The debate about the Keystone pipeline is going to be interesting to watch. President Obama has already supported the pipeline that runs from Houston to Oklahoma but has said he will not sign any legislation that allows for the Keystone XL pipeline to run from Canada through the protected “sandhills” region of Nebraska. Well – TransCanada has proposed a new route for Keystone XL pipeline avoiding the Nebraska “sandhills” region.
You can read the full proposal HERE - an excerpt:
In summary, Keystone avoided the NDEQ-defined Sandhills region, cities and towns, federally or state protected lands, and native allotments to the extent practicable. Constraints of a smaller scale like residences, water wells, wellhead protection areas and other HCAs could not be avoided by a 2000 foot wide corridor. However, every effort will be undertaken to avoid them to the extent practicable in the development of a route within the preferred corridor.
Keystone examined routing opportunities such as the use of existing rights-of-way within the study area that were oriented in the direction of potential corridor options.
The Hill covers the objections of environmentalists HERE:
But Jane Kleeb of the anti-pipeline group Bold Nebraska said the new route still cuts through environmentally sensitive areas. Opponents of the project fear that spills could contaminate a vital aquifer.
“If TransCanada cared about our state, landowners, water and Sandhills, they would have proposed a safer, more responsible route instead of trying to play games with landowners,” she said in a statement Wednesday evening.
Environmentalists bitterly oppose the pipeline due to greenhouse gas emissions from oil sands extraction and other concerns. Major business groups such as the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and the American Petroleum Institute are lobbying for its approval.
CNN drills into how many jobs the Keystone XL pipeline will really create. Not as many as you’d think despite all the promises of ice cream and bubble gum.
You can find more articles from IACWE on Keystone HERE.
