Tell Sec. Kerry: Halt the Keystone XL Review Process and Investigate the State Dept.'s Environmental Report

At the U.S. State Dept.'s sole public hearing on the Environmental Impact review for the Keystone XL pipeline last month in Grand Island, Nebraska, myself and hundreds of other Nebraskans waited outside for hours in a blizzard for the chance to stand face-to-face with your State Dept. representatives, and look them in the eyes while they listened to our stories and our testimony urging the State Dept. to reject the Keystone XL pipeline.

Along with myself, representatives from Sierra Club and Nebraska Farmers Union testified that the State Dept.'s environmental review process for Keystone XL was both flawed and biased. We remain very concerned that, in hiring the firm of Environmental Resources Management (ERM) to write the bulk of the draft environmental review for the Keystone XL pipeline, the State Department:

For decades, pipelines have been built in the United States without much controversy. The result: 2.5 million miles of pipelines now traverse our nation to deliver natural gas, oil and other hazardous liquids to their destinations.¹ Aside from well-publicized ruptures like the San Bruno, California natural gas explosion that took eight lives in 2010, the Kalamazoo Enbridge tar sands spill that occurred in the same year, and the recent Mayflower, Arkansas, spill that coated suburban play sets in oil, it would, at first glance, appear that our nation’s pipelines are extremely safe, that spills are a rarity. However, a closer look reveals that spills are all too common—in 2011 alone there were over 1,000 spills from pipelines.³ Such a high number of spills year after year and the high consequence locations in which many of these spills occur have caused pipeline safety watchdogs and the National Transportation Safety Board to take a hard look at pipeline regulations and push for higher standards.⁴ The overwhelming implication in their reports is that federal regulations are not enough to reduce pipeline risk.⁵

But the idea that pipelines are sufficiently regulated is one that the pipeline industry works hard to legitimize—according to the Association of Oil Pipelines, “Liquid pipelines operate under many layers of protection. Federal and state laws, rules and regulations, regulators and operators all work to keep pipelines safe.”² While pipeline companies tout their goals for zero spills and claim that regulations are more than sufficient, it is clear that in reality; much more can be done to improve the safety of pipelines.

Read today's news from around the state and country. Each day in the Roundup we cover politics, always with a side of bold humor. We think politics should be fun, informative and encourage us all to take action.

"Lee Terry's bill is a pipeline to nowhere, highlighting his poor record of leadership and shows where his loyalties lie -- with Big Oil lobbyists and foreign pipeline companies," said Jane Kleeb, executive director of Bold Nebraska. "Not only has the President promised to veto this irresponsible bill and is therefore a waste of taxpayer dollars, it's a slap in the face to landowners' property rights. Not a single study of a worst case scenario tarsands spill in the Aquifer, our rivers or families wells has been conducted yet Rep. Terry stands with binders full of reports that leave out the basic answers to what a tarsands spill will do to property values, our water and our Ag economy.”

Re-posted with permission from Graham Christensen of the Nebraska Farmer's Union

All Renewable Energy Is Not Created Equal

The White House recently denied an invitation from Nebraska farmers and ranchers for a "Beer and Beef Summit" to show President Obama the livelihoods and water that are at-risk with the Keystone XL pipeline.

The White House rejected the invitation on the grounds they were not taking any meetings on the pipeline. Bold Nebraska was therefore surprised the President is meeting with staff at Ellicott Dredges a company that just testified in Congress in support of Keystone XL and makes equipment that creates the tailing ponds, which are massive bodies of polluted water and a by-product of the tarsands mining process.

Read today's news from around the state and country. Each day in the Roundup we cover politics, always with a side of bold humor. We think politics should be fun, informative and encourage us all to take action.

On May 15, 2013, Bold Nebraska sent formal requests for all records, emails, minutes, etc. on meetings the Nebraska State Patrol and the Nebraska Attorney General's office recently held with TransCanada and local sheriff's departments regarding the Keystone XL pipeline, talk of "protestors" and public safety. Since we were not invited to any discussion about safety, we want to see what was discussed, how local folks are being portrayed and what TransCanada is trying to do in regards to hiring our local police officers to act as TransCanada's private security.

We tried calling the State Patrol after the meeting to request information but were told in fact it was NOT a meeting and instead was an "educational training opportunity."

We are concerned that groups or citizens were being talked about at the meetings between law enforcement and TransCanada when folks were not there to tell any other side of the story. We are also very concerned that TransCanada is seeking to hire local police officers in their "off duty" hours to perform security detail for TransCanada. That is not good for long-term community relations. It is also a dangerous line to cross, allowing a for-profit, foreign corporation to hire our local police officers to potentially arrest citizens.

Who is policing TransCanada?

UPDATE 5/14/13 4:15 PM: We have just learned that Sen. Johanns withdrew his amendment to eliminate Country of Origin Labeling.  Thank you to all who called and wrote Sen. Johanns and other lawmakers about this important issue!

In a blatant slap in the face to food producers and food consumers alike, Nebraska Senator Mike Johanns has proposed an amendment to the Farm Bill that would eliminate Country Of Origin Labeling (COOL).  COOL is a provision that helps food consumers know where their food comes from, and it helps food producers distinguish their products in the marketplace.  It is truth in labeling, and it promotes informed decision-making.