The current Keystone pipeline recently spilled close to 400,000 gallons of crude oil into the surrounding wetlands, causing untold environmental damage and land contamination. The spill is the second in just two years, further raising concerns about the proposed Keystone XL pipeline. If Keystone is allowed to continue its project as planned, the XL will stretch from Montana and South Dakota to Nebraska and beyond, eventually meeting up with other oil pipelines terminating along the Gulf Coast.
Already frustrated by the environmental dangers caused by the preexisting Keystone pipeline, landowners in the proposed path of the XL are rallying together, standing up, and letting their voices be heard. One such courageous landowner is Jeanne Crumly, a retired teacher in Nebraska who is a Domina law client for the last 10 years. She has been acting as a local leader for group discussions, community meetings, and so forth.
Recently, Jeanne caught the attention of NPR, who sat down with her briefly for an interview. In her interview, Jeanne explained that the nearby sandhills would make for a disastrous combination if the XL pipeline burst and spilled oil onto them. Due to the fragile soil under the sandhills, the oil would contaminate the local aquifer, threatening potable water and water necessary for local agricultural acres. Generations of farmers would be put at risk of losing everything.
Jeanne confirmed that nearly 100 landowners in the path of the XL pipeline have banded together with legal representatives to challenge Keystone and TransCanada head-on. Close to 70 of those landowners have current lawsuits filed in order to delay the project. She also underlined the fact that the Keystone XL pipeline will be used exclusively for oil exports, with none of its resources benefitting the United States. This fact alone makes it so eminent domain laws should not apply, and she and other landowners are adamant to see that it doesn’t.
From all of us here at Domina Law Group, we applaud Jeanne for all she has done so far to stand up to Keystone. It is not an easy thing to do, but she and the others with her are doing it because it is the right thing to do. Our law firm is currently hearing from clients throughout Nebraska who are challenging the TransCanada Keystone XL Pipeline with lawsuits, people who are fighting the same fight as Jeanne.
If your home and land have been threatened by the Keystone XL, please do not hesitate to contact our attorneysto see how we can help you, too. Call (888) 387-4134 today to protect your land, your family, and your future.