Obama Recognizes ‘Deep Concern’ With Keystone XL Pipeline

[nofurylike]

October 26, 2011

http://thinkprogress.org/green/2011/10/2...-pipeline/

-snip-

“No decision has been made. And I know your deep concern about it, so we will address it.”

-snip-

###

[nofurylike]

October 27, 2011

http://www.businessweek.com/news/2011-10...-says.html

-snip-

The EPA raised concerns last year after the State Department’s preliminary review. The agency said more work was needed on potential greenhouse-gas emissions, pipeline safety and impacts on wetlands and migratory birds.

Environmentalists oppose the project, citing greenhouse gases and risks of a spill tainting the Ogallala aquifer in Nebraska’s Sand Hills region that supplies drinking water for 2 million people. Senator Mike Johanns, a Nebraska Republican, wants the line rerouted.

Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has final say on the pipeline project because it crosses an international border [unless President Obama intervenes stopping it].

###

this is pitting EPA against State Department, and is approaching pitting Clinton against Obama.

and Clinton might be in some trouble about it:

Hillary Clinton's Keystone XL Crony Lobbyists Problem
10/6/11

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/brendan-de...97523.html

-snip-

Right now, the State Department's capitulation to lobbyists - and secrecy about Secretary Clinton's contacts with lobbyists - stinks to high heaven, as the recently released emails demonstrate. Hopefully this amended FOIA request will compel the State Department to reveal all the facts about lobbyist influence over Hillary Clinton's position on Keystone XL.

###

[nofurylike]

By Ben Geman
10/27/11

http://thehill.com/blogs/e2-wire/e2-wire...-concerns-

-snip-

The upcoming comments on State’s August environmental impact statement — which gave the pipeline a favorable review — will be closely watched as the Obama administration’s decision on whether to permit the project looms. The EPA has been very critical of past State analyses.

“We have comments that we are just about completing on the current environmental impact statement,” Jackson told a group of student environmental activists at Howard University.

The State Department is leading the administration’s review of TransCanada Corp.’s proposed pipeline to bring crude from Alberta’s massive oil sands projects to Gulf Coast refineries.

-snip-

###

[nofurylike]

By Ben Geman
10/27/11

http://thehill.com/blogs/e2-wire/e2-wire...e-pipeline

-snip-

Kerry chairs the Foreign Relations Committee, which oversees the State Department, the agency that’s vetting TransCanada Corp.’s proposed $7 billion, 1,700-mile pipeline to bring crude from Alberta’s oil sands projects to Gulf Coast refineries.

There's a lot at stake here and I’ll do my best to leave no question unanswered including every possible economic and environmental consideration before a final decision is made,” Kerry said in a statement to The Hill Thursday.

The State Department hopes to make a final decision by the end of the year, although the deadline reportedly may slip.

-snip-

“For two years now, I've had the Foreign Relations Committee conducting regular oversight of the permitting process because of concerns about Keystone XL. We’ve hosted several briefings with the State Department to discuss the environmental impact assessments as well as the process for determining the national interest,” Kerry said.

-snip-

###