Keystone XL Pipeline Through Nebraska...?

[billyjack]

I was curious to know the thoughts of our Creighton fans (and everyone) on this board, regarding the pipeline that is proposed to be built through Nebraska... the Keystone XL pipeline from Alberta. I'm not on the front lines here in Rhode Island, but personally I would be against it.

The contractor has had problems in the past (in Kalamazoo and elsewhere, Arkansas I think), drinking water could be harmed (though I just read that the route has been moved away from the Oglala aquifer), and the overall positives of a handful of jobs doesn't seem to outweigh the negatives. But I haven't really followed it in depth, and I may not be seeing the entire picture.

Any thoughts? Are people really divided over this? Or are most people on the fence?

[marquette]

I believe the problem in Kalamazoo was an Enbridge pipeline (competitor). I believe this because I used to work summers for Enbridge and, while I wasn't involved or even employed at the time of the Kalamazoo spill, it was something that people were still talking a lot about when I was there. I could be wrong, since it was only discussed along the lines of "I worked cleanup over in Kalamazoo. It was a mess" but the overall impression I got was that it was our spill.

Word on the street is that when this pipeline is finished there won't be enough oil to fill the whole pipeline network, meaning many pipelines will operate quite a bit below capacity (not great for profit margins). Once again, that may or may not be true. Just a water cooler rumor when I was working (which has been over a year now).

I should probably add the disclaimer that I was just a boots-on-the-ground grunt type of employee so inside info about upper level stuff is not something I had access to, let alone info about other companies. Grain of salt type situation.