State Department to Allow Canadian Pipeline

[amyrose2712]

http://www.truth-out.org/state-department-allow-canadian-pipeline/1314380586


State Department to Allow Canadian Pipeline

Friday 26 August 2011

by: John M. Broder and Clifford Krauss, The New York Times | Report



Washington - The Obama administration gave a crucial green light on Friday to a proposed 1,711-mile pipeline that would carry heavy oil from Canada across the Great Plains to terminals in Oklahoma and the Gulf Coast, saying the project would provide a secure source of energy without significant damage to the environment.

In reaching its conclusion that the Keystone XL pipeline from the oil sands deposits in Alberta would have minimal environmental impact, the administration dismissed criticism from environmental advocates, who said that extracting the oil would have a devastating impact on the climate and that a leak or rupture in the 36-inch-diameter pipeline could wreak ecological disaster. Opponents also said the project would prolong the nation’s dependence on fossil fuels, threaten sensitive lands and wildlife and further delay development of clean energy sources.

[SammyWinstonJack]

1. Now there's a shocker.

Game Over! :argh:

[Jackpine Radical]

5. Well, Geez, the bill had no opposition to speak of, except maybe

from a few professional leftists, tree-huggers and similar goofballs the Democratic Party would be better off without.

I couldn't even get anybody on this board to bet against me on this one.

Turd Way Forever!!


Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaargh!!!

[SammyWinstonJack]

9. "Turd Way Forever"

:spray:

[hifiguy]

2. Everybody who is surprised

Stand on your head and bark for a fish. :eyes:

Is there no corporate interest this supposedly Democratic administration will not grab its ankles for? The answer, it appears, is obvious.

[Supersedeas]

10. I for one thought that our President might take a stand on this issue

[truebrit71]

21. Did you read the article, he still hasn't signed off on it yet...

...this was just the latest "hurdle" that had to be cleared in order for him to be able to sign off on it by year's end...

[Supersedeas]

23. True, but this level of State Department approval would not have been pushed

through so quickly without the President's knowledge.

As you point out in your other link, there are gaping holes in these studies which have been rushed through in order to reach a point where the State Department could approve the project.

If the President had any reservations, delaying the State Department approval might have been a more prudent way to slow down the process (a simple: shouldn't we get more studies prior to approval)...instead this project is on the fast track....so it doesn't look good.

As you say, it is just another Administrative hurdle to be check-off before signing off. But, these are the type of Administrative hurdles that a President can use to his advantage in order to delay or block projects that he opposes.

You are correct. The President has not given his final approval. But, it does not look good and the scent of it coming on a Friday news dump does smell that great either.

[truebrit71]

24. Absolutely agree....i think it is almost certain that he will sign off on this...

...and use the State Department "study" as the excuse...

Despicable..

[Supersedeas]

25. Taking your advice, I'll hold out hope--it is not completely approved yet

[SusanaMontana41]

Oh, no ... nt

[Supersedeas]

3. Wow!

[NightWatcher]

4. oh well, guess we'll have to fix it later on...

Im sure we can find some volunteers

[Jackpine Radical]

6. Maybe someone will seek inspiration from a monastery…

or an Abbey…

[Karenina]

7. Game over.

[Cobalt Violet]

8. more money for Koch then.

Not surprise @ Obama. Would be shocked if he actually did something non-republican at this point.

[SammyWinstonJack]

13. He can't. It isn't possible for him. I don't know how he looks himself in the mirror.

I really don't.

[Amonester]

11. I oppose it.

OTOH it may create jobs.

What to do?

[Jackpine Radical]

14. Yeah. It'll create jobs. Our grandchildren will love us for that.

Maybe we need a couple more wars too. They'll create jobs, ya know.

[Amonester]

20. The (end) of the headline is why I oppose it.

That said, about the couple more wars thingy, it seems you care about it but that you'd rather have a neocon pRez (and, hopefully, a strong enough 'progressive' Congress that will be effective enough 'cough cough' (judging on past experiences) to stop him from going all for it when mc$ame/lieberman/money-tRump$-peace will push the 'bomb bomb bomb yurun' 'to take their oil as payback to victoR$' (I kid you not :mad:).

Good luck with that strategy. Our grandchildren will love us for that, if you say so.

[Jackpine Radical]

27. Maybe we already have a Neocon Prez.

And maybe replicating Republican strategies isn't the best way to beat Republicans. Especially when those policies come with a price tag measurable in human misery.

[Amonester]

28. I agree in part with what you say, and if we want to change that,

I think it's not going to happen by coming here and rant to no end to the choir without proposing any realistic actions (yes, the 'activist' word) to at least try (and yeah, that word again...) convince the administration about what should be done. You know, it should be way obvious to all adults who study the actual 'more-than-difficult' situation that we must take that route, and be serious about it ASAP.

And it's also not going to change if we just go on like this, even to the point of trying to ridicule those here who want to work seriously this way. What would we all gain by behaving like this, please enlighten me?

OTOH, I'll trust Obama about going the Clinton way ("NO" to any letter from those above mentionned to invade Iran like that PNAC one Bill Clinton 'received' in his second term to invade Iraq), instead of the contrary (gulp). Thank you for helping.

[CarmanK]

12. How very sad for us and for future generations!

This is another move to remove borders all along North and South America. The idea is for free trade to replace nationalism. This is one of the reasons the repugs want the STATEs' rights issue resurrected. With a weak federalism, any cross border transactions would not have ot pass much scrutiny.

[ProSense]

15. From the NRDC

State Department Keystone XL Environmental Review: It's Easy to Find "No Significant Impact" if You Do No Significant Study...

Today, the U.S. State Department released its http://www.keystonepipeline-xl.state.gov/clientsite/keystonexl.nsf?Open">Final Environmental Impact Statement (FEIS) for the proposed Keystone XL tar sands pipeline. The State Department’s finding that there will be no significant environmental impact to most resources is completely without merit. Our initial analysis of the environmental review makes one thing clear: it was premature for the Department of State to issue the review. The detailed studies needed to fully demonstrate the need for and evaluate risks of this tar sands pipeline have not been completed. In fact, the FEIS seems to ignore information that clearly points more to how the pipeline will cause an increase to air pollution, greater greenhouse gas emissions and a higher potential for oil spills threatening drinking water resources. What the FEIS should find is that the proposed Keystone XL tar sands pipeline is not worth the environmental and safety risks. We have better alternatives to meet our transportation needs than dirty tar sands oil from Canada.

Unfortunately, Secretary of State Clinton did not fulfill her promise to “leave no stone unturned” and the State Department’s pledge to do a “thorough and objective” assessment. The things missing are all the more glaring because they relate to the issues that have been most controversial and the source of most of the public debate. It appears the State Department continues to rush the decision on this pipeline manufacturing an urgency that doesn’t exist.

While the State Department claims they have exhaustively considered all of the issues, there in fact are gaping holes that have remained with only superficial analysis since the beginning of the process:

<...>

[Supersedeas]

17. thanks for the link--it will be very difficult to put a positive spin on this one

[saras]

26. No, it's not. Bachmann!!! Romney!!!! Perry!!!

[Supersedeas]

18. here's another link with background about the Project

http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/energy/2011/08/110819-keystone-xl-canadian-oil-and-chinese-market

<<Chinese investors have helped to finance early work on an alternate route out of Alberta. That pipeline would take the oil west across the Canadian Rocky Mountains to the Pacific Ocean, where tankers could ship it to Asia. But the project so far appears a pipe dream because of steep opposition from Canadian environmentalists and native Indian nations that control parts of the route through British Columbia.

So predicting the Chinese getting the oil anyway, even if the Keystone XL were built, is lobbing an explosive argument into the debate.>>

[CelticThunder]

16. Add raping the einvirionment to Obama's great list of accomplishments

[truebrit71]

19. OP is mis-leading. Whilst State has whitewashed the report, the FINAL approval has NOT yet been..

..given...

This was merely the latest "green light" in the charade being put forth by the administration in their efforts to make it look like there was some serious contemplation going on before they give the okay and fuck the planet good and hard.

Everyone chill out....keep your powder dry....there may still be time to force President Obama to do what Candidate Obama said he would...

[Supersedeas]

22. the State Department's approval is final...the President still has the option

of ultimately rejecting the State Department's finding, but right now it doesn't look good at all.

[LLStarks]

29. Nice. We're finally getting serious about domestic and near-domestic production. nt