EJR with Jeanine Molloff - How Spire is attempting to extort $ over a pipeline.

This week, I am repeating part of a show that ran this past Sunday on PNN. The show deals with how Spire, one of the largest natural gas suppliers has been causing a panic in St. Louis (where Spire is based), over a 65 mile stretch of pipeline. The STL or St. Louis Pipeline as it has been dubbed had its certificate yanked by a DC court, over claims that the FERC assessment and certification was not in accordance with the actual LAW. The EDF (Environmental Defense Fund) brought the lawsuit against Spire, requesting that FERC do its job in accordance with the Natural Gas Act.  Spire's response was to send thinly veiled threatening emails and using local media as propagandists, claiming that without the 65-mile pipeline--there will be power outages as early as December 13. That is NOT totally true. FERC can extend the temporary permit and will most likely do so. EDF just wants to make sure that Spire isn't allowed to profit from their illegal move. During this investigation, I read from the court document, and found that Spire isolated St. Louis from any other pipelines, rendering us totally dependent on this single pipeline. Spire 'retired' the other pipelines which connected St. Louis to heating gas. EDF is ok with another temporary permit extending through the Winter, as long as Spire doesn't profit from this illegal action. 

While investigating this story and making calls to Spire's Public Affairs Director Jason Merrill or it's CEO Suzanne Sitherwood, I must have stepped on some politically powerful toes, because I was 'visited' by 3 detectives from the Intelligence Unit of the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department. And no--I'M NOT KIDDING.  This was obviously an intimidation tactic. They claimed that Spire filed a complaint against me--FOR MAKING A PHONE CALL. 

Come listen. 

Jeanine