A district court judge in Nebraska has temporarily blocked TransCanada Corp. from claiming eminent domain to seize private land along the route of the controversial Keystone XL pipeline.
“Holt County District Judge Mark Kozisek granted a temporary injunction Thursday to landowners who challenged the ability of TransCanada to use eminent domain to acquire land for the controversial pipeline,” the World-Herald reported yesterday.
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The ruling means that Keystone “does not serve a public purpose in Nebraska—therefore it is not a public utility in Nebraska, therefore it does not have the power of eminent domain in Nebraska and cannot condemn private property in Nebraska,” wrote Chip Northrup of No Fracking Way.
TransCanada agreed to the injunction in exchange for an accelerated trial schedule, Duggan writes. “Although the judge’s order affects just the landowners along the northern part of the pipeline route, the company will offer to stall land condemnation for the roughly 90 property owners along the route who have refused to sign easement contracts.”
