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2/1/14, "Fellow Democrats press Obama to approve Keystone, following environmental report," Fox News
"President Obama is facing increasing pressure from Senate Democrats
to approve the Keystone XL Pipeline, following the release Friday of a
State Department report that raised no major environmental concerns.
“Today's Environmental Impact Statement confirms what Alaskans
already know -- there are ways to safely and responsibly diversify our
domestic energy supply,” said Sen. Mark Begich, D-Alaska. “Move this
project forward.”
Begich also said he will continue to “demand” that Obama approve the
$7 billion pipeline project while reminding him that development in
Alaska’s Arctic Ocean and National Petroleum Reserve is critical in
securing the county’s energy independence from foreign countries.
He was joined Friday by Louisiana Democratic Sen. Mary Landrieu in
calling on Obama to approve the project, proposed back in 2010.
“This new study underscores what has been said all along about Keystone XL Pipeline: It’s time to build,” Landrieu said.
Begich and Landrieu are in tough, 2014 re-election efforts in conservative-leaning, energy-producing states.
“I urge the administration to act swiftly and give final approval so
we can put people to work in these good-paying jobs right away,” said
Landrieu, who like other Keystone supporters says the project will add
tens of thousands of jobs to the U.S. economy.
The 1,179-mile pipeline if approved would carry oil from tar sands in
western Canada to a hub in Nebraska, then connect with existing
pipelines to carry more than 800,000 barrels of crude oil a day to
refineries in Texas.
The environmental assessment released Friday from the State
Department isn't the last step in deciding whether the pipeline can be
built, the White House said late Friday.
However, it was a serious blow to environmentalists' hopes that Obama will block the controversial project.
The White House released a statement pushing back on the notion that
the pipeline is now headed for speedy approval, saying Secretary of
State John Kerry and other agency heads will "closely evaluate" the
report in the coming weeks.
Republican supporters said the report should compel Obama to swiftly green-light the project....
The Canadian government, which wants Keystone approved, also pressed
the administration to act, though a final decision could be months off.
"Today's report confirms once again this result, including no
appreciable impact on greenhouse gases," Natural Resources Minister Joe
Oliver said in a statement. "We await a timely decision on this
project."
The State Department report stops short of recommending approval, but
it could give Obama cover if he chooses to endorse the pipeline.
Though Republicans are largely united behind the project, it has
divided Democrats, with unions pressing for approval as environmental
groups adamantly opposed it.
Critics say the pipeline would carry "dirty oil" that contributes to global warming. They also worry about a spill.
The State Department report effectively said Canadian tar sands are
likely to be developed regardless of U.S. action on the pipeline. An
official added that other options to get the oil from Canada to Gulf
Coast refineries -- including rail, trucks and barges -- would be worse
for climate change.
State Department approval is needed because the pipeline crosses a
U.S. border. The Environmental Protection Agency and other departments
will have 90 days to comment before State makes a recommendation to
Obama on whether the project is in the national interest. A final
decision by the government is not expected before summer.
The new report comes only days after Obama's State of the Union
address, in which he reiterated his support for an "all-of-the-above"
energy strategy that embraces a wide range of sources, from oil and
natural gas to renewables such as wind and solar power.
Begich said afterward that he was “disappointed” that Obama didn’t
include mention of Keystone XL, while the president’s environmental
allies argued his support of expanded oil and gas production doesn't
make sense for a president who wants to reduce pollution linked to
global warming.
Obama blocked the Keystone XL pipeline in January 2012, saying he did
not have enough time for a fair review before a looming deadline forced
on him by congressional Republicans. That delayed the choice for him
until after his re-election.
Obama also said in a New York Times interview last year that there
was "no evidence" the pipeline would be a "big jobs generator," claiming
it might create 2,000 jobs in the construction phase and far fewer
permanent jobs.
But pipeline supporters have challenged that claim. House Speaker
John Boehner said it could create "more than 100,000 jobs," citing
separate analyses which include indirect jobs....
U.S. and Canadian accident investigators warned last week about the
dangers of oil trains that transport crude oil from North Dakota and
other states to refineries in the U.S. and Canada. The officials urged
new safety rules, cautioning that a "major loss of life" could result
from an accident involving the increasing use of trains to transport
large amounts of crude oil.
Several high-profile accidents involving crude oil shipments --
including a fiery explosion in North Dakota and an explosion that killed
47 people in Canada last year -- have raised alarms. Keystone XL would
travel through Montana and South Dakota before reaching Nebraska. An
existing spur runs through Kansas and Oklahoma to Texas."
"The Associated Press contributed to this report." via Climate Depot
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