Lawsuit by Nebraska Landowners May Decide Keystone Pipeline’s Fate (Eminent Domain)

The Wall Street Journal ^ | November 20, 2014 | Amy Harder

[Osage Orange]

Wasn’t the original Kelo case...about someone making money?

[Smokin' Joe]

If you owned property along the pipeline route would you just GIVE them the easements and land they need for the project?

No. Sell it or lease it if the terms were favorable, but not give it away.

[redgolum]

There is a reason they are very concerned. Some of those old lines are abandoned and leaking. Some are active, and have leaked in the past.

Many of those lines in the panhandle are not oil, they are natural gas. The proposed route is going through much of the “open” area.

The other thing to remember is that with the drought, water rights are once again worth killing for. Anything that remotely threatens that will be opposed.

[conservaKate]

It is ranch country, and they are very concerned that the pipelines will leak and the clean up end up being on the land owners.

That has happened before when some of the smaller pipelines and refineries went under.

To be honest, they are very cautious about any easements out there. To much history and to little water.

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Don’t have family...but have friends who live in the area...ranchers. And they are very concerned about any leaks that cause damage to the little water that’s available. They are conservative folks...but are not very pro Keystone at all.

For myself...I’ve always been hesitant about the taking away property from land owners. I guess there are times it has to be done...but I don’t like it used for a foreign company.