The Nebraska Public Service Commission will begin courtroom-style hearings on Monday in Lincoln about whether the Keystone XL Pipeline would benefit Nebraska's economy and job market.
On Sunday hundreds of labor union members attended a picnic and rally in Omaha and spoke out about the benefits of the controversial proposed pipeline that would transport thousands of barrels of oil each day through Nebraska.
Ron Berringer with Local 1140 in Omaha says pipeline construction jobs are badly needed for union workers and their families. "I've got a daughter that's in Harvard and another in high school and they need my support," Berringer says. "With the pipeline it pays well and I can give them a lot more support."
As Berringer and other union members rallied support in Omaha, hundreds of opponents of the pipeline gathered in Lincoln and marched through downtown to the State Capitol.
The Keystone XL Pipeline is a project proposed by the TransCanada Corporation. The pipeline would push 800,000 barrels of oil each day from Canada to U.S. refineries. Most of the proposed route has already been approved, except in Nebraska where a previous Trans Canada pipeline was built in 2012.
The hearings in Lincoln could last the entire week.