The Nebraska Supreme Court ruled that the oral arguments for the TransCanada’s Keystone XL case will be pushed back to November, less than one month after the Canadian energy company requested expedited arguments.
“The Nebraska Supreme Court issued two orders,” attorney David Domina said in an interview on WNAX Radio. “First, it said that the argument before the Supreme Court will be held the first week in November, so that moves it back a week. And that was for scheduling reasons for the court and the lawyers involved. The second thing that happened is that the court clarified how much time will be allowed for the oral argument, and how it will be used and apportioned.”
The court granted “considerably” extended time according to Domina, who noted that giving each side the time to state their case clearly remains important to both the general public and to the court.
Even if the court rules in favor of TransCanada after hearing the oral arguments, the company’s alternative route is still subject to an updated environmental assessment on its alternative route.
“What we have here is really another potential nail in the coffin, which is a supplemental (Environmental Impact Statement), and if there are any findings in that supplemental EIS that would modify the allegedly approved mainline alternative route, then that could affect the approval,” said attorney Brian Jorde, who is representing the landowners alongside Domina.
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