Backers, foes of Keystone XL seek clarification in ruling

LINCOLN, Neb. – The developer of the Keystone XL pipeline and the project’s opponents are asking Nebraska regulators to clarify their recent decision to approve an alternative pipeline route through the state.

Attorneys for pipeline developer TransCanada and landowners who want to stop it both filed motions for the Nebraska Public Service Commission to reconsider its decision.

The commission approved a pathway but didn’t pick TransCanada’s preferred route, which has undergone numerous local, state and federal reviews.

A TransCanada spokesman says the company filed its motion in hopes that commissioners will answer lingering questions about the decision. The company intends to file an amended application with the commission.

An attorney for the landowners is asking the commission to make clear that commissioners expressly denied TransCanada’s preferred route for the project.