Pipeline developer renews effort to build

The developer of the Keystone XL pipeline said Thursday that it is once again seeking state approval for a route through Nebraska. TransCanada said it has filed an application with the state commission that regulates oil pipelines.

The Canadian company’s previous attempts to start construction in Nebraska have been thwarted by activists and some landowners who worry that it could damage property and contaminate groundwater supplies. Opponents have already met to discuss how they might be able to halt the project.

In a statement, the company said its project will emphasize safety and respect for the environment. TransCanada said its preferred route would avoid an area the state defines as the Nebraska Sandhills, an ecologically sensitive region of grasscovered sand dunes with high water tables.

“This application has been shaped by direct, onthe-ground input from Nebraskans,” TransCanada CEO Russ Girling said in a statement. “The thousands of Nebraskans we have met over the last eight years understand the value of this project and what it means to the state.”

The Keystone XL would travel from Canada through Montana, South Dakota and Nebraska, where it would connect with an existing Keystone pipeline network to carry crude oil to Texas Gulf Coast refineries.

Republican President Donald Trump has said he supports the pipeline, and last month he signed executive memos to make it easier for the project to move forward.