Nebraska Governor approves revised Keystone XL pipeline route through state
22 January 2013
Nebraska Gov. Dave Heineman approved the revised route of the Keystone XL pipeline through his state. The governor sent a letter to President Obama and Secretary of State Clinton, notifying them of the accepted Nebraska route.
The Nebraska Department of Environmental Quality’s evaluation of the 194.5-mile proposed pipeline reroute determined that:
The proposed reroute avoids the Sand Hills but would cross the High Plains Aquifer, including the Ogallala Group. Impacts on aquifers from a release should be localized, and Keystone would be responsible for any cleanup.
The reroute avoids many areas of fragile soils.
The reroute avoids a shallow groundwater area upgradient (west) of the boundary of the Clarks Wellhead Protection Area, where the aquifer is thin, wells are shallow, and bedrock is close to the surface.
Affected agricultural operations could resume the season after the completion of construction.
Construction would result in $418.1 million in economic benefit.
The project would generate $16.5 million in use taxes.
Annual local property tax revenues, for the first full year of valuation, would be between $11-13 million.
Construction and operation of the pipeline would have minimal environmental impacts in Nebraska.
Keystone would be responsible for developing and Emergency Response Plan for a product release associated with the operation of the pipeline and ancillary facilities. In the event of a spill, appropriate authorities would have timely access to product characteristics.
Keystone would have financial and regulatory responsibility for any spill associated with the pipeline.
TransCanada has also provided assurances to the state that the company would implement a number of mitigation measures, including:
The Emergency Response Plan;
Fast access to the product's Material Safety Data Sheet in the event of a release;
Providing, at landowner request, baseline water well testing prior to construction for domestic and livestock wells within 300 feet of the centerline of the route;
Providing for an independent public employee to act as a liaison between Keystone and landowners, local communities and residents;
Adhering to 57 special safety conditions, including more rigorous pipeline design, manufacturing, construction, records and reporting, testing, operational, and maintenance standards developed in coordination with the US Dept. of Transportation Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration;; and
In the event of a release, Keystone would be responsible for all costs associated with state and federal cleanup requirements,
Keystone will provide evidence that it is carrying $200 million in third-party liability insurance to cover cleanup costs for incidents in Nebraska.
If there's no question that oil tars are the worst polluting oil to refine and US oil use has decreased - is this necessary?
Parts of the pipelines to be extended have already leaked into the Yellowstone River, near Yellowstone National Park.
Doing Keystone so the Kock brothers can collect more $billions importing pollution and exporting wherever isn't in our national interest - no matter how many political "$contributions".
Posted by: kelly | 22 January 2013 at 10:32 AM
Will be interesting to see if Obama has the strength to stop this horrible new form of pollution or if the oil companies still have the politicians bought off. There is no question that the best decision for the welfare of the American people is to stop this proliferation of land destruction.
But, I don't give it much hope; mostly because of the fear his political party has of redirected election campaign funding, I.e., the oil giants will buy the Republican candidates and work against the Democratic candidates. Yes, Mr. And Mrs. America, Oil still runs the country and has since Rockefeller's Standard Oil Company first introduced kerosene a hundred years ago.
Posted by: Lad | 22 January 2013 at 04:15 PM
Texas refineries with make $$$$$B (or about $80 million/day) by importing crude @ $90/barrel and re-exporting the refined products, gasoline and diesel, at $180+/barrel.
Too bad the American Fed. government and the average middle and lower class Americans will not see much of those huge profits, if any?
Alberta will gain minor Royalties ($2.23/barrel or less) and a lot more pollution and large tailing pounds full of harmful chemicals.
Posted by: HarveyD | 22 January 2013 at 04:34 PM
I think Alberta and the US states should refuse those millions of dirty tax dollars. The governments would only waste the money on entitlements given to those not entitled to them and it makes the State a partner in this disgraceful free enterprise operation. Leave the money with the middleclass stockholders.
The State should stay clear of this disgrace and show that we are NOT greedy.
The lesson would then be well driven home.
Posted by: ToppaTom | 22 January 2013 at 09:08 PM
TT...this is NOT a project to offer benefits to the average American. That dirty stuff (80+%) will be refined in Texas excess refining facilities and re-exported at twice the price.
Some four to six Texas refiners will rake in 80% of the benefits. The other 20% will be spread / disseminated alone the way to keep people like TT happy (shut).
Posted by: HarveyD | 23 January 2013 at 07:28 AM
Oh, and vote Governor Heineman out of office. If he's stupid enough to commit this political suicide, he didn't deserve the position in the first place.
Posted by: sheckyvegas | 23 January 2013 at 09:27 AM
Do you children think every industry is evil?
Or do you think only the big ones?
Or only the ones that deal with products you don't like?
Do you like Apple because they make iPods and supply iTunes?
Are Disney, American idol, reality TV and Brittany Spears what make the world bright for you?
Is the US Postal service a thing of intrinsic good?
American industry has made the US great.
We have fallen a long way recently but are still head and shoulders above all other countries in wealth and power (the very things you seem to covet so much and want to take from the wealthy).
Is Obama evil when he "reluctantly" lets the Keystone pipeline go through?
What makes you think the Texas refiners, that you claim will rake in 80% of the benefits, are not normal people WORKING for a living.
Does the other 20% get spread / disseminated / given to people like you to keep you happy and voting for more taxation?
Trying to keep the oil from flowing thru the US just means the work and the profits will flow elsewhere.
Posted by: ToppaTom | 23 January 2013 at 07:39 PM
To keep the oil (from tar sands (and from other sources) flowing into USA at close to 20,000,000 barrels/day, is very much like keeping puffing on cigarettes and dying from lung cancers and/or heart related diseases.
Coal fired power stations and ICEVs are choking Beijing residents (and many others) and are possibly major industrial evils. Many thousand are getting sick and will die from it.
Profits at all cost is not very smart. More attention will have to be paid to environmental concerns. Our children and grand children will know better soon, if they want to survive in good health.
Posted by: HarveyD | 25 January 2013 at 10:41 AM
Coal fired power stations and ICEVs are choking Beijing residents so we should stop the Keystone pipeline and force the oil to be transported by other means because, umm . .
Sounds a little like hiding your head in the SAND and yelling "GREED - GREED" .
I think I understand the concept - for instance I refuse to watch American Idol and as a result its ratings have dropped and (I am hoping) many young people are realizing that they need a real skill to succeed in today's world.
All makes sense -
Posted by: ToppaTom | 26 January 2013 at 05:49 AM
TT....could you read the latest issue of 'Cell' magazine (and others), specially the articles about the degeneration effects on our DNA, immune system and reproductive systems from various pollution and industrial products.
At 20,000,000 barrels/day + 440 coal fired power stations + 50,000,000+ smokers + 10,001 junk food + 10,001 drugs etc USA is not helping. Many of the 206,000,000+ Americans with an overweight problem will have diabetes, high cholesterol, heart problems, increased cancer rates etc and may no longer have the ability to notice it.
Posted by: HarveyD | 26 January 2013 at 11:22 AM
The thousands of jobs that the pipeline will create will provide for a more healthy lifestyle for the workers and their families.
This will reduce obesity, diabetes and mental illness the old fashioned way - by reducing unemployment a few thousand at a time.
Laying the pipeline should reduce the chances for more coal fired power stations and may promote clear thinking and the ability to realize that + 50,000,000+ smokers + 10,001 junk food + 10,001 drugs etc are NOT due to pipelines.
Posted by: ToppaTom | 27 January 2013 at 09:21 AM