News Realease on December 4, 2012 regarding Community Support for Findings of Nebraska DEQ Evaluation of the pipeline

1. News Release - For Immediate Release
December 4, 2012
Contact: Michael Reeves
(806) 775-2338
michael.reeves@portstoplains.com
Community Leaders throughout PTP Region Back KXL
(Lubbock, TX) – The Keystone XL Pipeline is important to our regional economy and national energy
security more than 125 local elected officials and other local leaders from ten states in the Ports-to-Plains
Alliance region said in a letter delivered to Nebraska officials who are holding a public hearing today in
Albion, Nebraska.
The Nebraska Department of Environmental Quality released a draft evaluation report Oct. 30 of Trans
Canada’s proposed route of the pipeline through Nebraska. NEDQ is likely to submit a final report by the
end of the year to Gov. Dave Heineman who then has 30 days to issue his final decision.
The pipeline still requires President Obama’s approval as it crosses the border with Canada. The State
department is preparing a supplemental environmental impact statement that looks at the proposed route,
and is projected to finish that report early next year. The administration rejected TransCanada’s original
application for a permit earlier this year saying the State Department needed more time to review the
environmental impact of the pipeline crossing the Sand Hills region of Nebraska. TransCanada rerouted
the pipeline’s path through Nebraska to avoid the Sand Hills region, and filed a new application for a
presidential permit.
The Ports-to-Plains mayors’ outspoken support was a robust and relevant counterweight to another letter
from a group of mayors organized by the Natural Resources Defense Council in opposition to the
pipeline. According to a March, 24 story in Energy and Environment Daily about that letter, “The six
U.S. states through which the Keystone XL project would pass were not represented among the mayoral
signatories,” of the anti-Keystone letter.
In the letter the local leaders, representing cities from North Dakota to Texas, extolled the benefits of the
pipeline:
“Keystone XL will provide significant economic benefits for our region. The pipeline is expected to
create approximately 20,000 manufacturing and construction jobs in the United States. It could also
generate more than $5.2 billion in tax revenue to the Keystone XL corridor states. At a time when
state and local governments across the country are struggling to balance their budgets, these
employment and revenue benefits are critical to our region.”
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2. “The pipeline is also critical to our country’s efforts to reduce our dependence on Middle East
and Venezuelan oil, by increasing our access to supplies from Canada, our neighbor and loyal
ally, as well as domestic supplies from the Bakken Formation of Montana and North Dakota.
Relying upon regimes that are in many cases unstable and unfriendly to the United States is
simply bad energy and national security policy.”
Ports-to-Plains is a grassroots alliance of communities and businesses led by mayors, councilpersons and
economic development officials from a ten-state, 2300-plus mile transportation and economic
development corridor between Texas and Alberta, Canada.
-30-

3.
December 4, 2012
Pat Rice via Email: NDEQ.SEISpubliccomment@Nebraska.gov
Project Manager
NDEQ Pipeline Project Comments
P.O. Box 98922
Lincoln, NE 68509-8922
Re: Keystone XL Pipeline Evaluation
Dear Mr. Rice:
We are writing to express our strong support for findings on the Keystone XL pipeline. We fully
support this project because we believe it is in the best interest of our constituents, the state of
Nebraska and the entire country.
The specific findings in the draft report that we agree with include:
 The Nebraska Reroute avoids the region that was identified as the Sand Hills by NDEQ,
which is based on extensive research conducted by various state and federal agencies
several years ago.
 Keystone provided some route alternatives in the Supplemental Environmental Report
which reduces the amount of fragile soils that are crossed in the northern portion of
Nebraska.
 The revised route also establishes greater distances from the sources of drinking water
in the communities of Clarks and Western.
 The report details environmental, economic, social and other impacts along the
Nebraska Reroute.
 Numerous construction and operational mitigation measures would be incorporated to
protect groundwater and surface water.
 Keystone would pay for an independent public employee to act as a liaison to facilitate
the exchange of information between Keystone and landowners, local communities, and
residents.
 Keystone would provide baseline water well testing for domestic and livestock water
wells within 300 feet of the center line of the route.
 Keystone would adhere to 57 special pipeline safety conditions that had been previously
agreed upon with the U.S. Department of Transportation, Pipeline and Hazardous
Materials Safety Administration.
 Keystone would be responsible for developing an Emergency Response Plan for a
product release associated with the operation of the Keystone XL Pipeline and ancillary
facilities.
Limon Office Lubbock Office
P.O. Box 9 5401 N MLK Blvd., Unit 395
Limon, CO 80828 Lubbock, TX 79403
P: 303.586.1787 P: 806.775.2338
F: 719.775.9073 Fax: 806.775.3981
www.portstoplains.com

4. Support for Keystone XL Pipeline – Nebraska Keystone XL Pipeline Review
December 4, 2012
Page 2
 Keystone has identified several variations of crude oil that would be transported at
various times through the pipeline from Alberta, Canada and from the Bakken Formation
in Montana and North Dakota. The report contains the general characteristics of the
crude oil, which are similar to other crude oils from around the world. In the event of a
spill, the appropriate authorities would have immediate access to the product’s Material
Safety Data Sheet.
 In addition to complying with all relevant state and federal cleanup requirements,
Keystone will provide evidence that it is carrying $200 million in third party liability
insurance to cover cleanup costs for incidents in Nebraska.
Our communities are members of the Ports-to-Plains Alliance, a grassroots coalition of cities,
counties, businesses, economic development organizations and chambers of commerce from a
ten-state, 2,300 mile long transportation and economic development corridor that stretch from
Texas to Alberta, Canada, including Nebraska.
Keystone XL will provide significant economic benefits for our region. The pipeline is expected
to create approximately 20,000 manufacturing and construction jobs in the United States. It
could also generate more than $5.2 billion in tax revenue to the Keystone XL corridor states. At
a time when state and local governments across the country are struggling to balance their
budgets, these employment and revenue benefits are critical to our region.
Specific benefits for Nebraska include:
 More than $465 million in new spending for the Nebraska economy
 More than 7,500 person years of employment
 Increased personal income by $314 million
 Additional state and local tax revenues of more than $11 million
 $390 million in increased Gross State Product
The pipeline is also critical to our country’s efforts to reduce our dependence on Middle East
and Venezuelan oil, by increasing our access to supplies from Canada, our neighbor and loyal
ally, as well as domestic supplies from the Bakken Formation of Montana and North Dakota.
Relying upon regimes that are in many cases unstable and unfriendly to the United States is
simply bad energy and national security policy. We have seen the shocks to our economy from
oil spikes caused by turmoil in these regions. It is much preferable to develop stable, secure
domestic and Canadian sources. By providing refineries along the Texas Gulf Coast with more
than 700,000 barrels of oil each day from domestic and Canadian resources, this pipeline will
dramatically reduce our reliance on oil from unreliable and often unfriendly sources.
As leaders from the region that the entire Keystone XL pipeline will traverse, we applaud the
State of Nebraska and the Division of Environmental Quality’s (DEQ) thoroughness during this
review process. We also have confidence that TransCanada will be a good steward of the land
and that Keystone XL will be constructed using industry best practices and will meet or exceed
all existing pipeline regulatory standards.
The Keystone XL pipeline is clearly in the nation’s interest and will be a valuable tool in
strengthening our national security and energy security.
Sincerely,

5. Ed Mayo Sandy McCarthy
Mayor County Commissioner
City of Gering Box Butte County
Gering, NE 69341 Alliance, NE 69301
Deb Cottier Lane Danielzuk
Director Chairman
Nebraska Northwest Development Corp Heartland Expressway Association
Chadron, NE 69337 Gering, NE 69341
Tim Garwood Chelsie Herian
Board Member Executive Director
Heartland Expressway Association Box Butte Development Corporation
Alliance, NE 69301 Alliance, NE 69301
Travis Hiner Marlin Johnson
Board Member Communications Director
Heartland Expressway Association Heartland Expressway Association
Scottsbluff, NE 69361 Scottsbluff, NE 69361
Chuck Karpf Steve Burgess
Executive Director Ports‐to‐Plains Board / County Commissioner
Panhandle Area Development District Lincoln County
Gering, NE 69341 Limon, CO 80828
Julie Coonts Beverly Haggard
Mayor Ports‐to‐Plains Board / City Council
Town of Limon City of Lamar
Limon, CO 80828 Lamar , CO 81052
Roger J. Stagner Patricia Vice
Mayor Mayor / Executive Director
City of Lamar Town of Genoa / Lincoln County Economic
Lamar , CO 81052 Development
Genoa, CO 80818

6. Bill Nyby Brad Bekkedahl
County Commissioner City Commissioner
Sheridan County City of Willison
Plentywood, MT 59254 Williston, ND 58801
Lynn Brackel Douglas W. Ellison
County Commissioner Mayor
Bowman County City of Medora
Bowman, ND 58623 Medora, ND 58645
Coby Beckner Justin Bennett
City Commissioner County Commissioner Chairman
Town of Clayton Union County
Clayton, NM 88415 Clayton, NM 88415
Christopher Candelario Jack Chosvig
Mayor Mayor
City of Raton Town of Clayton
Raton , NM 87740 Clayton, NM 88415
Walter Hall Van Robertson
County Commissioner County Commissioner
Union County Union County
Clayton, NM 88415 Clayton, NM 88415
Ronald D. Carey Paul Alexander
Mayor City Councilman
City of Boise City City of San Angelo
Boise City, OK 73933 San Angelo, TX 76904
John Baker Mark J. Barr
Mayor County Judge
City of Tahoka Howard County
Tahoka, TX 79373 Big Spring, TX 70720

7. Mike Brown Terri Beth Carter
County Judge County Judge
Tom Green County Sherman County
San Angelo, TX 76903 Stratford, TX 79084
Eugene Carter Tommy Duncan
Mayor Mayor
City of Hale Center City of Big Spring
Hale Center, TX 79041 Big Spring, TX 70720
Wendell Dunlap Charlotte Farmer
Mayor City Councilmember
City of Plainview City of San Angelo
Plainview, TX 79072 San Angelo, TX 76903
Carla Garner Paul Harpole
County Judge Mayor
Sutton County City of Amarillo
Sonora, TX 76950 Amarillo, TX 79101
Tom Head Kendall Hirschfeld
County Judge City Council
Lubbock County City of San Angelo
Lubbock, TX 79401 San Angelo, TX 76903
Ross W. James Dwain Morrison
Mayor City Councilman
City of Tulia City of San Angelo
Tulia, TX 79088 San Angelo, TX 76904
Alvin New Dave Nix
Mayor Mayor
City of San Angelo City of Lamesa
San Angelo, TX 76904 Lamesa, TX 79331

8. Milton Pax Rowdy Rhoades
County Commissioner County Judge
Moore County Moore County
Dumas, TX 79029 Dumas, TX 79029
Glen Robertson Pat Sims
Mayor Mayor
City of Lubbock City of Dumas
Lubbock, TX 79457 Dumas, TX 79029
Darrell Stephens Gilberto Cisneros
Mayor President/CEO
City of Abernathy Chamber of the Americas
Abernathy, TX 79311 Denver, CO 80215
Tom Clark Greg Fulton
Executive Director President
Metro Denver EDC Colorado Motor Carriers Association
Denver, CO 80202 Denver, CO 80216
Preston Gibson Linda Hawthorne
Chairman Board Member
Economic Development Council of Colorado Lincoln County Economic Development
Denver, CO 80236 Limon, CO 80828
Joe Kiely Lisa Nolder
Vice President of Operations Executive Director
Ports‐to‐Plains Alliance Prowers County Development Inc.
Limon, CO 80828 Lamar , CO 81052
Stephanie Salazar Dave Stone
President & CEO Town Manager
Broomfield Economic Development Corp. Town of Limon
Broomfield, CO 80021 Limon, CO 80828

9. Jack Taylor Bob Sivertsen
Executive Director President
S.P.I.R.I.T. Highway 2 Association
Liberal, KS 67905 Havre, MT 59501
Ashley Alderson Gaylon Baker
Executive Director Executive Director
Bowman County Development Corporation Stark Development Corporation
Bowman, ND 58623 Dickinson, ND 58601
Shirley Brentrup Ken Callahan
Rural Development Consultant Energy Services Manager
SJB Consulting Montana Dakota Utilities
Dickinson, ND 58601 Williston, ND 58801
Melana Howe Beth Innis
CEO Auditor
Howe Enterprises Williams County
Hettinger, ND 58639 Williston, ND 58802
Terry L. Johnson John Phillips
President President
Belfield Area Chamber of Commerce Economic Development of North Dakota
Belfield, ND 58622 Beulah, ND 58523
Steve Stenehjem Linda Svihovec
CEO Auditor
First Internationa Bank & Trust McKenzie County
Watford City, ND 58854 Watford City, ND 58854
Terri Thiel Shawn Wenko
Executive Director Assistant Director
Dickinson Convention & Visitors Bureau Williston Economic Development
Dickinson, ND 58601 Williston, ND 58801

10. Bob Donnell Pete Kampfer
Executive Director City Manager
Roswell‐Chaves County EDC City of Raton
Roswell, NM 88202 Raton, NM 87740
Penny Peryatel Blaise Emerson
Ports‐to‐Plains Board Member / President Executive Director
Northern New Mexico Gas Black Hills Local Council of Local Governments
Raton, NM 87740 Rapid City, SD 57701
Sandra Adams Dora Alcala
President Former Mayor
Lamesa Chamber of Commerce City of Del Rio
Lamesa, TX 79331 Del Rio, TX 78840
Christine Allen Paul Armes
Director of Foreign Trade Zone President
Lubbock Economic Development Alliance Wayland Baptist University
Lubbock, TX 79401 Plainview, TX 79072
John Bertsch Tonya Brown
Chairman President
Ports‐to‐Plains Alliance Sonora EDC
Plainview, TX 79403 Sonora, TX 76950
Kevin Carter Sam Cartwright
Executive Director President/CEO
Plainview Hale County Industrial Foundation Moore County Chamber of Commerce
Plainview, TX 79072 Dumas, TX 79029
Sid Cauthorn Chris Cornell
Ports‐to‐Plains Board Member / President/CEO Business Development
The Bank & Trust Reece Albert, Inc.
Del Rio, TX 78841 San Angelo, TX 76903

11. Michael Cypert Richard David
City Manager President/CEO
City of Abernathy Amarillo EDC
Abernathy, TX 79311 Amarillo, TX 79101
Donna Davis Del Rio Hispanic Chamber of Commerce
Associate Professor of Marketing Del Rio, TX 78840
Rawls College of Business ‐ Texas Tech University
Lubbock, TX 79409
Mike Duran John Friess
Executive Director Ports‐to‐Plains Board Member
Lamesa EDC Ports‐to‐Plains Alliance
Lamesa, TX 79331 Sonora, TX 76950
Elizabeth Grindstaff David Hettler
Manager of Marketing & Sales CPA
Texas‐Pacifico Railroad Ehler & Hettler
San Angelo, TX 76904 Lubbock, TX 79423
Duffy Hinkle Joshua Jones
Vice President of Membership & Marketing City Manager
Ports‐to‐Plains Alliance City of Hale Center
Lubbock, TX 79403 Hale Center, TX 79041
Brian Kimberly John King
Director of Business Development Vice President for University Relations
Reese Technology Center Lubbock Christian University
Lubbock, TX 79413 Lubbock, TX 79407
Shawn Kirkpatrick Frank H. Larson
Executive Director President
Levelland EDC Del Rio Area Development
Levelland, TX 79336 Del Rio, TX 78842

12. Bill Lavers Shawn Lewis
Executive Director Director of Community & Economic
Development Corporation of Snyder Development
Snyder, TX 79549 City of San Angelo
San Angelo, TX 76903
Mike McBain Eddie McBride
President President
Laredo Cotton Transfer, Inc. Lubbock Chamber of Commerce
Laredo, TX 78040 Lubbock, TX 79401
Todd McKee Bill Miller
Ports‐to‐Plains Board Treasurer / President & Chief Lending Executive Director
Officer Reese Technology Center
Peoples Bank Lubbock, TX 79413
Lubbock, TX 79424
Gary Molberg Linda Morris
President/CEO Executive Director
Amarillo Chamber of Commerce Plainview Chamber of Commerce
Amarillo, TX 79101 Plainview, TX 79072
Kristen Moudy Kristine Olsen
Business Development Specialist President
Canadian‐Hemphill County EDC Dalhart Area Chamber of Commerce
Canadian, TX 79014 Dalhart, TX 79022
John Osborne Dan Redd
President CEO
Lubbock Economic Development Alliance Borger Economic Development Corp.
Lubbock, TX 79401 Borger, TX 79008
Michael Reeves Gaynelle Riffe
President Ports‐to‐Plains Board Member / Co‐Owner
Ports‐to‐Plains Alliance Stratford Grain Company
Lubbock, TX 79403 Stratford, TX 79084

13. Mike Running Sonia Shannon
Executive Director Assistance Secretary of the Corporation
Dumas EDC Central 57 Importers & Exporters
Dumas, TX 79029 Eagle Pass, TX 78852
Eric Turner Debbye Valverde
Main Street/CVB Coordinator Executive Director
Plainview Convention & Visitors Bureau Big Spring Area Chamber of Commerce
Plainview, TX 79072 Dumas, TX 79720
Fred Vera Jerry Webster
City Manager City Administrator
City of Lamesa City of Tahoka
Lamesa, TX 79331 Tahoka, TX 79373
Terry Wegman Pamela Welch
Executive Director Executive Director
Big Spring EDC Midland Development Corporation
Big Spring, TX 79720 Midland, TX 79701
Roger Cable Darcy Geigle
Director of Business Development Reeve
Oftedal Construction, Inc Cypress County
Casper, WY 82604 Dunmore, AB T1B 0K3
Len Mitzel Lutz Perschon
Former Member of Legislative Assembly for Alberta CAO
Eastern Alberta Trade Corridor Cypress County
Etzikom, AB T0K 0W0 Dunmore, AB T1B 0K3