The lawsuit comes from three private landowners who successfully sued to prevent their properties from being seized so that TransCanada can lay their pipeline—turns out the state Legislature was in too much of a rush in 2012 to approve the project.
Missteps can be traced to the state's approval of a route two years ago that would bypass "the ecologically sensitive Sand Hills area where the Ogallala Aquifer is located," writes Alison Sider and Alicia Mundy.
Lancaster County District Court Judge Stephanie Stacy sided with three landowners who argued Nebraska's governor shouldn't be able to sign off on the pipeline's route. The governor, Republican Dave Heineman,, was handed that power in a law the state Legislature hastily passed in 2012. But the court ruled that under the state's constitution, only Nebraska's Public Service Commission could approve such a pipeline route.
Attorney Dave Domina, representing the landowners, did not hide his glee.
"TransCanada has no approved route in Nebraska. TransCanada is not authorized to condemn the property against Nebraska landowners," he said. "The pipeline project is at a standstill."
In addition to appealing the decision, which Nebraska Attorney General Jon Bruning indicated he would do, the obvious next step would be for TransCanada Corp., the company building Keystone XL, to file an application with the Public Service Commission. It hasn't.
On another Keystone front, NPR's White House correspondent, Scott Horsley, reports on President Obama's meeting with Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper on Feb. 19. Horsley indicates that Obama remains noncommittal and emphasized his concern about climate change.
"Mr. Obama said he wouldn’t accommodate Canada’s demands for a quick decision on whether to grant a presidential permit for the Keystone project, and added climate change would be a key consideration in the final decision," wrote the Wall Street Journal's Paul Vieira in the Canada Real Time blog.
FULL STORY: Nebraska Judge Blocks Governor's Keystone XL Decision
Study: Maui’s Plan to Convert Vacation Rentals to Long-Term Housing Could Cause Nearly $1 Billion Economic Loss
The plan would reduce visitor accommodation by 25,% resulting in 1,900 jobs lost.
Alabama: Trump Terminates Settlements for Black Communities Harmed By Raw Sewage
Trump deemed the landmark civil rights agreement “illegal DEI and environmental justice policy.”
Why Should We Subsidize Public Transportation?
Many public transit agencies face financial stress due to rising costs, declining fare revenue, and declining subsidies. Transit advocates must provide a strong business case for increasing public transit funding.
Paris Bike Boom Leads to Steep Drop in Air Pollution
The French city’s air quality has improved dramatically in the past 20 years, coinciding with a growth in cycling.
Why Housing Costs More to Build in California Than in Texas
Hard costs like labor and materials combined with ‘soft’ costs such as permitting make building in the San Francisco Bay Area almost three times as costly as in Texas cities.
San Diego County Sees a Rise in Urban Coyotes
San Diego County experiences a rise in urban coyotes, as sightings become prevalent throughout its urban neighbourhoods and surrounding areas.
Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools
This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.
Planning for Universal Design
Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.
Smith Gee Studio
Alamo Area Metropolitan Planning Organization
City of Santa Clarita
Institute for Housing and Urban Development Studies (IHS)
City of Grandview
Harvard GSD Executive Education
Toledo-Lucas County Plan Commissions
Salt Lake City
NYU Wagner Graduate School of Public Service