Domina Law Attorney Brian Jorde was recently interviewed by NET Nebraska’s PBS & NPR Stations about the latest development in the ongoing Keystone XL Pipeline litigation and TC Energy’s intent to continue its push to secure land rights along the proposed route.
In January, an executive order that withdrew permits for the Keystone XL Pipeline was celebrated as a major victory, particularly for the Nebraska landowners who over the course of 11 years filed hundreds of lawsuits and appeals in opposition to the project with the help of Attorney Jorde and Domina Law.
As reported by NET News, Attorney Jorde said the 65 Nebraska Landowners he represents were frustrated by the news that the pipeline’s Canadian developers, TC Energy, intended to move forward with eminent domain proceedings to acquire the last remaining property rights along the 270-mile Nebraska route despite being dealt a crushing blow by President Biden’s order.
As Attorney Jorde tells NET News:
“It means they're still fighting this battle. They're still defending themselves, incurring costs for an easement that's supposed to apply to a project that is, at this point, null and void.
Jorde goes on to explain that Nebraska’s laws regulating pipelines may not explicitly cover what happens when a project is unable to move forward after being previously authorized. This vagueness in the law, Jorde tells NET NEWs, adds to landowners’ uncertainty about the future of the Keystone XL pipeline and TC Energy’s intentions given the value of their land.
"What could happen is TransCanada, to make a quick buck, could sell or flip the easement and sell off the project or the pipeline subsidiary to another company. All of a sudden, the landowner, for the rest of time, will be dealing with someone that they never got to size up (and) never had to say no."
As hearings move forward in counties along the pipeline’s proposed route, Attorney Brian Jorde and Domina Law will continue to fight for Nebraska landowners. Read the full NET News interview with Attorney Jorde here.
Related News: