Nov 20, 2017 - Nebraska Approves Keystone XL Pipeline
Lincoln, Neb – State regulators in Nebraska have approved an alternative route for the Keystone XL pipeline. Regulators rejected TransCanada’s preferred route, but stated that the project could proceed along a different route.
The decision to approve the pipeline comes just days after TransCanada’s Keystone 1 pipeline spilled a reported 210,000 gallons (estimates are as high as 800,000 gallons) of tar sands crude oil in northwestern South Dakota next to the Lake Traverse reservation.
The decision to re-route came from pressure from several Nebraska landowners who did not want the pipeline crossing through their lands.
In 2015, President Obama rejected the border-crossing permit that decision was reversed on Trump’s fourth day in office when he signed an executive order to allow for both the construction of the Dakota Access pipeline and allow for TransCanada to refill for the permit to cross the border.
Canadian Prime Minister Trudeau, labor unions and business groups have all lobbied hard for the construction of the pipeline.
The Wakpa Waste camp on the Cheyenne River Sioux reservation stands ready to block the construction of the pipeline.
According to Joye Braun of the Wakpa Waste camp, “We were expecting a conditional approval to the re-route but hoped and prayed for a denial.
Should they go forward with a reroute it will throw South Dakota’s decision into question as the EIS [Environmental Impact Statement] would not cover a proposed reroute.
The tribes are looking at all options should that scenario happen. We will be launching a pledge to protect the land and water in collaboration with Indigenous Environmental Network, CRST, Wakpa Waste Camp, the Lower Brule camp and 350.org”
Matt Remle co-founder of Mazaska Talks responded, “We fought this pipeline before and we will fight it again along with the other remaining proposed Tar Sands expansion pipelines, the Line 3 and Trans Mountain pipeline. Right now is a critical time to target potential investors of the Keystone XL pipeline as they seek loans from banks to build it.
In Seattle, we took a proactive approach and passed legislation that stated if a bank gives loans to any company seeking to build Tar Sands pipelines then they would be excluded from bidding on city contracts.
It is time other cities and Tribe’s take similar action and pressure these banks to not finance this pipeline. Kill the funding and kill the pipeline.”
The Keystone XL pipeline is a 1,179-mile long pipeline that would run from the oil sands in Alberta to Nebraska where it would link to an existing pipeline on-route to the Gulf Coast for export. It would carry up to 830,000 barrels of oil per day.
