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LINCOLN — Pipeline developer TransCanada has won a ruling that bars Nebraska landowners and others who oppose its Keystone XL project from testifying about potential oil leaks and whether the pipeline is needed.

Former Lancaster County District Judge Karen Flowers, who was hired to conduct next week’s hearings over the proposed Keystone XL, ruled that issues such as safety, necessity of the pipeline and whether the U.S. needs the Canadian oil are beyond the purview of the state’s review.

“The (Nebraska Major Oil Pipeline) Siting Act specifically prohibits the commission from considering safety considerations, including the risk of spills and leaks,” Flowers wrote in a ruling issued Wednesday.

She issued more than 30 rulings, based on objections filed by TransCanada, about what testimony would and would not be allowed at next week’s hearings over the Keystone XL’s 275-mile route across the state.

Jane Kleeb, a leading opponent of the Keystone XL project, said that the Nebraska Public Service Commission is asking for a lawsuit if it doesn’t allow landowners and other experts testifying in opposition.

“They’re headed for a very tough court fight,” Kleeb said Thursday.