Greeny News

TransCanada has already moved endangered beetles bury the U.S. government should Keystone light to his pipe oil sands of Alberta to Texas XL

a Canadian company that is awaiting a federal permit to build a pipeline across the high plains used a technicality to U.S. environmental regulations to begin withdrawing an endangered species, black and orange beetles bury America's proposed route.

A spokesman for Alberta-based TransCanada said the company has done nothing wrong. Beetles were removed as part of TransCanada 'commitment to protecting the environment and endangered species along the way Keystone XL, "said Shawn Howard News InsideClimate. According to Howard, the beetle is the only endangered species along the proposed pipeline route identified in U. of Alberta S. Gulf Coast.

But opponents say the pipe by the movement of dunes, beetles of Nebraska and grass clippings, insects that once lived miles, TransCanada began the illegal construction on the project. Because the pipeline would cross an international border, the U.S. State Department is in charge of the licensing process. The agency should make its decision before the end of the year.

Wednesday, three environmental groups filed suit in federal court in Omaha against the Department of State U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service requesting the removal of the beetles stopped working.

Noah Greenwald, director of endangered species at the Center for Biological Diversity, said the complaint was filed in the National Law on Environmental Policy (NEPA). NEPA makes clear that "when you are looking at a project, you can not do work before a permit," said Greenwald. "As has already done the work on the pipeline route, [TransCanada] essentially the process of intimidation."

The Center for Biological Diversity filed the complaint with the Friends of the Earth and the Western Nebraska Resources Council.

Howard said TransCanada has not construction. "We spent the beetles and cut grass for the protection of American burying beetles," he said in an e-mail to InsideClimate News. "Cut -. No construction and above all work is done, we received permission from the owner to perform these studies. "

TransCanada

The timetable for the withdrawal of efforts beetle, which began in August, is fundamental to the construction schedule of the company. According to Kyle Graham, a biologist with Fisheries and Wildlife, the beetles can be moved only between August and October, when they emerge above ground. If TransCanada had hoped for the State Department to approve the project before the removal of the beetles, the building could have been delayed for almost a year.

"It's mainly for your comfort ... so they can begin as soon as you have a permit, "said Greenwald.

Although TransCanada has been working on a plan to kidnap the mountain for several months, has not attracted much attention until this week when the complaint was filed. Friends of the Earth recently released aerial photographs of the cutting area on your website.

News

beetles withdrawal comes at a sensitive time in the evolution of the pipeline project.

The State Department plans to hold the final public hearing on the project today (Friday) in Washington, DC, and the pipe has become a more controversial issue in Nebraska, where beetles are removed.

The Keystone XL Pipeline would be the first built in the dunes, Nebraska, an environmentally sensitive area, located on the Ogallala Aquifer, which supplies most of the state and water consumption of irrigation. Even some supporters of the project in Nebraska, Dave Heineman, including representing the Governor, I think it should be diverted from the dunes. Monday, Senator Annette Dubas State said she had written a bill that would give Nebraska the power to take control of the state in the pipeline. On Wednesday, the spokesman for the Nebraska legislature has announced that state officials will meet next week TransCanada.

Ken Winston, a policy advocate with the Sierra Club, applauded the effort, but he believes that owners should also have a seat at the table. TransCanada said quickly to remove insects from the company showed "the presumptuousness ... [attempting] to create a mindset that this is a fact."

John Hansen, president of the Union of Nebraska farmers, landowners, said his group is "obviously not happy" that the beetles are removed.

"All we have seen about TransCanada is [that] try to push as hard and as fast as you can," said Hansen, whose group wants the pipeline diversion. " His motto seems to be that it is better to ask forgiveness than permission. "

Howard, spokeswoman for TransCanada, said Hoback advised the company on the ecology of beetles and conservation measures.