Keystone Pipeline: Nebraska Route Hearings Draw Big Crowd

ALBION, Neb. (AP) — Nebraska's hearings on the new proposed route for TransCanada's Keystone XL pipeline from Canada are drawing big crowds.

The Columbus Telegram reports that more than 160 people attended Wednesday's meeting in Albion.

Pipeline opponents objected to the original route through the Sandhills and the Ogallala aquifer, a massive groundwater supply. TransCanada proposed a new route that avoids the Sandhills.

Some landowners offered praise for the project. Nick Gasper says he thinks project opponents have used scare tactics, and he thinks the pipeline offers more benefits than drawbacks.

Pipeline opponents also attended the hearing. Ken Winston, with the Nebraska Sierra Club, says his group still worries about the pipeline possibly contaminating the aquifer.

These hearings are one of the first steps in the state's review of TransCanada's new proposed route.

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Information from: Columbus Telegram, http://www.columbustelegram.com

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Comments

[fladiamondback777]

07:59 PM on 05/21/2012

This thing started when? 2003? Probably sooner. I remember them saying newspapers were being bought up along route so land s would not know what was going on.

[farmilyman]

06:11 PM on 05/20/2012

Anyone that is pro-pipline should be checked to see if they are on the Koch brother's payroll.

[Jim Sadler]

06:27 PM on 05/17/2012

That pipeline is one of the worst ideas I have ever heard of. The oil won't even supply the US but will mostly be shipped to foreign nations and the destruction to mine tar sands is absolutely obscene. I think it is probably illegal to express myself fully on this.

[gil engageamerica]

03:48 PM on 05/17/2012

Keystone isn't going anywhere guys. It's a real jobs vehcicle with real economic benefits that can really work for us if we can just see past all the drama. Why would we turn down something that during a labor crisis can give us thousand of jobs directly and help us reduce our dependence on foreign oil(http://bit.ly/ytP77z)? This should be a no brainer guys, not the challenge of the decade.

[Roelvdwegen]

08:35 PM on 05/17/2012

2000 temporary jobs, a few hundred permanent ones. Local joblessness along the pipeline is low so the locals wont benefit even as thousands of acres of land is taken from them. As the oil after being transported through it will go straight to China it will not reduce our dependence on foreign oil.

[gil engageamerica]

10:46 PM on 05/17/2012

Thanks Roelvdwegen for responding.
In my view, temporary jobs are better than none at all. The American Jobs Act was meant to do the same thing that these jobs were, it's just that these infrastructure projects didn't involve oil, and because they were government funded probably had less of a chance of continuing. As for the oil independence, it would appear to me at least that importing oil from a less hostile region would work more to the benefit of the United States rather than against it. But I'd really like to hear more about what you think on the issue. Please let me know!

[Craig Bovia]

01:34 PM on 05/18/2012

The oil from the pipeline is being sold and exported. The only people that benefit are the owners. As usual. Can anyone tell me that last time an energy company did anything for the Public Good in Amerika? You need to go to Europe to observe that.There is not stopping this piece of crap. Just as long as it is NOT built over our AQUIFER. We know it is going to leak. It is being built by man. Now if it were being done by women, we know it would be looking good. Maybe some flowers...

[chaucer1]

03:20 PM on 05/17/2012

When the aquifer is polluted and the oil sold abroad, Republicans will scream, "Not my responsibility!"

[Craig Bovia]

01:35 PM on 05/18/2012

They will blame Carter.

[farmilyman]

06:12 PM on 05/20/2012

They will also blame the gays.