
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I wasn't aware of the status of HR 1443, though I have in the past written to various congressmen and political organisations concerning what I felt was a blatant misuse of Eminent Domain.  Thank you for your comment.