State Senator Jim Smith Loves TransCanada Pipelines, Regardless of Safety Concerns
By Jane Kleeb
News June 3, 2011
Tagged Keystone XL
State Senator Jim Smith, representing district 14 (Papillion/Sarpy County), just loves TransCanada. Smith stands with TransCanada not with Nebraskans who have valid safety concerns.
It is time for Smith to join his fellow bi-partisan state senators and ask Sec. Clinton for more time before deciding to grant or deny a permit to TransCanada. It is time to stand with Nebraskans and not with a foreign company who wants to build a risky pipeline through the Sandhills and Ogallala Aquifer. You can read the letter that our brave state senators sent and that Sen. Smith needs to sign.
TransCanada's first pipeline is so risky the federal government shut it down until further tests can be done.
Sen. Smith told the press recently:
"TransCanada was more than able to satisfy my concerns that they have the interest of Nebraska at heart."
Smith went on to say when asked about safety concerns, "I believe those concerns have been adequately addressed by the pipeline and its representatives."
Sen. Smith needs a reality check. TransCanada's leak/spill record is 77 times more than what the company predicted. There have been 12 spills in 12 months on TransCanada's Keystone I pipeline. Amazingly, they are still asking for a permit to build a second risky pipeline. Sen. Smith blocked legislation and is ignoring basic science and common sense that would have put safeguards in place for our state.
If you live in his district, Sen. Smith also said he did not hear much from constituents and that when he did, folks in Papio-La Vista were 3-to-1 in support of the pipeline. Please help us send Smith a message that he needs to stand up for Nebraska, not TransCanada.
Comment on this form; let Sen. Smith know that we need laws in place to protect our landowners and natural resources.
What could have Sen. Smith done?
Sen. Smith sits on the Natural Resources Committee where three solid pipeline bills were presented. They dealt with safety, eminent domain, general regulations and financial responsibility. But Sen. Smith blocked those bills, and instead he worked with TransCanada lobbyists to get only one bill passed that was watered down and does nothing to protect landowners or Nebraskans from this risky pipeline project.
Have there been any recent developments?
Yes…major ones. The first pipeline that TransCanada built, which runs down the eastern part of our state, was just shut down by the federal government because they said, "After evaluating the foregoing preliminary findings of fact, I find that the continued operation of the pipeline without corrective measures would be hazardous to life, property and the environment."
Tell Senator Smith to get his priorities straight. He needs to join other state senators who are trying to get common sense safeguards in place before TransCanada is allowed to build another risky pipeline.
If you are a constituent of Sen. Smith, please leave a comment on this form. Even if you do not live in his district, you can still leave a comment because anyone that lives in our state is at risk with TransCanada's pipelines because of the potential risks to our water supply.
You can also call, email or write to Sen. Smith
Sen. Jim Smith, District 14
Room #1115, P.O. Box 94604
Email: jsmith@leg.ne.gov
What do we want Smith to do?
We want Sen. Smith to issue an apology for not doing enough to protect Nebraska and for believing anything TransCanada says without more independent analysis and information.
We also want him to issue a letter to Sec. Clinton, like his fellow State Senators did recently, asking her to delay any decision on the pipeline until our state can put more safeguards in place to protect landowners and our natural resources.
Jane Kleeb Founder and Executive Director of Bold Nebraska. Jane lives for cooking, politics and news. She was a reporter for MTV, frequent guest on FOX and MSNBC and key advisor for "Thin" a documentary on eating disorders. Jane led a statewide organizing campaign on health care reform, served as the national executive director of the Young Democrats of America, the foundation director for Renfrew a mental health facility and headed up an AmeriCorps program.
Email: jane@boldnebraska.org
Tagged Bold Nebraska, Eminent Domain, Joe Biden, Keystone XL, NoKXL Pledge, TC Energy, TransCanada
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