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LINCOLN — State Sen. Tony Fulton of Lincoln has joined the chorus of those concerned about a proposed crude-oil pipeline that would cross part of Nebraska’s fragile Sand Hills region.
Fulton, in a letter Monday, asked the U.S. State Department to address several questions raised by Nebraskans about the proposed Keystone XL project, including whether it could bypass the Sand Hills entirely.
Fulton, who was trained as a mechanical engineer, also wants to know if the Canadian company that will operate the 36-inch-diameter pipeline has adequate plans to make Nebraskans “whole” in the event of a leak.
“My sensitivity has been elevated by what happened down on the Coast,” Fulton said, referring to the massive oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico.
While the pipeline is a great economic opportunity for Nebraska, Fulton said it could affect the Ogallala Aquifer, which underlies the Sand Hills and provides drinking water for 80 percent of the state.
The State Department is reviewing the 1,980-mile pipeline project because it crosses the international border in its route from the tar sands region of western Canada to oil refineries on the Gulf Coast.
Last month, the department extended the public comment period on the project, citing unaddressed safety concerns in the application by TransCanada Corp.
State Sens. Annette Dubas of Fullerton and Kate Sullivan of Cedar Rapids are studying whether Nebraska could have a greater voice in such projects.
A spokesman for the Nebraska Department of Envirornmental Quality, Jim Bunstock, said the department has little input on the routing or construction of such pipelines but would have a role in the event of a leak.
A recent pipeline leak of about a million gallons of oil near Kalamazoo, Mich., has heightened concerns.
TransCanada recently backed off plans to seek a government waiver to pump oil at higher pressures, using thinner-than-normal pipe.
Meanwhile, U.S. Sen. Mike Johanns, R-Neb., expressed concern in a press release that the company is using pressuring tactics to obtain easements from landowners.
Supporters have said the pipeline will provide a secure, steady supply of oil from a friendly country. Opponents maintain it will encourage an environmentally unsound form of oil extraction from the tar sands and say the nation should be developing alternative energy sources.
Contact the writer:
402-473-9584, paul.hammel@owh.com
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