Nebraska officials say an oil spill from the Keystone pipeline in South Dakota won’t affect their decision to approve or deny a route for the related Keystone XL project.
A spokeswoman for the Nebraska Public Service Commission said Friday that commissioners will base their decision solely on evidence presented during public hearings and from official public comments.
Supporters and opponents of the project argued their cases to the commission at a four-day hearing in August.
A Nebraska law approved in 2011 prevents the commissioners from factoring pipeline safety or the possibility of leaks into their decisions.
Lawmakers argued at the time that pipeline safety was a federal responsibility that preempts state law.
Opponents say oil interests lobbied for the restriction.
AP
