Judge may rule in 10 days on Keystone stay

BISMARCK — A Bismarck judge will decide in about 10 days whether state permission for the TransCanada Keystone Pipeline construction should be delayed.

Opponents of the proposed crude oil pipeline argued in Burleigh County District Court this morning that the state Public Service Commission’s Feb. 21 order allowing construction should be stayed while they appeal the line’s route. Attorney Jana Linderman, representing the Dakota Resource Council and several landowners along the route argued that the commission and the company did not do the proper due diligence in finding the safest possible route to bring Canadian tar sands oil through the state on its way to Illinois refineries.

But an attorney for TransCanada said the company addressed all effects of its favored route and the PSC properly found that other suggested routes were not appropriate. Other routes could mean even more land disturbed for construction, said Thomas D. Kelsch.

The judge assigned to the case is South Central District Judge Gail Hagerty.

Cole works for Forum Communications Co., which owns The Jamestown Sun

Tags: transcanada, dakota, council, keystone, pipeline, bismarck, judge, resource