The most recent delay in the hearing for the Keystone XL Pipeline has both sides talking about their perspective on how the future could look for the pipeline.  After Trans Canada supplied thousands of pages of documents in response to the request of opponents via the
Public Utilities Commission, opponents then asked to have additional time to go over the information, delaying the hearing into late July or early August.

Faith Spotted Eagle with The Yankton Sioux Tribe says more time was needed to review the many documents just received.

All of the interveners, there’s something like 40 plus, that gives them about a week or two weeks to go through thousands of pages.  From a due process point of view, I do believe that the attorneys made the point well because they said in the rules of procedure for admin hearings, there is due process allowed when you need to have adequate time to go through the material.

One of the issues being asked is about safety.

The other thing that is significant for listeners to hear is that one of the motions for discovery was to talk about what did Trans Canada have in place for a safety plan and they had some difficultly in getting that information. When they were asked directly at the hearing whether they have a safety plan the answer was no, they do not have a plan for Keystone XL.

Mark cooper, spokesperson for Trans Canada says requested documents were provided within three day’s of the PUC’s request.

The opponents of the project asked for the delay because they claim we provided them too much information which they asked for them to process before the hearing.  Several months ago we provided thousands of pages of information.  We objected to the release of other information as it was confidentially irrelevant or vastly over broad and then groups waited till this month to ask the PUC…for additional information.

Cooper says a safety plan involves details that would likely change, including micro route adjustments of the pipeline and emergency contact information. Their existing pipeline in South Dakota has a safety plan and the Keystone XL would have a plan as well.

Right now it will be a couple of years before the pipeline is in place by that time things could change.  So the bottom line is these plans will be in place.  If people are interested in understanding what our emergency resp plans are they won’t have to look further than the base keystone project…Since 2010 we safely delivered 830 million barrels across South Dakota without incident.  Keystone XL pipeline will be the safest pipeline built on American soil.

Cooper says the pipeline is intended for US consumption only and not for export.  The original date of the hearing was May 5th through the 8th.

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