10-Hour Keystone XL Hearing Gets Huge Turnout

Hundreds of people filled a Nebraska Public Service Commission hearing Wednesday to both support and defend construction of the Keystone XL pipeline in the state.

Local landowners and farmers concerned about the terms of use of their land for the pipeline’s construction were a prominent voice of criticism, while labor union members, environmental activists, politicians and businesspeople also testified at the 10-hour hearing.

Nebraska was a major opposition ground for the KXL protests during the Obama administration, and the hearing marks the first signs of a renewed fight in the state as the Trump administration encourages the project forward. The Nebraska PSC is expected to issue a decision on the pipeline later this year.

According to the Washington Times, “Union members cited the boon to job creation, the economy and the tax base, but landowner Art Tanderup drew cheers by insisting that the state ‘will be lucky to have one, just one, permanent job if Keystone XL is built.'”

“It is not in Nebraska’s public interest to allow a foreign corporation to use eminent domain for their corporate greed,” said Tanderup.

For a deeper dive:

Politico Pro, The Guardian, Washington Times, Lincoln Journal-Star, Omaha World-Herald, KETV, 3 News Now

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