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Want to Oppose PUC Permit for Keystone XL? Filing Deadline Is Wednesday!

TransCanada's application to renew its permit to build the Keystone XL pipeline is before the Public Utilities Commission, and one important deadline is already upon us. Citizens and organizations seeking party status—i.e., the right to participate in the hearing and raise some real heck—must file their application (no, you can't just show up at the hearing) with the PUC by this week Wednesday, October 15.

If you want to intervene officially in the Keystone XL hearing, grab this application for party status, fill it out, get a notary stamp on it, and get it to the PUC's office in Pierre by Wednesday. The mailing address is on the application; you can call the PUC at 605-773-3201 to find out about online filing options.

The form asks applicants to explain why they seek party status in no more than 1000 characters. John Harter does it in 39: "KXL is crossing my property if approved." Jane Kleeb of Bold Nebraska takes 330:

I work with Bold Nebraska and the Cowboy and Indian Alliance on issues regarding Keystone XL pipeline and the concerns around water, private property and soil. We would like to bring up issues, risks and evidence around soil type and the Sandhills that reach into the southern part of South Dakota as well as the Ogallala Aquifer [Jane Kleeb, on behalf of Bold Nebraska, application for party status, South Dakota Public Utilities Commission docket #HP14-001, 2014.10.09].

Eight intervenors have filed so far. The more the merrier!

4 Comments

  1. Tim 2014.10.13

    Fill the place with people that have legitimate concerns. I expect the PUC to follow the republican line on the pipe no matter how many people show up. When was the last time they stood up for the people? They all need replaced, starting with Hansen.

  2. Paul Seamans 2014.10.13

    The PUC treated us very fairly during the original permit hearings in 2009/2010. Gary Hansen is the only present commissioner that was on the board at that time. Fifty conditions were added to the permit after the public part of the hearing, due in large part to concerns expressed by landowners. If you think that you might want to testify then the safe thing to do is file as an intervenor, if you decide later not to testify then that's no problem. People can also send comments to the PUC, these comments will be read but they might not become part of the permanent record.

  3. Roger Cornelius 2014.10.13

    Have any of the PUC members accepted campaign contributions from Keystone or any companies associated with them?

Comments are closed.