Justice Department attorneys and the Canadian company behind the proposed Keystone XL oil pipeline say the U. S. government shutdown shouldn’t delay a court hearing on a judge’s decision to halt construction.
The U. S. government shutdown may prevent Justice Department attorneys from going before a Montana judge next week to ask him to lift his hold on Keystone XL oil pipeline construction.
But the federal attorneys and the Canadian company that wants to build the pipeline say their absence shouldn’t delay Monday’s hearing on the matter in U. S. District Court in Great Falls.
Justice Department attorney Bridget McNeil said in a court filing Monday that government lawyers are prohibited from working except in emergencies during the shutdown. But, she added, federal attorneys’ participation in the hearing shouldn’t be necessary.
TransCanada attorneys previously told U. S. District Judge Brian Morris the company is prepared to hold the hearing without the government being represented.
