Nebraska Opponents of Keystone XL Reignite Legal Fight
“Opponents of the Keystone XL oil pipeline in Nebraska reignited a legal fight Friday that could delay the entire 1,179-mile project, filing two new lawsuits over its proposed route.
The lawsuits came from seven landowners in Holt and York counties who have received written warning that pipeline developer TransCanada plans to file eminent domain papers before Jan. 22 to gain access to their land.
The landowners’ attorney, Dave Domina, said that gives the plaintiffs clear legal standing to challenge the project. That issue is key because the Nebraska Supreme Court tossed an earlier, similar lawsuit, with three judges saying the plaintiffs in the case didn’t have such standing.
The lawsuits seek a court order to strike down a 2012 Nebraska law that allowed the project to move forward, and to prevent TransCanada from using eminent domain. Domina said the new lawsuit will likely take less time to resolve than the original claim, which wound its way through the courts in 16 months.”
Associated Press. New York Times 16 January 2015.