Keystone XL

One-hundred ninety-four miles of the Keystone XL pipeline route runs through Nebraska. I was combing through the preliminary report from Nebraska’s Department of Environmental Quality. 

Environmental Quality was tasked, by the Nebraska Legislature, with evaluating the environmental, economic, social and other impacts of the proposed pipeline; determining if the rerouted alignment avoids the sandhills; and providing the opportunity for public review and comment on the pipeline route. 

The final public hearing is scheduled in Albion, Nebraska on December 4th, 2012. In order to assess the impacts I’ve pulled out some of the pipeline numbers: 

• 9 Nebraska Counties 
• 63 acres of wetlands (various types) 
• 163 waterbody crossings 
• 6 major watersheds
• Approximately 1,500 acres of combined ag, grass and rangeland habitat 
• 270 construction related jobs created 
• 110 annual jobs created 
• $37,200 average annual income for pipeline construction laborers
• $31.4 million infusion to the Nebraska economy from construction 
• $278 million in economic benefit to Nebraska from construction 
• 24 hour SCADA monitoring of pipeline for any indication of spills 
• 20 miles the maximum distance between Main Line Valves (MLVs) which can be manually or remotely closed in order to isolate leaks. Additional MLVs located at pump stations, major river crossings and upstream of any sensitive waterbodies. 
• 50 year lifespan of pipeline operations