Today, the Nebraska Public Service Commission approved a permit to build the Keystone XL tar sands pipeline but rejected TransCanada’s preferred route through the state of Nebraska.

In response, Greenpeace Canada Climate and Energy Campaigner Mike Hudema said:

“Today’s decision is no guarantee that this pipeline will ever be built. Nebraska opted not to give TransCanada its preferred route through the state, so the company now has more hurdles in front of its beleaguered pipeline. Given last week’s reminder of the dangers pipelines like Keystone XL  pose, the resistance to this project will continue to grow and TransCanada will face legal challenges, and resistance to its construction plans on the land and in the banks.

Today’s decision will also have big cost implications and that should worry both existing and prospective funders of a pipeline that will never see the light of day. One after another, some of the world’s biggest banks are dropping Keystone XL and other tar sands pipelines from their lending portfolios. It’s time for banks like TD and Desjardins to follow the lead of banks like ING, BNP Paribas and US Bank who have already ditched risky tar sand pipeline funding.”

TransCanada Corp.  said in a statement Thursday 795,000 litres of oil leaked from an underground section of its Keystone pipeline near Amherst, S.D. Yesterday, the company had to send additional crews and equipment to the site. The line is expected to remain shut while it responds to the spill.