Judge Sides With Landowners, Strikes Down Eminent Domain Law Allowing Keystone XL

From:  EcoNews 

by Laura Beans

 Yesterday the Lancaster County District Court in Lincoln, NE found LB 1161—the law that amended Nebraska state pipeline laws to clear the way for the Keystone XL pipeline by granting the power of eminent domain to Gov. Heineman and in turn TransCananda—unconstitutional and void, according to Bold Nebraska.

“Citizens won today,” said Jane Kleeb, director of Bold Nebraska. “We beat a corrupt bill that Gov. Heineman and the Nebraska Legislature passed in order to pave the way for a foreign corporation to run roughshod over American landowners.”

“TransCanada learned a hard lesson today: never underestimate the power of family farmers and ranchers protecting their land and water.”

Graphic courtesy of UC Berkeley

The law, signed by  Gov. Heineman (R-NE) in 2012, was challenged by three Nebraska landowners. Included in the ruling was a permanent injunction preventing Gov. Heineman and the Nebraska Department of Environmental Quality from taking any further action to authorize or advance the Keystone XL under the unconstitutional law.  MORE