Judge Temporarily Blocks Construction Of Keystone Pipeline

A federal judge in Montana temporarily blocked construction Thursday of the Keystone XL pipeline, which is set to go through Antelope County.

​Judge Brian Morris of the U.S. District Court in Montana said the State Department ignored issues of climate change to move forward with the 1,179-mile pipeline that would stretch from Canada to the Gulf Coast.
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Much of the pipeline has already been complete, but still in the thick of debate is the leg from Steele City, Neb., through Montana to Canada.

President Donald Trump, who signed an executive order just two days into his presidency to set the pipeline into motion, told reporters on Friday the ruling was a disgrace.

“It was a political decision made by a judge,” Trump said.

Despite the ruling, TransCanada officials said they remain committed to the project.

“It’s important to remember our commercial model on XL has not changed materially,” Paul Miller, liquids pipeline president, said at TransCanada’s investor day in Toronto on Tuesday.

“All historical costs, plus (cost of construction), since 2009 are captured for toll determination. The write-down we took in 2015 does not remove these costs from rate-making purposes. We share capital cost variances equally with our shippers,” he said.

Construction in Antelope County was expected to begin in spring 2020 and end in the fall, according to Robert Latimer, Keystone XL facility land and permitting manager.

The pipeline was to enter Antelope County six miles east of Page and be bored beneath Highway 20 near Ashfall between
Orchard and Royal.

From there, the pipeline would run southeast until it crossed Highway 16 about 7 1/2 miles north of Neligh. Continuing southeast, the route would enter Madison County, one mile north of Tilden.
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A pump station would be built northeast of Oakdale near 529th Road and 850th Ave.