Hearing on pipeline's (Keystone XL) future

[Omaha Steve]

http://www.omaha.com/article/20120123/NEWS01/120129855#hearing-on-pipeline-s-future

By Joseph Morton
WORLD-HERALD BUREAU

WASHINGTON — The future of the Keystone XL pipeline could become a little clearer Wednesday when key officials testify on Capitol Hill about the controversial project and pending legislation aimed at forcing its approval.

Republicans on the House Energy and Commerce Committee had hoped Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton would testify, but she was not included on the list of three witnesses the panel released Monday.

Instead, the committee will hear from Mike Linder, director of the Nebraska Department of Environmental Quality; Kerri-Ann Jones, assistant U.S. secretary of state; and Jeffrey Wright, director of the office of energy projects for the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission.

The hearing will examine the decision-making process that led to last week's formal rejection of the pipeline, the schedule for reviewing a new permit application by TransCanada and the merits of Nebraska's environmental review of a new pipeline route compared with additional reviews by the State Department.

FULL story at link.

[Lionessa]

1. So much for all the cheerleading earlier this week. Some of us

read the entire presidential statement and recognized that his rejection wasn't the end of the story because it was for the sole reason that he was being put under a time limit and not on the merits of the pipeline.

It will go through, but it won't be till Obama's re-election is completely safe and/or after the election where likely he will win. This type of timing is financially intelligent, it not only keeps his individual believers contributing because they believe he has rejected the pipeline, but it assures that big oil will continue to "lobby" toward his re-election as well during this time.

[truebrit71]

2. Yup.. as with most environmental battles the victories are temporary and the losses are forever...

...this was just (another) punt down the road...