The public hearing on the Keystone XL pipeline in Nebraska will be held Wednesday by the Nebraska Public Service Commission. And opponents are lining up their people to fight approval of the pipeline.
The Hastings, Nebraska-based Bold Nebraska is urging opponents to testify against the line “with their concerns about this pipeline that is using eminent for private gain, trampling sovereign Native rights, and threatening our land, water and climate.”
The public hearing will be Wednesday in York, Nebraska and the first of two such public hearings on the line that has the support of President Trump. The second hearing will be held August 7-11 in Lincoln, Nebraska.
Bold Alliance filed an objection last week to the PSC Hearing Officers order that denied the group’s motion to reconsider an order lumping Bold, Nebraska Sierra Club, 350.org and Oil Change International and dozens of individuals into a single group of “Natural Resource Petitioners.” Bold wants the full commission to hear the motion and not just the hearing officer.
“Bold’s motion argued that the lumping of 36+ intervenors together severely limits Bold’s, Sierra Club’s, and all the intervenors’ individual ability to present relevant evidence, witnesses and unique arguments in a meaningful way,” stated a posting by Bold Nebraska. The group contends limiting opposition testimony to just one “expert” would not be possible
“It is unlikely that any one witness would be able to qualify as an expert on all the natural resources issues set forth in the siting act or PSC’s Order,” Bold’s objection states.