So much ado about so marginal a controversy as the XL Keystone Pipeline that really has so little effect on so many people.
This odd petroleum project has mysteriously been the center of political controversy for years. Despite the claims from both sides, it’s neither an economic or oil-independence panacea nor is it an environmental nightmare. It will do little to affect gasoline prices one way or the other, nor will it have any impact on U.S. relationships with other international oil producers.
Colorado is an exception to the who-really-cares phenomenon, because the pipeline controversy is partly or even mostly to blame for the unexpected political collapse of Sen. Mark Udall. That gives Colorado an especially compelling reason to watch this issue play out.
While a majority of the current U.S. Senate members approved allowing Canadian oil firm TransCanada to build the $8 billion pipeline from Alberta to the middle of Nebraska, the deal failed Tuesday by one vote to get the 60 backers it needed to force it to President Barack Obama’s desk, where it would probably get a veto.
It’s way past time to let this issue take up any more time in Washington or endanger other political careers for no good reason. The U.S. should approve the project — only because almost every argument against the pipeline will be a problem whether the project is built or denied.
The Canadians will mine the tar sands that produce the oil regardless of whether the United States buys it. And if we do buy it, the Canadians will ship it here on a train if we don’t build the pipeline.
While environmentalists fear an almost inevitable oil spill from the XL Keystone pipeline, the truth is that railway shipments are already to blame for regular and sometimes massive spills, even resulting in deaths. Most important, there are already 2.5 million miles of gas and oil pipelines running through just about everywhere in the United States. Petroleum pipelines have been around for more than 100 years. They’re often a problem. More than 500 people have been killed and 4,000 injured in the United States because of pipeline accidents since 1986, according to federal safety records. Still, a Pro Publica investigation from 2012 revealed that pipeline transmission of petroleum products is at least 70 times safer than rail and truck transport. Other studies show pretty much the same thing. Gallon for gallon, mile for mile, pipeline transmission is the safest way to move toxic, flammable chemicals to where we need them.
This is the only real benefit of this lingering controversy. Pipelines offer great benefits, but they need to be better regulated, maintained and replaced.
And that should include the Keystone pipeline, since Americans will be either burdened or blessed with the Canadian tar sand oil regardless of construction. It only makes sense to take TransCanada’s $8 billion to build the project meted out in about 42,000 temporary jobs in a part of the country that could use them.
Rather than spend so much time and political capital debating the project, the energy should be spent on ensuring it’s the safest pipeline ever constructed, and a model for how new and replacement transmission pipes should be managed all over the country in the future.
Is the reason the town and school is missing in the cartoon box with the pipeline because the private Canadina company used local govt’s imminent domani powers to seize US citizens’ proporty?
Currently the bill exempts TransCanada and any other company that produces/ships/refines tar sands oil from paying into the Oil Spill Liability Trust Fund. If there pipeline leaks, WE get to
pay for the clean up, while they sit back and do nothing.
90 pipeline spills in Alberta the last four months.
One less human only matters to friends and family. A dead and dying planet matters to all of us —
or should.
The State Dept. analysis concouded that the Keystone XL pipeline woud have “little
impact”on the prices the US consumers pay for refined products such as gasoline.
Other independent experts have said essentially the same thing.
Even TransCanada doesn’t include lower gasoline prices in its list of economic
benefits that it claims would result from building the pipeline.
So the US assumes all the rish — and for what?
50 jobs?!?!?!
Yeah I think I would be for this if we were going to get some of the oil. We wont get one barrel out of this deal from the canadian oil. I think if we did this properly we would demand 6% of all oil that moved through our country. However either dems or pubs wont stand up to the hand that feeds them. Instead we get this dog and pony show, while oil companies pillage our continents natural resources. With that said a few states will be dumping some of our oil into these pipelines also so there will be a few jobs there…
Using trains actually moves more oil with less leakage than the pipeline would.
Actually not, but in order to move the oil through pipelines it has the consistency of peanut butter, so it requires a highly toxic solution including benzene to make it movable. The benzene the gets extracted at the other end, but nobody really knows what will happen to it after that. But with all that crap in the oil, god help whoever is near a spill.
And just where did you find that choice piece of information. First I have seen that mentioned, and I have been following this issue since early in 2000 era, since Rep. Bob Beauprez made two trips to Canada, visited with the leader of Indian village out on that stretch joining to Artic Ocean. Some 400 miles long, and between 40 and 100 miles wide, the lowlands on north of Brooks Range. I was Secretary, then President of NAUS Colorado Chapter #1, and displayed photos of the Alaskan Pipeline that was smeared in same fashion at inception. That pipeline uses heaters and pressure pumps to move the oil south to Valdez. Back to Keystone, Tar Sands is a PC word to smear the crude oil and gas that flows south over present pipeline, with heaters and pressure pumps along the way. Just adding 2 links (IV completed) and need the link across border, through Montana and North Dakota (100% of landowners signed leases) and Nebraska where 87% have signed leases. With several PUC units, the other 13% is tied up by few land owners, fighting over pipeline (but threatened with eminent domain, if they continue the fight). Eminent Domain is perfectly legal, and they will be reimbursed, if the final signature is affixed to law, allowing another pipeline to cross Canadian border. Only Presidents Ego, and Tom Steyer (sp) spending big bucks, has prevented that so far, with railroads carrying oil and gas through Canada and across border. Railroad also very large investment of Warren Buffet. Does anyone begin to see the picture?. BY THE WAY, WHY WAS THIS ARTICLE NOT PUBLISHED EARLIER THIS YEAR, OR EVEN 4-5 YEARS AGO? IT WAS TRUE THEN, JUST AS NOW? Don’t take my word for it, check out the Map that Sen. Landreiu had behind her. That oil-gas that goes to USA refineries is in black or red, while pipelines feeding the refined products across USA is in Green. Oil and Gas has been distributed to all 5 PADDs in USA from Alaskan Pipeline and Keystone of earlier years. So the lies put forth by Democratic Senators is just that. True, the surplus has been loaded on ships to sell on world market and would continue. But is that not better than buying from other countries, and sending our military to keep the world oil-gas-coal moving on ships. Prevent Russia, Cuba, and other countries from taking advantage of their neighbors? AND PUT MORE AMERICANS TO WORK, MAKING ALL THE PRODUCTS MADE FROM OIL-COAL-GAS. Like food, clothes, Plastics, and all kinds of items. Some 480 plus listed on net. Look it up for yourself.
Wow, what a rant! Virtually nothing in your reply to my comment had anything to do with my comment, But in answer to your question, I heard this on a radio program on NPR. The statement was made by a proponent (yes, proponent) of the Keystone pipeline. GSA reports also state that the total number of jobs created by Keystone will be 2,000 to build the pipeline, and — once it is finished — Fifteen jobs. Fifteen. Oh, and most if not all of the oil transported across our country to New Orleans will be sold on the world markets, not here. But that’s already been widely disseminated. I’ll keep my response to under 2000 words. I’ve got much more interesting things to do.
That’s okay. These are conversations, and tweeting just does not get message through. Check out the map, and Alaskan pipeline. I never saw entry of some of the stuff you wrote, and I will do my own research. But pipelines are safe, and a lot more manufacturing jobs will happen with the refined products sent to such producers in USA. We had those jobs, before they went overseas to cheaper energy, and less controls by government no-nothings.
I am retiree too. You should have checked Benzene in crude oil. Seems it is present in all crude oil, gasoline, and fuel oil. Would not be in Fracking water, since that goes down one section of drill site, and is recovered back. Oil-gas comes up center part, goes into pipeline, which also contains bitumen. This is diluted with lighter oils, including toluene, ethyl benzene, and xylene, abbreviated as BTEX. Would not be consistency of peanut butter. And this 1179 mile leg is from Hardesty, Canada, across the border to Baker, Montana, then to Steele City Nebraska, where it joins existing pipeline of many years. Phase IV completed from Cushing, Oklahoma to Nederland, TX. and to Houston. So refining will be USA, with products then distributed by other pipelines (existing) to the PADDs and to Manufacturing Users. Many overseas jobs can come home to USA, more than those just to operate the pipeline. Already have much of that in operations. So WHY THE DEMOCRATIC OPPOSITION? ———–As to my rant before, I served my 26 years in Military, and have volunteered from 1991 to present, to lobby, educate, and influence legislation. I don’t like to see my peers going overseas to keep oil-gas flowing to the world (think 1973-Jimmy Carter years) getting killed or injured. I published orders and cleared many to go, who never came back, or came back injured. For some reason my superiors saw abilities, and kept me from carrying a rifle up hills of Korea or Jungles of Vietnam. ——–However, I was involved in connecting communications to Aircraft coming out of Vietnam, carrying POWs to Clark AFB, so they could call whoever they asked for within 5 minutes- Flash Precedence. I also met some of them at Hickam, and wife and daughter worked with the children on 2 aircraft of Ross Pirot at Hickam, staying with those children to feed and care for them. ——————– I also installed, trained, and managed TACSATCOM terminal on Oahu, NAVCOMSTA (USAF) for Presidential Support. Was one of three from AFCS to meet with Corps. of Engineers, to design SAC Satellite Terminal Site, for Offutt AFB, that Pres. George W. Bush spoke over in 2001, on way back to Washington. So I will rant, if that is what it takes to get attention of the gossip writers, who accept political press reports, instead of checking accuracy. Retired as MSgt (E7) after cold war depressed my promotions, pay, and time with family.
The only reason it failed is because Pres. Obama didn’t support it. Most Democrats don’t really care, they just fell in line behind Obama.
We can either have a government that is job friendly, or we can have Obama’s government.