Keystone XL: Montana Approves Easements Allowing Pipeline To Cross State Land

[TrogL]

Source: AP via HuffPo

HELENA, Mont. (AP) — Montana on Monday approved easements to let the Keystone XL pipeline cross state-owned land, including the Missouri and Yellowstone rivers.

The Land Board chaired by Gov. Brian Schweitzer, running his last meeting before leaving office, sold the package of 50-year easements to TransCanada Corp. for $741,000. The board also finalized approval for land leases for the completion of the Montana-Alberta Tie Line.

...

The 36-inch oil pipeline still faces several much larger hurdles than the Montana Land Board, including court battles elsewhere and the pending request for the presidential approval needed for such a cross-border project. The pipeline, which will have an on-ramp for Montana oil developers, would eventually carry crude oil to refineries in southern Texas.

Read more: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/12/18/keystone-xl-montana_n_2321656.html?ncid=edlinkusaolp00000003

[rsmith6621]

1. Thanks Brian...

[KansDem]

2. Grab the money and run...

But isn't $741,000 awfully cheap?

[kentauros]

6. That depends on how long the easement is.

Pipeline easements are generally fifty-feet wide, and the pipe is almost never right down the middle. Most are off one side by fifteen feet, leaving the other thirty-five feet for construction equipment, and room to separate topsoil from lower soils and rock. Sometimes they have to buy temporary workspaces, but those are usually only at road, railroad, waterway, and highway crossings.

[AdHocSolver]

3. Two comments.

The per year revenue to the state is $14,820 per year for a pipeline that will transport billions of dollars worth of oil.

How long after leaving office will it take before he gets an executive position with the company getting yearly compensation at least equivalent to the 50-year pay out to the state of Montana.

What a sell out of the people of Montana.

K and R

[byeya]

4. Sellout!

[2naSalit]

5. No Joke

He's out the door in two weeks, less even,,, and I can bet he's lined up a cozy corner office at some Helena office of the TransCanada group. If it ends up being built, since it still has to meet some low standards and this is contingent on overall approval... That being said, if any of that abomination gets built, I hope it is close enough to his ranch to poison his water. Much of Montana is in big trouble anyway. large ranches are being bought up by two billionaire brothers, the ones who invented fracking. They are busily running the locals off and using helicopters to herd the wildlife onto those ranches so they can have canned hunting for phenomenal fees while watching the evil they devised, trash the public lands around them.

http://billingsgazette.com/news/state-and-regional/montana/billionaire-brothers-buying-montana-ranches/article_e5d4b7cc-f23b-509f-b6d7-80c94c75b041.html

And that's just one pair of rich guys...