“Falletta Conducts ‘Pines of Rome'”
Omaha, NE—Omaha Symphony welcomes guest conductor Maestra JoAnn Falletta, and guest violinist, Blake Pouliot, for a performance this weekend in homage to Rome. Maestra Falletta, the only female conductor of a top 40 orchestra, will lead the orchestra in the works of Berlioz and Respighi.
Road to Omaha – Oral Roberts Golden Eagles
Omaha, NE – On today’s episode of “Road to Omaha,” KVNO’s Brandon McDermott spoke with Oral Roberts head coach Ryan Folmar.
New set of landowners has its own questions on Keystone XL
May 11th, 2012
Neligh, NE – There were more questions than answers at a pipeline meeting in Neligh, Nebraska. Landowners gathered at the Neligh-Oakdale High School gym to see where they stood along the proposed pipeline route.
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[audio:https://kvnonews.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/nelighpipeKVNOO.mp3]Detailed maps of TransCanada’s latest route for its proposed Keystone XL oil pipeline were spread out on tables. The old route stirred controversy last year for fear the pipeline would threaten the fragile ecology of the Sandhills. This time it is supposed to avoid the Sandhills with a path farther east – still crossing the Ogallala aquifer but in generally less sandy, hilly terrain. But the new route involves a whole new set of landowners with questions.
“This has been such a topic for so long, but these folks haven’t been involved directly. So they’re just kind of waiting to see what it’s going to look like,” said state Senator Kate Sullivan of Cedar Rapids, who represents the area.
The revised Keystone XL pipeline route will skirt the Nebraska Sandhills, although it will still cross parts of the Ogallala Aquifer. (Photo courtesy Wikimedia)
The Nebraska Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) is supposed to review the proposed route, and make a recommendation to Governor Dave Heineman about whether or not to approve it. His decision will then be passed along to the federal government which has the final say. DEQ Director, Mike Linder, says public meetings like the one in Neligh are designed not only to give people an overview of the proposal, but also to dig into details on the map.
Robert Wood, who farms outside Orchard, looked at the map and quizzed a representative of the engineering firm, HDR, hired to help DEQ evaluate the route.
“When you go putting the pipeline in, right here is a creek that drops off three-fourths the height of your wall here. How are they going to get that back the way it was,” asked Wood.
TransCanada's Preferred Alternative Corridor submitted to the Nebraska Department of Environmental Quality April 19th. Click image to enlarge.
There were also questions about who would ultimately answer questions. Albion area farmer Pat Schmitz asked whether topsoil would be put back on top after excavation.
Wood, from Orchard, expressed frustration with the process.
“I run three-hundred cows by myself, basically,” Wood said. “And you work getting things set up so they work and someone wants to come and blow part of it away. It kind of frustrates you.”
Not everyone was as frustrated. Greg Walmer, a Royal-area farmer has talked to TransCanada representatives.
“I had some concerns about the easement process, basically. I’m concerned about who’s responsible about damages,” Walmer said. “And they answered my questions the best they could at this point.”
Walmer has not yet decided whether to sell an easement through his land to the company. TransCanada spokesman Terry Cunha said dealing with landowners’ questions and concerns is what it’s all about.
“That’s how this process is designed, to ensure that Nebrsakans have an opportunity to take part, share information with the DEQ, which will come back to us to help us refine our route and have something that will hopefully be approved by the governor and allow us to get a Presidential permit by the State Department,” said Cunha.
Two more informational meetings will be held next week: Wednesday, May 16 in Albion, and Thursday, May 17 in Central City. The Department of Environmental Quality’s recommendation is supposed to be ready sometime between mid-October and mid-January. But a lawsuit challenging the agency’s authority to evaluate the route may be filed as soon as next week.
The Keystone pipeline is stirring up everyone it seems like. However this is a real project with real benefits for american workers and users of oil (which is all of us. As both a jobs vehicle and a provider of a necessary resource we need to figure out a way to embrace this project hat will work out for everyone. Transcanada has already reapplied for the permits necessary to build this pipeline as well as figured out how to re-route it to avoid major environmental concerns (http://bit.ly/ytP77z). This is a good project that with some tweaking can work for all of us.