(Continued from page 38)

the pipeline.
• Nebraska Gov. Dave Heineman signed a bill last month that allows the state to proceed with its review of the proposed pipeline through his state, regardless of what happens at the federal level.
• State Department spokesman Mark Toner said U.S. officials would conduct a thorough review of the new application, with a final decision not expected until early next year -- well after the presidential election.
• Officials will use previous studies to the extent possible, Toner said, but will need to complete a new environmental assessment, especially since the route has

changed since TransCanada first applied for the pipeline in 2008.
• The State Department review is likely to include hiring an outside consultant, a point of contention in the original review conducted by the agency. Democratic lawmakers complained that the firm that conducted the review, Cardno Entrix, had a conflict of interest because of previous work with TransCanada.

(Continued on page 40)