Five bills have been introduced to address oil pipeline regulations in Nebraska. Committees held public hearings on the bills from November 7th-9th. Below are the two bills that are expected to pass: Senator Dubas’ LB1 and Senator Langemeier/Speaker Flood’s LB4. They are currently being debated by the full floor.
Dubas Bill (LB1/AM55): The original language of Dubas’ LB1 has been replaced with Amendment 55 (AM55). The current draft focuses on granting the Public Service Commission authority to site oil pipelines at a state level. TransCanada’s Keystone XL is exempted from this process. The bill has an emergency clause which means it would take effect immediately.
Flood Bill (LB4/AM37): Senator Langemeier’s original LB4 has been gutted and replaced with Speaker Flood’s Amendment 37 (AM37). The amendment opens the door for Nebraska to write a state-based supplemental environmental study on an alternative route for the Keystone XL. Speaker Flood has said he’s negotiated with TransCanada, and they’ve agreed to reroute the pipeline out of the Sandhills. Taxpayers would pay for the $2 million study. The bill has an emergency clause which means it would take effect immediately.
Paul Blackburn Presentation: If you missed the Citizen Special Session, Paul gave a great overview of what our state can do to protect our land and water when it comes to laws and regulations. This is a powerpoint presentation/file.