Nebraska | Keystone XL Pipeline http://www.keystonexlnebraska.com The Keystone XL Pipeline will result in good paying Nebraska jobs and increased energy security for America. Good for Nebraska, Good for America. Fri, 18 Jan 2013 16:58:14 +0000 en hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.2.1 Jan. 15 Just the Facts – Proven and Progressive Measures to be Implemented to Protect Nebraska Resources http://www.keystonexlnebraska.com/jan-15-just-the-facts-%e2%80%93-proven-and-progressive-measures-to-be-implemented-to-protect-nebraska-resources http://www.keystonexlnebraska.com/jan-15-just-the-facts-%e2%80%93-proven-and-progressive-measures-to-be-implemented-to-protect-nebraska-resources#comments Tue, 15 Jan 2013 16:47:11 +0000 NEJobsandEnergy http://www.keystonexlnebraska.com/?p=1180 Continue Reading →]]> Last week, TransCanada re-emphasized the commitment our company has made to the protection of Nebraska’s natural resources throughout the proposed re-route process for Keystone XL in Nebraska.

“The re-route ensures Keystone XL will have minimal environmental impact by avoiding the area defined as the Nebraska Sandhills, crossing fewer miles of threatened and endangered species habitat and considerably fewer miles of erodible soils. It also moves the route to the down-slope side of two wellhead protection areas,” “Russ Girling, TransCanada’s president and chief executive officer, said in a news release issued in response to the Final Evaluation Report submitted to Governor Heineman Jan. 3 by the Nebraska Department of Environmental Quality (NDEQ).

TransCanada will be implementing proven, tested and progressive safety and operational measures as part of its commitment to protection of the Nebraska Sandhills, the Ogallala and High Plains aquifers and other precious natural resources along the Keystone XL pipeline route – before and after construction.

“The proposed Nebraska Reroute will be designed, constructed, operated, and maintained in a manner that meets or exceeds applicable industry standards and regulatory requirements. Because the proposed Nebraska Reroute avoids the Sand Hills, Keystone updated the (Construction, Mitigation and Remediation Plan, or CMRP) to include reclamation and re-vegetation commitments in areas of fragile soils. (These) measures focus on reducing construction disturbance, appropriate reclamation, and post-construction monitoring,” NDEQ found in its report.

Water

NDEQ concluded that normal operation of Keystone XL is expected to have no effect on ground or surface water quality or use along the pipeline route in Nebraska. In the unlikely event of a spill from the pipeline, impacts on water resources would be localized and would not impact the Ogallala Aquifer as a whole, according to NDEQ.

Spill Response

The NDEQ Final Evaluation Report noted that “Keystone has also committed to ensuring the safe operation of its pipeline to prevent any incidents from occurring.  Should a release occur from the Keystone XL Pipeline, Keystone is committed to clean up any releases that might occur” and that Keystone would commit to file annually with the NDEQ a certificate of insurance as evidence that it is carrying a minimum of $200 million in third-party liability insurance. NDEQ noted also that this insurance commitment would not “represent a limit to Keystone’s liability.”

Agricultural Impacts

Keystone has agreed to compensate landowners for any maintenance- or construction-related crop loss as a result of the proposed Nebraska re-route, NDEQ found, noting that “Keystone has also agreed to schedule any required maintenance activity such that disruptions to crops would be avoided or minimized to the extent practicable” and that the company ”will reclaim damaged or disturbed lands, repair or restore damaged property, and compensate owners for damages.”

A System-Wide Commitment

These commitments to safety and environmental protection apply not only to the re-route in Nebraska but to every mile of pipeline we plan to build and operate as part of Keystone XL.

As noted by NDEQ in its review of the Keystone XL re-route, TransCanada agreed to adopt a set of 57 special conditions developed by the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA).  These conditions – which are specific to Keystone XL and which go above and beyond the current U.S. pipeline safety regulations – govern construction, operations, management and maintenance requirements for Keystone XL.

These special conditions include:

    • More rigorous pipe and coating manufacturing specifications
    • Stronger steel
    • More demanding pressure testing of the pipeline before operations
    • More stringent weld inspection
    • Deeper installation of the pipeline and monitoring of depth-of-cover
    • Higher worker qualification standards
    • Industry-leading standards for pipeline monitoring and leak detection
    • More remotely controlled shut-off valves to quickly isolate potential leaks
    • More extensive post-construction inspections
    • Enhanced third-party damage-prevention practices
    • More stringent repair criteria

TransCanada will also use special techniques to reduce disturbance and enhance pipeline safety near wetlands, rivers, residential and commercial areas, steep terrain and fragile soils.

In its Final Evaluation Report on the Keystone XL re-route, NDEQ said it “concluded that many of the (57) conditions would result in more rigorous adherence to industry standards” and that, coupled with the existing regulatory framework, “should provide a well-defined set of management practices to be followed during pipeline operation.”

You can read more about the 57 special conditions here.

TransCanada’s business depends on delivering energy safely and efficiently.  It’s a trust we have earned over 60 years of building and operating pipelines and other energy assets. And it’s a trust we intend to sustain during the construction and operation of Keystone XL.

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2013: Jan. 8 Just the Facts – Keystone XL Re-route Process in Nebraska Enters Final Stage as NDEQ Sends Final Report to Governor http://www.keystonexlnebraska.com/jan-8-2013-just-the-facts-%e2%80%93-keystone-xl-re-route-process-in-nebraska-enters-final-stage-as-ndeq-sends-final-report-to-governor http://www.keystonexlnebraska.com/jan-8-2013-just-the-facts-%e2%80%93-keystone-xl-re-route-process-in-nebraska-enters-final-stage-as-ndeq-sends-final-report-to-governor#comments Tue, 08 Jan 2013 15:33:52 +0000 NEJobsandEnergy http://www.keystonexlnebraska.com/?p=1176 Continue Reading →]]> Happy New Year to all our Readers in Nebraska!

After many months of dialogue, consultation and analysis, the re-route process for Keystone XL in Nebraska has entered the final stage, with the Nebraska Department of Environmental Quality (NDEQ) completing its evaluation of the proposed new pipeline route and submitting it last Thursday (Jan. 3) to Governor Heineman for review. According to state law, the Governor has 30 days to decide whether to approve the route studied in the report and transmit his decision to the U.S. Department of State.

In a Jan. 4 news release, the Governor said “I appreciate the feedback that we have received from citizens, and the hard work of the Department of Environmental Quality in addressing this issue in a thoughtful and deliberate manner….I will now carefully review this report over the next several weeks.”

In its own news release issued yesterday, TransCanada noted it is pleased to have reached this final stage of the regulatory review process in Nebraska and looks forward now to a favorable decision from Gov. Heineman.

“This report is the culmination of a rigorous and comprehensive review by the Nebraska Department of Environmental Quality, which included extensive public input gathered during a seven-month public comment period,” Russ Girling, TransCanada’s president and chief executive officer, said.

“The re-route ensures Keystone XL will have minimal environmental impact by avoiding the area defined as the Nebraska Sandhills, crossing fewer miles of threatened and endangered species habitat and considerably fewer miles of erodible soils. It also moves the route to the down-slope side of two wellhead protection areas,” Girling said. “TransCanada has made it a priority to work with Nebraskans to identify the most appropriate route for this pipeline project and we look forward to hearing from Governor Heineman regarding this report.”

TransCanada cited many of the positive findings of the NDEQ Report, which include:

    • The preferred route avoids the area that is defined as the Nebraska Sandhills. This area was defined by the state and other agencies in 2001 – long before a pipeline was considered.
    • Construction and operation of the Keystone XL Pipeline is expected to have “minimal environmental impacts in Nebraska.”
    • Normal operation of the pipeline is expected to have no effect on ground or surface water quality or use along the pipeline route in Nebraska. In the unlikely event of a spill from the pipeline, impacts on water resources would be localized and would not impact the Ogallala Aquifer as a whole.
    • TransCanada will implement a detailed Emergency Response Plan for Keystone XL and is responsible for cleanup, remediation and compensation related to oil released from the pipeline.
    • The 57 special conditions TransCanada has agreed to adopt for the construction, operation and maintenance of Keystone XL will make it safer than typical pipelines built in the U.S. and will result in “more rigorous adherence to industry standards.” The special conditions include burying the pipeline deeper underground, installing a higher number of data sensors and remote controlled shut-off valves and increased inspections and maintenance. TransCanada will also use special techniques to reduce disturbance and enhance pipeline safety near wetlands, rivers, residential and commercial areas, steep terrain and fragile soils.
    • The physical and chemical properties of crude oil transported in Keystone XL will be similar to the light and heavy crude oils already being transported safely in pipelines across the United States. TransCanada will provide local emergency responders with Material Safety Data Sheets for products contained in the pipeline immediately in the event of a spill.

Next Steps

In addition to the Nebraska regulatory review, Keystone XL is anticipating issuance of a Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) by the U.S. Department of State (DOS), prior to a final decision by the Obama Administration on TransCanada’s Presidential Permit application. In its Final Evaluation Report, NDEQ said it has “worked closely with DOS to conduct a coordinated environmental analysis.  DOS’s activities have focused largely on actions in Montana and South Dakota.”  NDEQ also said “DOS will consider NDEQ’s Final Evaluation Report and the Governor’s decision in its Supplemental EIS” and noted it expects the DOS will publish its Supplemental EIS in “early 2013.”

Economic and Energy Security Benefits Spur Growing Support for Keystone XL

Over the past year, support for Keystone XL has continued to grow in Nebraska and across the United States. In today’s news release, Girling noted both the existing economic benefits being delivered by TransCanada’s pipeline projects in Nebraska and across the U.S., as well as the additional benefits to come if Keystone XL is approved.

“In 2011, TransCanada paid more than $2.3 million in state and local taxes here in Nebraska on its original Keystone pipeline.  In 2012, the taxes we will pay in Nebraska alone are expected to be two to three times more than in 2011. Money that is available to help build schools, medical facilities and other community infrastructure, or to lower taxes. With Keystone XL, we will invest more than $1 billion in Nebraska infrastructure. TransCanada’s facilities and equipment will contribute additional and significant revenue to the state and local tax base.”

The DEQ report found that construction of Keystone XL will result in $418.1 million in economic benefits and support up to 4,560 new or existing jobs in Nebraska.  DEQ also found that the project will generate $16.5 million in taxes from pipeline construction materials and is expected to yield up to $13 million in local property tax revenues in its first full year of valuation.

With Keystone XL, we will invest more than $1 billion in Nebraska infrastructure. TransCanada’s facilities and equipment will contribute additional and significant revenue to the state and local tax base.

The entire Keystone crude oil pipeline system benefits U.S. energy security by supplying Canadian and American oil to U.S. refineries, pushing out more expensive crude oil from foreign regimes that do not support American values. In addition our $2.3 billion investment in the Gulf Coast Project pipeline we are currently constructing (35 per cent complete) is putting 4,000 Americans to work.  Keystone XL would employ an additional 9,000 workers.

Since the original Keystone Pipeline began operating in 2010, it has safely delivered more than 350 million barrels of oil to refineries in the U.S. Midwest. Keystone XL is designed to carry about 830,000 barrels of oil from Alberta, Montana and North Dakota to Steele City, Nebraska.

These benefits – along with the safety and environmental protections that TransCanada has committed to – have generated significant support across the U.S.

The Nebraska Chamber of Commerce recently said “(industry) believes that Keystone XL is in our country’s national interest. It will improve our security, provide a long-term and stable energy supply, create jobs and spur economic growth.” A Chamber representative added that Keystone XL poses “minimal and manageable environmental risks.”

Michael Whatley, Executive Vice-President of the Consumer Energy Alliance, said recently in a news release that it “makes sense to move forward with completion of the project as expeditiously as possible.  After all, construction of this important pipeline will directly employ over 9,000 Americans, pump $5.3 billion into the U.S. economy, and provide a discounted source of crude oil that will result in lower gas prices for U.S. consumers. At the same time, the project will increase U.S. energy security by increasing oil supplies from a trusted ally.”

According to the American Petroleum Institute, with the addition of new volumes of crude oil from Keystone XL, U.S. imports from Canada could increase to almost four million barrels per day by 2020, or “twice what we currently import from the Persian Gulf … Projects like (Keystone XL), along with additional investment in oil sands development in Canada and expansion of pipelines and refineries in the U.S. make it possible to realize an additional 500,000 U.S. jobs in 2035. The U.S. government’s own (previous) environmental review indicated that the Keystone XL pipeline would “have a degree of safety over any other,” offering a safe, practical way to bring more Canadian oil to U.S. refineries.  This is good for consumers, good for U.S. jobs, good for energy and economic security and certainly serves our national interest.”

In upcoming editions of Just the Facts, we will provide updates on the final stages of the regulatory review of Keystone XL.

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Dec. 19 Just the Facts – Protecting Nebraska’s Water Resources Remains Top Priority http://www.keystonexlnebraska.com/dec-19-just-the-facts-%e2%80%93-protecting-nebraska%e2%80%99s-water-resources-remains-top-priority http://www.keystonexlnebraska.com/dec-19-just-the-facts-%e2%80%93-protecting-nebraska%e2%80%99s-water-resources-remains-top-priority#comments Thu, 20 Dec 2012 15:50:35 +0000 NEJobsandEnergy http://www.keystonexlnebraska.com/?p=1094 Continue Reading →]]> TransCanada representatives were on hand Dec. 4 when approximately 800 Nebraskans attended the Nebraska Department of Environmental Quality’s (NDEQ) information session and public hearing in Albion to gather additional public input before completing its evaluation of the proposed Keystone XL pipeline reroute. As highlighted by some speakers at those sessions, water continues to be a high-priority issue for Nebraskans.

In this edition of Just the Facts, we outline some of the facts related to Nebraskans’ concerns about your water resources – in particular, groundwater, water wells and aquifers – and our commitment to protecting these resources.

Our Commitment

We agree with all Nebraskans that the aquifer and water sources of all kinds are of “paramount” importance – as concluded by NDEQ in its recent report on the feedback received from Nebraskans over the last seven months. We take seriously our commitment to protect this resource. In fact, our route-selection process for Keystone XL was guided largely by these concerns, with the aim to avoid or minimize risks to water, land and other environmental resources.

In selecting the initial route and the new reroute proposal for Nebraska, TransCanada sought to find a route that minimizes contact with shallow groundwater while also considering other important environmental and engineering factors.

The current reroute corridor around the Nebraska Sand Hills we’ve proposed to the State of Nebraska is based on NDEQ’s feedback on route options and also considers the feedback we’ve received from other Nebraskans in recent months. This route also represents the option with the lowest percentage of erodible and fragile soils.

The proposed reroute corridor for Keystone XL crosses no “unusually sensitive drinking water” areas, as defined by the U.S. Pipeline Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA). Additionally, 137 miles of the 174-mile pipeline reroute corridor crosses areas where the depth to groundwater is greater than 20 feet, while the balance of the route is mostly in areas where groundwater is 10-20 feet beneath the surface. At no point does the reroute cross land where groundwater is less than five feet from the surface.

In its recent Draft Evaluation Report, NDEQ concluded that while there would be an increased demand for groundwater resources and some impacts on surface water during construction of Keystone XL, it also found that “normal operation of the proposed pipeline would have no effect” on surface of groundwater quality or use. NDEQ also noted the reroute would establish greater distances of the pipeline from the drinking water sources for the communities of Clarks and Western.

Of course, while we can avoid some sensitive areas and have done so wherever possible, avoiding or circumventing the Ogallala/High Plains Aquifer entirely is not a viable option. The Aquifer covers almost the entire State of Nebraska, and runs through six other states. The first phase of Keystone pipeline runs through the Ogallala/High Plains Aquifer. And the Platte pipeline has been operating safely through this aquifer since 1952.

Today, nearly 25,000 miles of petroleum pipelines exist within the Ogallala/High Plains Aquifer, including 2,000 miles in Nebraska. These pipelines transport about 730 billion barrels of crude oil across the aquifer each year, including nearly 100 million barrels of crude oil transported across the Aquifer in Nebraska. After this oil is refined into gasoline, diesel fuel, aviation gas and other products, pipelines transport much of it back across the aquifer for use on Nebraska farms, ranches and roads. Additionally, more than 6,000 barrels of oil per day are currently produced in Nebraska, the majority of this crude oil coming from wells in the Ogallala/High Plains Aquifer.

That is not to say we don’t take every step possible to minimize risks to the Aquifer. We do already on the first phase of Keystone, which has moved more than 340 million barrels of oil safely since 2010 through Nebraska to delivery points in Oklahoma and Illinois. And we will do the same with Keystone XL.

Pipelines are designed to safely coexist with high water tables and are commonly located in such areas. As a welded steel pipeline, Keystone XL will be designed, constructed and operated first and foremost to prevent a leak and to maintain full integrity in a wet environment. Pipe coatings and other corrosion protection measures prevent external corrosion in these environments.

Keystone XL will exceed almost every safety requirement and construction code covering pipelines in America to maximize our environmental protection success throughout Nebraska and the Aquifer.

You can read more about TransCanada’s plans for pipeline safety and protection of the Ogallala Aquifer here.  As well, read more here about TransCanada’s leak detection and prevention methods.

Water Crossings

Nebraskans have asked a lot questions about how a pipeline crosses rivers, creeks and other valuable water bodies.  For that reason, water crossings are one of the most studied and most scrutinized aspects of pipeline construction.

Keystone XL will cross about 186 water features in Nebraska. These water features vary greatly – from shallow creeks to small ponds and canals to fast-moving streams to deep and wide rivers in mostly rural settings.

And different water bodies call for different water-crossing methods.

In general, TransCanada will use two crossing methods: the open-cut method for most water-body crossings, and the horizontal directional drilling (HDD) method for major river and creek crossings. TransCanada will also use other dry crossing methods at certain water bodies where sensitive fish species are present.

In Nebraska, Keystone XL would use the HDD crossing method at a small number of rivers, based on a final assessment of the width of the channels, adjacent topography, adjacent infrastructure and sensitive environmental concerns. While the final reroute corridor has yet to be approved in Nebraska, some likely HDD crossings will occur at:

    • Keya Paha River
    • Niobrara River
    • Elk Horn River
    • Loup River
    • Platt River

With the HDD crossing method, in which a bore hole is drilled beneath the river, the pipeline will be buried at least 25 feet below the bottom of the river bed of major rivers, minimizing the risk of erosion or scour. The pipe will enter on one side of the river bank and emerge many yards on the other side to minimize impacts to the bank and the land adjacent to it.  At HDD crossing locations, we will use heavy-walled pipe for additional structural strength, will apply abrasion- and corrosion-resistant coatings on the pipe and will install remotely controlled valves in proximity to either side of the crossing to ensure minimization of any potential environmental impacts in the event of a leak.

The open-cut crossing method entails the cutting of a trench beneath the water body, pipeline installation and backfilling to ensure optimal depth of cover over the pipeline.  At all open-cut water crossings, the pipeline will be buried at least five feet beneath the bottom of the water body and will be protected by corrosion-resistant coatings.

In the coming weeks, we will address other questions related to construction and operation of Keystone XL in the State of Nebraska and the final stages of NDEQ’s evaluation of the proposed pipeline reroute. We look forward to continuing to work with the State and all Nebraskans in the days, weeks and months ahead.

** TransCanada wishes you a Happy Holiday season. We will return with the next edition the week of January 7, 2013. **

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Feds may weigh in soon on Keystone XL http://www.keystonexlnebraska.com/feds-may-weigh-in-soon-on-keystone-xl http://www.keystonexlnebraska.com/feds-may-weigh-in-soon-on-keystone-xl#comments Thu, 06 Dec 2012 17:03:52 +0000 NEJobsandEnergy http://www.keystonexlnebraska.com/?p=1168 Continue Reading →]]> from UPI

LINCOLN, Neb., – A preliminary decision on the planned Keystone XL oil pipeline is expected from the U.S. State Department relatively soon, an official said.

Nebraskans this week expressed opinions regarding the latest route proposal through the state from TransCanada, the company planning the pipeline.

Nebraska regulators last month published a draft evaluation report for the pipeline, saying a route proposed by TransCanada avoids the ecologically sensitive Sand Hills.

A State Department official was quoted by the Omaha (Neb.) World-Herald as saying a federal environmental impact statement on the route was expected “in the near future.”

Nebraska Gov. Dave Heineman has authority over pipeline decisions in his state. The State Department makes the final decision, however, because the pipeline would cross the U.S. border with Canada.

Jane Kleeb, executive director of project opponent Bold Nebraska, said the new route is “no better” than TransCanada’s previous proposals.

“TransCanada is still risking our aquifer and still risking the fragile sandy soils of our state,” she said in a statement.

Supporters of the project say it would support U.S. energy security and the economy. Opponents have expressed concern over a series of pipeline spills and the environmental consequences of exploiting tar sands oil, the type of crude designated from Keystone XL.

Read more: http://www.upi.com/Business_News/Energy-Resources/2012/12/06/Feds-may-weigh-in-soon-on-Keystone-XL/UPI-15921354794673/#ixzz2GeN2i0Yk

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API frustrated over Keystone XL fight http://www.keystonexlnebraska.com/api-frustrated-over-keystone-xl-fight http://www.keystonexlnebraska.com/api-frustrated-over-keystone-xl-fight#comments Wed, 05 Dec 2012 17:02:32 +0000 NEJobsandEnergy http://www.keystonexlnebraska.com/?p=1166 Continue Reading →]]> from UPI

WASHINGTON,  – It’s time to wrap up debate on the Keystone XL oil pipeline and get to work on a project that could help U.S. energy security, a trade group said.

Last month, protesters from advocacy group Tars Sands Blockade chained themselves to heavy machinery and blocked a construction area planned for a section of the domestic leg of the pipeline. Last week, the Natural Resources Defense Council stated U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Susan Rice owns at least $300,000 worth of stock in TransCanada, the company planning Keystone XL.

Rice is reportedly being considered to replace Hillary Clinton as U.S. secretary of state. The U.S. State Department is vetting the proposal for the Keystone XL oil pipeline because it would cross the U.S.-Canadian border.

Despite the opposition, the American Petroleum Institute said that, from its perspective, “most people” in the United States support the project.

“While use of renewables will expand, oil will remain critical to our nation’s energy equation for decades to come,” said Cindy Schild, downstream manager for the energy trade group.

This week, the Nebraska Department of Environmental Quality had a public hearing on plans for a new Keystone XL route through the state. Objection to an earlier route presented obstacles to the pipeline’s review at the federal level.

API Central Region Director John Kerekes said it’s “time to wrap this (Nebraska) study up” and move ahead with the project.

Read more: http://www.upi.com/Business_News/Energy-Resources/2012/12/05/API-frustrated-over-Keystone-XL-fight/UPI-69781354709023/#ixzz2GeMOTlRk

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Keystone XL hearing filled with passion http://www.keystonexlnebraska.com/keystone-xl-hearing-filled-with-passion http://www.keystonexlnebraska.com/keystone-xl-hearing-filled-with-passion#comments Wed, 05 Dec 2012 16:59:14 +0000 NEJobsandEnergy http://www.keystonexlnebraska.com/?p=1164 Continue Reading →]]> By Art Hovey, Lee Enterprises, Columbus Telegram

ALBION — Minus the body blows, which weren’t on the list of approved conduct, a Tuesday hearing on the Keystone XL pipeline might have reminded boxing enthusiasts of a 15-rounder between opponents who refused to give up.

Between every set of short breaks in hours and hours of proceedings, another group of advocates and critics of TransCanada’s proposed connection between Canadian oilsands and U.S. refineries rose for the next round at the Boone County Fairgrounds in Albion and hammered away.

The Nebraska Department of Environmental Quality presided over what’s scheduled to be the only hearing on the controversial project and will use the input to draft a final evaluation of the pipeline’s route through Nebraska for Gov. Dave Heineman.

As hundreds of people leaned forward in long lines of folding chairs, the agency’s hearing officer, Tom Lamberson, took stock of what looked like a long night.

“By my count, if everybody takes five minutes, that will get us done at 4 in the morning,” Lamberson said.

At that point, there were about 100 people who had signed up to speak. An hour later, the list had grown to more than 160.

Corey Goulet, vice president of the Keystone Pipeline Project, and Tom Poor Bear, vice president of the Ogalala Lakota Nation, were among the first to speak and among the first to offer very different views of the $7 billion, 1,700-mile project.

“We believe the review of this pipeline project in Nebraska is a good one,” Goulet said, “and it should be approved.”

Poor Bear, who followed Goulet to the microphone, thought otherwise. “To me,” he said, “oil is oil. And if it gets in the water, our water is no good.”

A hearing on the edge of the Nebraska Sandhills marked the end of the NDEQ public comment period and a step toward a recommendation from Heineman on TransCanada’s latest route alternative to the U.S. State Department.

Late in 2011, the company agreed to move the pipeline’s Nebraska path farther east to get it off the official map of the Sandhills and ease concerns about groundwater contamination and soil erosion.

Many in the long procession of input providers who listed Sandhills addresses didn’t sound as if their minds had been eased.

“This pipeline is not right, and it’s never been right,” Kerry Kopecky of O’Neill said. “Food and water are essential for life, not oil.”

In contrast, many who spoke on behalf of such organizations as Americans for Prosperity, the Consumer Energy Alliance, Nebraska Chamber of Commerce and Nebraskans for Jobs and Energy Independence were eager to make the case for the causes their organizational names set forth.

“The Keystone XL is in our country’s best interest,” said Ron Sedlacek on behalf of the Chamber. According to Sedlacek, there are “minimal and manageable environmental risks.”

Teri Taylor, part of a ranching operation near Newport, disagreed, even though the new route no longer crosses her family’s land or threatens her soil and water.

“We still firmly believe that moving the pipeline a few miles doesn’t eliminate any of these fears,” Taylor said.

Although the hearing didn’t begin until 6 p.m., busloads of attendees were rolling into the parking lot by 4:30 p.m.

More than 600 chairs were set up for the event. Although some remained empty, there probably were more than enough people standing in the back of the room to fill them and more.

Many people made notes on what they heard, and many made their feelings about the Keystone XL clear by what they wore.

Alexandra Keriakedes of Lincoln wore a red hat with a red feather and red shirt with the words “Oil Spills Kill” written across the back.

John Blasingame of Omaha was one of dozens of labor union representatives in the room wearing orange T-shirts that said “Approve the Keystone XL pipeline so America works.”

Among the supportive voice was Brigham McCown, former chief executive of the federal government’s Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Administration and now a Dallas attorney.

McCown called pipelines “the unsung heroes of our economy,” and the pipeline industry “one of the most heavily regulated industries in the nation.”

Sought out for a brief interview after his testimony, McCown said he was not asserting that pipelines never leaked.

However, “if an American Airlines plane goes down, we don’t throw out the entire aviation industry.”

Michael Whatley of the Consumer Energy Alliance pointed to record prices for gasoline in 2011 and prices as high as $3.86 a gallon on Labor Day as a reason to move forward with the pipeline.

But Mathew Cronin of Omaha referred to the chemicals added to a sludge-like product extracted in Canada to make it flow as “a cancerous cocktail” that pose an unacceptable health risk.

DEQ Director Mike Linder and his staff were trying to decide at 10 p.m. how much longer to continue, worrying on the one hand about people driving late at night and on the other about how many might come back in the morning.

Linder wasn’t surprised by the turnout or bothered by the occasional cheering for an especially forceful speaker.

“You don’t want to intimidate anybody,” he said, “so they don’t feel they can talk freely.”

Read more: http://columbustelegram.com/news/local/govt-and-politics/f42c55fc-3ee2-11e2-9644-001a4bcf887a.html

 

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Pros and cons of Keystone XL pipeline aired one last time http://www.keystonexlnebraska.com/pros-and-cons-of-keystone-xl-pipeline-aired-one-last-time http://www.keystonexlnebraska.com/pros-and-cons-of-keystone-xl-pipeline-aired-one-last-time#comments Wed, 05 Dec 2012 16:56:33 +0000 NEJobsandEnergy http://www.keystonexlnebraska.com/?p=1162 Continue Reading →]]> By Paul Hammel, Omaha World-Herald

ALBION, Neb. — Tom Briese had questions about the Keystone XL pipeline when he first learned that the controversial project was being rerouted across his farmland.

Would it disrupt his operation? Would it contaminate the groundwater he pumps for irrigation? Would it be a good deal for him and his community?

In the end, the Albion-area farmer said, he’s become a supporter — not only because the nation needs crude oil from Canada and jobs for a sluggish economy — but also because it would deliver $800,000 or more a year in additional property taxes to the local school district.

Everything has risks, Briese said, but he’s convinced that any leaks would cause only local damage and would be outweighed by the benefits.

“The majority of my neighbors in the path of the pipeline agree,” he said.

Briese, who submitted written rather than spoken testimony, was among the dozens of people who lodged their opinions on the crude-oil pipeline during the final public hearing on the project Tuesday night in Albion.

The farm town of 1,800 people in central Nebraska became a major player in the pipeline story after TransCanada Inc. rerouted the high-pressure pipeline to avoid the environmentally sensitive Sand Hills. The new route runs only a couple of miles east of town.

The Nebraska Department of Environmental Quality plans to complete its review of the pipeline around the end of the year, placing the decision in the hands of Gov. Dave Heineman, who has voiced support for the project.

The federal government will have the final say on whether the pipeline is built. The Keystone XL would carry diluted bitumen extracted from tar sand mines in Canada to oil refineries on the U.S. Gulf Coast.

While labor and business organizations echoed many of Briese’s comments, others in the standing-room-only crowd at the Boone County Fairgrounds events center didn’t agree, including some landowners affected by the project.

They expressed concerns about oil leaks fouling groundwater and ruining farming operations. They said the new route should be rejected because it still crosses sandy and porous soils similar to that in the Sand Hills and doesn’t avoid the Ogallala Aquifer.

“Nebraska is an agricultural state, and if the water is contaminated, there’s nothing left,” said Laura Meusch of rural Stuart.

As she spoke, a 7-year-old boy, Mason Mitchell, laid out 70 toy semitrailer trucks to represent the amount of oil — in full-sized tanker trucks — that could leak each day from the 800,000-barrel-a-day pipeline.

Omaha attorney Brian Jorde, who represents a group of more than 100 landowners, said 40 percent of Nebraska landowners have denied access to TransCanada to even survey a pipeline route across their land.

“The majority of people I talk to want a more intelligent route or don’t want (the pipeline) at all,” Jorde said.

A frequent request at the hearing was to move the planned route to parallel the existing Keystone pipeline in eastern Nebraska. The rationale is that it would avoid affecting a new set of landowners and cross heavier soils that would contain any leaks.

Corey Goulet, a TransCanada vice president, said the route chosen is the shortest from Canada’s tar sand region to a terminal at Steele City, Neb. It’s also the safest, he said, because it affects fewer landowners.

The Keystone XL route passes close to North Dakota and its the booming oil fields, which could provide up to 25 percent of the oil shipped on the pipeline, Goulet said. The shortest route also is the least expensive in the $1 billion project.

Goulet said any leaks would be detected by TransCanada. If there were a spill, it would be small, with consequences “on a local level, not a regional level.”

Forces for and against the pipeline held rallies prior to the hearing. Protest signs held by landowners stating “Save My Water” competed with pro-pipeline signs waved by union members touting jobs and energy independence.

“This will mean a lot of work for us,” said Joe Acosta of Council Bluffs, one of about 100 members of an Omaha-based laborers union bused to Albion to support the pipeline.

But officials with anti-pipeline groups Bold Nebraska and the Sierra Club said the state review was inadequate. They joined State Sen. Ken Haar of Malcolm in asking for more time for the project to be reviewed.

Ken Winston of the Sierra Club compared the pipeline review to one the Department of Environmental Quality did years earlier on the low-level radioactive waste repository proposed near Butte, Neb., over which the state lost a $125 million lawsuit.

Winston said the state faces the same potential liability with the pipeline because Heineman has voiced support for it.

Brigham McCown, a former head of the U.S. Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration, urged the state to approve the project, saying it was the safest way to transport oil.

“Canada is going to produce the oil whether we allow the pipeline or not,” McCown said.

Read more: http://owweb.ow.atl.publicus.com/article/20121204/NEWS/121209837

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Hundreds debate pipeline http://www.keystonexlnebraska.com/hundreds-debate-pipeline http://www.keystonexlnebraska.com/hundreds-debate-pipeline#comments Wed, 05 Dec 2012 16:54:57 +0000 NEJobsandEnergy http://www.keystonexlnebraska.com/?p=1160 Continue Reading →]]> by Melanie Wilkinson, York News Times

YORK – “This pipeline is good for America. It’s good for Nebraska.”

“I’ve spent every waking moment fighting this pipeline and I’m not going to stop.”

“This will be the safest pipeline ever built.”

“This is about our future, the future of our children and our grandchildren. And I’ll be damned if I’m going to let them ruin our water.”

As has been seen and heard for the past four years, there are two distinctive sides in the battle over the Keystone XL pipeline. The line in the sand is prominent and as divided as ever.

Proponents say the reroute that’s under review by the Nebraska Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) satisfies all public worries about water safety.

Opponents say the route hasn’t been moved enough and the pipeline, if constructed and put into operation, could be a threat to the Ogallala Aquifer and sensitive soils.

The chance to voice their opinions came this week as hundreds of people descended upon Albion where the DEQ held its one and only public hearing on the matter. A final report, along with the testimony, will be submitted for the governor’s consideration. The governor will make a recommendation to the U.S. State Department with the final decision being that of the president.

An estimated 700 people crammed into the Boone County Event Center with 163 people signing up to make verbal testimony. A large number sat around tables, submitting their written testimony.

Everyone had something to say.

The verbal testimony, which started at 6 p.m., ran far into the night as individuals waited to utilize their five-minute intervals.

While law enforcement officials were present, the peace was maintained with only some intermittent applause.

Prior to the hearing, chartered buses became the norm, lining up on the fairgrounds. Some groups emerged wearing black armbands, signifying they were against the pipeline. Some wore orange T-shirts, which indicated they were pipeline construction workers in favor of job creation. And others in green shirts proclaimed they want to see the U.S. have energy independence.

There were giant signs, smaller posters, songs, chants and even a pony adorned with an anti-pipeline banner.

While there were many different perspectives regarding the pipeline issue, one thing remained constant – everyone there was passionate in their beliefs.

Read more: http://www.yorknewstimes.com/news/hundreds-debate-pipeline/article_c3cf1a04-3f12-11e2-b58c-0019bb2963f4.html

 

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Public Hearing for Keystone XL Pipeline Draws Crowd http://www.keystonexlnebraska.com/public-hearing-for-keystone-xl-pipeline-draws-crowd http://www.keystonexlnebraska.com/public-hearing-for-keystone-xl-pipeline-draws-crowd#comments Wed, 05 Dec 2012 16:53:35 +0000 NEJobsandEnergy http://www.keystonexlnebraska.com/?p=1158 Continue Reading →]]> By Jordan Onwiler, Nebraska.tv

Hundreds of people for and against the Keystone XL pipeline cutting through Nebraska to transport crude oil from Canada to the Gulf Coast gathered in Albion Tuesday for the final hearing regarding the pipeline.

Many groups from both sides were on hand, including Bold Nebraska, Union groups, TransCanada and individual land owners. This public hearing was expected to be the only one on the Keystone XL pipeline route.

Before the hearing began, both supporters and opponents of the pipeline gathered outside of the Boone County fairgrounds event center to rally for their cause.

The NDEQ heard from groups who spoke about the economic impact of the pipeline, such as labor unions who say the pipeline with create thousands of jobs.

TransCanada’s Corey Goulet told the assembly that the company thought Nebraska’s review of the $7 billion, 1,700-mile project was good and the project should be approved.

Meanwhile, opponents of the pipeline argued that the project could contaminate ground-water reserves.

Oglala Lakota Nation Vice President Tom Poor Bear stepped up to the microphone to say that if the pipeline were to leak and oil were to get “in the water, our water is no good.”

The NDEQ said they have taken all comments into consideration for their report to the governor.

Read more: http://www.nebraska.tv/story/20268552/pipeline

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Views of Keystone XL pipeline clash in Albion http://www.keystonexlnebraska.com/views-of-keystone-xl-pipeline-clash-in-albion http://www.keystonexlnebraska.com/views-of-keystone-xl-pipeline-clash-in-albion#comments Wed, 05 Dec 2012 16:50:59 +0000 NEJobsandEnergy http://www.keystonexlnebraska.com/?p=1156 Continue Reading →]]> By Fred Knapp, NET News, KVNO

Albion, NE – More than 600 people packed a hearing in Albion, Nebraska Tuesday night to discuss the proposed Keystone XL oil pipeline.

This was the first and only hearing on the Nebraska Department of Environmental Quality’s report on the proposed oil pipeline route. The pipeline is designed to transport oil from the tar sands of Alberta, Canada to refineries in Texas.

After a public outcry over the originally proposed route through the Sandhills, pipeline company TransCanada agreed last year to change the route. At the hearing, Corey Goulet, vice president of Keystone pipeline projects for TransCanada, got right to the point. “We believe the reroute of the pipeline in Nebraska is a good one, and should be approved,” he said.

That set off hours of often impassioned testimony for and against the project. Among those supporting it was Larry Crouse.

“I have ranch in Mills, Nebraska — Keya Paha County up here – that the pipeline is going to be going through…I’m here in favor of the pipeline. The people that came and saw me about it explained everything. I’ve got a stack of papers that high, showing their records and what they’re doing, and I’m convinced that they can put this in,” he said.

On the other side was Teri Taylor, whose ranch near Newport was on the original route. Taylor called the shift in the route bittersweet. “Sweet, only because after battling for the sanctity of the very thing that has sustained our family’s ranching operation for over 100 years – our land and our water—with the rerouting of the pipeline we are no longer facing the pipeline on our ranch. Bitter, because now we see friends and neighbors experiencing the very nightmare that we have just awakened from,” she explained.

Pipeline opponents have stressed the threat to the Ogallala Aquifer if a leak occurs. The DEQ’s report on the proposed route found that any leaks would have local, not regional impact. That point was supported by Berton Fisher, an earth science PhD who testified for the American Petroleum Institute and the pro-pipeline Nebraskans for Jobs and Energy Independence.

“If released from the pipeline, any downward movement of this material can only take place above the top of the water table. That’s because it is less dense than water – it’s about the same density. So it can’t penetrate through the water table. And in fact, the mere presence of water in the aquifer will retard the movement of any oily material within the aquifer,” he said.

But Cindy Myers, a nurse from Stuart, Nebraska, faulted DEQ’s report for its treatment of substances like benzene, used to dilute tar sands oil for shipment. Your information regarding movement of benzene in groundwater was based on model from the California EPA. And how can this be accurate for Nebraska?” she asked. “You cannot have an accurate model of benzene solubility because of the unknown mixture of the solvent in the oil product,” she added.

Ron Sedlacek, representing the Nebraska Chamber of Commerce and Industry, praised federal and state government reviews of the pipeline proposal. “We have confidence in the scientific, thorough review conducted by the officials at the Department of State, other federal agencies, the Nebraska Department of Environmental Quality and other state agencies,” he said.

But Susan Luebbe, who ranches near Stuart, Nebraska, faulted the state for hiring a consultant who has done work for TransCanada, and for what she said was a disorganized report. “Truly an embarrassing documentation for two million (dollars) this report is costing us,” she said. “NDEQ, you let us down.”

Some concerns were global. Elaine English of Omaha supported the idea of importing oil from Canada as opposed to other countries.

“Canada is our number one source of imported oil in America. They are a country that shares our commitment to protecting the environment, preserving human rights, protecting workers and growing the wealth of their own citizens. The most ethical oil in the world comes from the producers in Canada and right here in the United States,” she said.

That drew strong objection from Donna Roller of Lincoln. “Has she looked at pictures of what Canada’s doing?” she asked. “They are devastating their environment. What is ethical about that?”

Other concerns were more local. J. Paul McIntosh of Norfolk called opponents’ concerns about oil in the aquifer disingenuous, considering ranchers used to use oil to keep down dust. “In fact, during the 1950s and early ‘60s, most towns and cities along the C&NW Railroad spread hundreds of carloads – train carloads – of partially distilled crude oil, which were thinned with naptha and benzene to make it less viscous, on their streets to hold down dust. Tens of thousands of gallons of this material was spread each year by towns and villages sitting over the Ogallala Aquifer in Nebraska during this time,” McIntosh said.

Gordon Adams of the Pawnee Tribe of Oklahoma said pipeline construction would disturb historic sites. “I believe it would be impossible for them to dig a trench and not come up with some sort of human remains – some sort of town, some sort of something – that has to do with the Pawnee Nation,” he said.

And Sterling Schultz of Naper wondered why the pipeline couldn’t use the route that was used for a pipeline built in 2009 with little controversy. “Why not locate the Keystone XL oil pipeline adjacent to and parallel to the right of way for the existing and presently operating TransCanada Keystone pipeline in eastern Nebraska?” he asked. “To date, this concern has not been addressed in the whole review process.”

The DEQ will now send a final report to Gov. Dave Heineman. He will then make a recommendation to the federal government early next year. Then it will be up to the State Department, or, if there is disagreement with another federal agency, it will be up to the president to make a final decision.

Read more: http://www.kvnonews.com/2012/12/views-of-keystone-xl-pipeline-clash-in-albion/

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