Farmers play with fire in search for compensation over Yamal pipeline

Farmers from the Inowroceaw area in Central-Northern Poland, are digging acr oss their land in an attempt to find the Yamal gas pipeline. If they find it , they will to seek further compensation, as farmers claim laying the pipeli ne under their land was illegal. The We Are in Europe (JE) foundation, repre senting farmers' interests is demanding from EuRoPol Gaz, the Polish-Russian company exploiting the pipeline, $1 million for each kilometer that the pipe line crosses farmers' fields. Allegedly, the Self-Defense party is also taki ng an active interest in the affair. Five years ago farmers received compens ation of zl. 1,000 for laying the pipeline under their fields. However, farm ers claimed this sum was far too small and took their case to court. After s everal years of legal battles a court ruled that the permission to construct the pipeline issued by the Weoceawek voivode was not valid. Farmers will hav e to be careful how they dig, for they could puncture the pipeline which is under 70 atmospheres pressure. "This may cause an serious explosion," warned Jerzy Geadki, investment director at EuRoPol Gaz. (Gazeta Wyborcza, pp. 1, 6) M.T.