Progressive Oasis

OMAHA, NE – The Keystone Pipeline has become one of the biggest environment controversies in the past couple of years.  The misbehaving corporation of TransCanada has been trying to push the Keystone Pipeline down Nebraskans’ throats, and at the same time putting senators from the Unicameral in its pocket.  Not only that, but TransCanada has been lying about the jobs it would create and it making taxpayers pay for research and its future use on the land.  What a shame.  The Natural Resources Defense Council website reports,

“According to the U.S. State Department the pipeline would create at most 6,500 temporary construction jobs, and would leave only “hundreds” of permanent jobs, according to TransCanada, the Canadian company that wants to build the pipeline. Claims that the pipeline would employ tens or even hundreds of thousands of people are simply not true. A Cornell University study concludes the pipeline would kill more jobs than it would create, by reducing investment in the clean energy economy.”

The State Department’s claim of 6,500 temp jobs is a far cry from an oil industry  TV commercial’s claim of 1 million jobs.  Not only would the TransCanada Keystone Pipeline kill clean energy jobs, it is a serious and unique danger to the environment. The Natural Resources Defense Council website goes on to say,

“Tar sands crude oil pipeline companies may be putting America’s public safety at risk. Increasingly, pipelines transporting tar sands crude oil into the United States are carrying diluted bitumen or “DilBit” — a highly corrosive, acidic, and potentially unstable blend of thick raw bitumen and volatile natural gas liquid condensate — raising risks of spills and damage to communities along their paths. The impacts of tar sands production are well known. Tar sands extraction in Canada destroys Boreal forests and wetlands, causes high levels of greenhouse gas pollution, and leaves behind immense lakes of toxic waste. Less well understood, however, is the increased risk and potential harm that can be caused by transporting the raw form of tar sands oil (bitumen) through pipelines to refineries in the United States.”

Bold Nebraska, a non-partisan and progressive organization, has been on the case concerning TransCanada says they are unfit to build the pipeline. In a press release by Jane Kleeb, she says, “TransCanada has resorted to lies,  bully tactics, and coercion while changing key information depending on the audience.”

Its time for the Nebraska Unicameral to work for Nebraskans and not dirty oil companies.  On Thursday, March 29th at 9am, the Unicameral will begin debate on LB 1161. The bill will provide a loophole solely for TransCanada and fast tracks their pipeline approval. Make sure you check out this link for more information from Bold Nebraska on the TransCanada pipeline.