TransCanada Calls Sit-In 'Publicity Stunt'

A sit-in at TransCanada's Westborough office Monday was a "publicity stunt" seeking "to stop a project that is currently providing thousands of jobs to American workers," company spokesman Shawn Howard said today.

Westborough Police arrested the eight people after the incident at 110 Turnpike Road, Suite 203. The current and recent college students , who chained themselves together and super glued their hands there. will be charged with disorderly person, disturbing the peace and trespassing. They face arraignment Wednesday in Westborough District Court.

The group was protesting the proposed Keystone XL Pipeline, according to the "Stop the Keystone XL Pipeline" website. The website describes the Keystone XL Pipeline as "a proposed 1,400-mile pipeline that would transport tar sands oil from the Canadian tar sands to the Gulf of Mexico. The southern leg is currently being constructed in the face of massive local opposition in Texas."

TransCanada's Howard said today that "what these people likely do not realize is that TransCanada produces more than 11,800 MW of power to consumers in North America."

"This helps provide power to about 12 million American homes and about one-third of the power we produce comes from emission-less energy sources. Our 13 hydro facilities on the Connecticut River and Deerfield River, and Kibby Wind farm in Maine, produce up to 715 MW of clean, emission-free electricity that consumers in this area rely on. This is enough emission-less power to supply about 50,000 homes," Howard said.

The Westborough office is "the regional office for the U.S. Northeast where much of our business relates to renewable energy generation," Howard said.

"Our first priority was to make sure that our employees and these protestors remained safe," Howard said.

"The matter was resolved by the Westborough Police Department, who made sure that the individuals who were trespassing on private property left the building."