Ralston, NE -- Today, Nebraska landowners and other pipeline opponents attended the fourth of four public hearings held by the state Public Service Commission (PSC) to voice their serious concerns about the Keystone XL tar sands pipeline.
Though Donald Trump has granted federal approval for the tar sands pipeline, it does not have a legal route through Nebraska, where citizens have fought against the project for years because of the threat it would pose to the sensitive Sandhills region and to the Ogallala aquifer, which provides drinking water for millions of people.
Following these public meetings, the PSC will hear official comment from intervenors in early August and is expected to make a decision in September.
Sierra Club Campaign Representative John Crabtree issued the following statement:
"Allowing the Keystone XL tar sands pipeline to be built would threaten the health, safety, and livelihoods of Nebraskans, all so a foreign corporation can ship their dirty product through the state for export. Nebraska is being asked to bear potentially devastating costs for this tar sands pipeline, but would not reap any of the benefits. It's up to the PSC to make a decision based on the public interest for our state, and there's simply no argument to be made that this pipeline would be anything but a terrible deal for Nebraska."
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