Keystone XL pipeline public hearing will be held April 18

[Omaha Steve]

Source: Omaha World Herald

Joe Duggan

LINCOLN — The only public hearing on a federal environmental review of the proposed Keystone XL oil pipeline will be held April 18 in Grand Island, Neb.

The U.S. State Department will conduct the hearing on its draft supplemental environmental impact statement, which concluded the pipeline represents minimal risk if built and operated properly. Although written comments can be submitted to the department until April 22, the Grand Island event will be the only hearing before a final decision is reached on the project.

The hearing at the Heartland Events Center, 700 East Stolley Park Road, will consist of two sessions: noon to 3:30 p.m. and 4 to 8 p.m.

The controversial project proposes piping 830,000 barrels of diluted bitumen per day from Canada's tar sands region to refineries on the Texas Gulf Coast. The 1,700-mile pipeline has been delayed and rerouted because of concerns a leak would contaminate groundwater in Nebraska's environmentally fragile Sand Hills.

FULL story at link.



Read more: http://www.omaha.com/article/20130327/NEWS/703289967/1685#keystone-xl-pipeline-public-hearing-will-be-held-april-18

[KansDem]

1. Shouldn't this had been held earlier?

I mean, we've already had incidents of private property being seized through "imminent domain." Why would a hearing be held now?

The U.S. State Department will conduct the hearing on its draft supplemental environmental impact statement, which concluded the pipeline represents minimal risk if built and operated properly.

Really? Haven't we heard this before?

[blm]

2. This whole dog and pony show was set up before Hillary left - every step of the way she

made sure that every outcome was positive for Keystone. Now the Clintonites left behind at State are shepherding the deal till its end and are scrambling to make it appear as if public input is still to be considered. HORSEPOO - the deal was made years ago. Hillary couldn't be SEEN signing off on it and still have an easy path in the 2016 primary, so all the imagery is set up to distance her from the sign off. Those paying attention the last four years know the truth.

August 2011:
https://mobile.twitter.com/drgrist/status/108972277130997760

Nov 2011:
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/11/07/keystone-state-department-inspector-general_n_1080334.html


Sanders and Rep. Steve Cohen, D-Tenn., requested the review, saying they were disturbed by media reports that a company that performed an environmental review on behalf of the State Department had listed pipeline developer TransCanada as a "major client." Two other senators and 10 other House members – all Democrats – also asked for the IG review.

In a letter last month, the lawmakers asked the inspector general to look at all contractual or financial relationships between the consultant, Houston-based Cardno Entrix, and TransCanada.
They also asked for a review of State Department emails involving a TransCanada lobbyist who had worked in Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton's 2008 presidential campaign.

Houston-based Cardno Entrix worked on the environmental impact study for the pipeline and helped conduct a series of public hearings this month. The State Department has said the company was one of three consultants TransCanada recommended for the pipeline project, although U.S. officials made the final decision. The company was hired in December 2008 under the administration of President George W. Bush. The firm also worked on the original Keystone pipeline starting in 2006.

Jim Teitt, director of client services for Cardno Entrix, said Monday that the firm listed TransCanada as a client because of its work on the original Keystone project.

Clinton told The Associated Press last month that that she had no reason to believe there was a conflict of interest involving the TransCanada lobbyist, Paul Elliott. >>>

Dec 2012:

http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2012/12/09/hilary-clinton-and-obama-s-dismal-record-on-the-environment.html

>>
For more than a year now, it’s been one of Washington’s worst-kept secrets that Clinton wants the pipeline approved. And why not? Its builder, TransCanada, hired her old deputy campaign manager as its chief lobbyist and gave lobbying contracts to several of her big bundlers. Leaked emails show embassy officials rooting on the project; it’s classic D.C. insiderism. (And, weirdly, her rumored successor is just as involved—Susan Rice has millions in stock in TransCanada and other Canadian energy companies.)>>

[KansDem]

3. Wow!!! Thanks for the info and links!

I knew about the Rice connection but not that much about the rest of the information you provided (but now the SOS is Kerry, so how does he factor into all this?)

I'll have to digest this completely!

[blm]

8. Kerry accepted SecState knowing he'd be taking hits for a done deal he was against

and knowing Kerry he will take the hits expecting to do some greater good down the road.

What we DON'T know is how many international deals peripheral to Keystone were already signed by Hillary as Sec of State and are now contingent on Keystone. This is why I am certain that the reports in 2010-11 that the deal was already done are accurate.

[AverageJoe90]

5. I'll see that and raise you this:

Since 2009, there were complaints, concluding in the Koch brothers creating the Tea Party in 2010 to stop Obama's agenda.

Some may not remember, but every budget bill Boehner offered had to be fought over as he put approval for the pipeline at the head of them.

From 2011:

Koch Brothers Positioned To Be Big Winners If Keystone XL Pipeline Is Approved

http://www.reuters.com/...

OVERNIGHT ENERGY: GOP seeks political price for Obama’s Keystone pipeline delay
By Ben Geman and Andrew Restuccia -11/30/11

State of play: Republicans on both sides of Capitol Hill are taking steps this week to impose a political price on the White House for delaying a final decision on the proposed Keystone XL oil sands pipeline until after the 2012 election.

Senate GOP leadership on Wednesday promoted new legislation that would force a much faster decision on TransCanada Corp.’s proposed $7 billion Alberta-to-Texas pipeline.

They argue the bill (which E2 covered here and here) will help create jobs quickly, and alleged the recent administration delay was a political decision to appease green groups.

The pipeline puts the White House in a bind by splitting President Obama’s base — green groups loathe the project while a number of unions want it to proceed without further delay...

http://thehill.com/...

Obama Rejects GOP Bid to Tie Payroll Tax Cut to Keystone Pipeline ApprovalDec 7, 2011

President Obama warned congressional Republicans today that he will reject any attempt to tie a payroll tax cut extension to approval of the controversial Keystone XL oil pipeline, which supporters say would create thousands of new jobs.

“Any effort to tie Keystone to the payroll tax cut, I will reject. So everybody can be on notice,” Obama said during a press conference with Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper. Last month, the administration postponed a decision on the pipeline to allow for an extended environmental review that’s expected to last until after the 2012 campaign.

“The payroll tax cut is something that House Republicans and Senate Republicans should want to do regardless of any other issues,” Obama added. “The question’s going to be, are they willing to vote against a proposal that ensures that Americans, at a time when the recovery is still fragile, don’t see their taxes go up by a thousand dollars? So it shouldn’t be held hostage for any other issues that they may be concerned about.”

But Republicans insist Obama is playing politics with a project that has strong bipartisan support, including from labor unions, and which would help boost the lagging economy. Harper has also publicly pressured the administration to approve the deal...

http://abcnews.go.com/...

From 2012:

Sizing Up Obama's Keystone Pipeline Denial
By Amy Harder January 23, 2012

Was President Obama right or wrong to reject the Keystone XL pipeline?

Last week, President Obama denied approval of a permit to build the pipeline, which as proposed would have sent oil from Alberta, Canada's tar sands to Gulf Coast refineries. Obama said the "arbitrary" deadline set by congressional Republicans was not enough time to complete a review of the proposal for an alternate route that would not go through an ecologically sensitive area in Nebraska. TransCanada, the Canadian company seeking to build the pipeline, immediately said it would apply for another permit...

http://energy.nationaljournal.com/...

XL Pipeline: Oil Chief Threatens Obama

The Guardian 06 January 12

The head of the US's biggest oil and gas lobbying group said on Wednesday that the Obama administration will face serious political consequences if it rejects a Canada-to-Texas oil sands pipeline that has been opposed by environmental groups.

Jack Gerard, the president of the American Petroleum Institute, said TransCanada's Keystone XL pipeline would definitely play a role in this year's national elections.

http://readersupportednews.org/...

From 2013:

10 Lies Republicans Tell, over and over and over !

4. REPUBLICANS LIE about drilling and the Keystone XL Pipeline:

Much to the chagrin of the “drill baby drill” crowd, the President has kept the oil industry out of ANWAR, and recently disallowed the XL-Pipeline. To let Republicans tell it, the oil supply and employment in the industry have been stymied by this President. It is a lie.

From The Los Angeles Times:

Oil imports down, domestic production highest since 2003

“.... the United States reduced net imports of crude oil last year by 10%, or 1 million barrels a day. The U.S. now imports 45% of its petroleum, down from 57% in 2008, and is on track to meet Obama’s long-term goal, the administration maintains.

Imports have fallen, in part, because the United States has increased domestic oil and gas production in recent years....Current production, about 5.6 million barrels a day, is the highest since 2003.

The U.S. has been the world’s largest producer of natural gas since 2009, the report says. Use of renewable sources of energy, such as wind and solar, is still relatively small but has doubled since 2008.

The report credits administration policies for the improvements. It cites initiatives such as the higher fuel efficiency of passenger cars, the jump in renewable energy output, and improved weatherization of 1 million homes.

http://current.com/...

A little more dirt from the above. Is this too many paragraphs? Tell me:

Boehner has significant investments in the Keystone XL Pipeline Project so he has actively promoted an agenda that will benefit him financially. If the Republicans were really interested in job creation, they would have passed the infrastructure bill. Construction workers could repair roads and bridges from now until eternity, but then again, I guess Boehner’s not invested in I-95.

And even the rightwingers know that Obama has been against the pipeline since the last three years, according to this undated blog here. If someone wants anything removed, just let me know. Here's a lament penned by a Keystone supporter, extra emboldening and underlining is mine:

President Obama Denies Keystone Pipeline Permit - By LD Jackson

Let’s all be honest with ourselves. Did anyone really believe President Barack Obama would approve the permit for the Keystone Pipeline and allow it to go forward? Even though the preliminaries are finished, the environmental studies have been done, alternate routes through Nebraska have been proposed, etc., President Obama still thinks more time is needed. He originally wanted to put the decision off until 2013. You know, after the 2012 election is out-of-the-way. The Republicans in Congress nixed that plan and tied the permit to the payroll tax cut or holiday issue. From November 30, 2011, the President had 60 days to approve or disapprove the permit. He made his decision yesterday and as is usually the case, he blamed the Republicans for forcing his hand. His excuse? We need more time, at least another 18 months, to do yet another review. As far as I am concerned, that statement ranks right up at the top of the biggest lies the man has told since he took office.

Does anyone want to venture a guess how long the reviews for the pipeline have already been going on? Try three years. That’s right, this project has already been in the works for three years. More than that, if you count the time and effort Canada has expended on its end. Three years, yet our current President thinks that isn’t enough time. He wants another review, mainly about the environmental impact (isn’t that always his excuse), which will take about 18 months. Even though the environment studies have been finished and any concerns addressed, he needs more time.

The President is walking a fine line with this. On the one hand, he has the labor unions, who favor the project. That’s why they call them labor unions. They want the jobs, and I happen to agree. Turn the coin over and you have an issue that is near and dear to Obama’s heart, the environment and clean energy. If he approves the pipeline, he will be facing the wrath of multiple environmental groups, including some that have threatened to stop the flow of donations they are providing to his reelection campaign. As much as he says he wants to create jobs, the environment will always win this fight in the President’s heart. He will always side with the environment, even if their argument is bogus. Once again, this should surprise no one...

http://www.ldjackson.net/...

Check out the Koch brothers comments here:

"I want my fair share--and that's ALL OF IT":
The Kochs & the XL Pipeline - By Greg Palast

According to the transcript of the secretly recorded tape, Charles Koch was chuckling like a six-year old. Koch was having a hell of a laugh over pilfering a few hundred dollars' worth of oil from a couple of dirt-poor Indians on the Osage Reservation.

Why did Koch, worth about $3 billion at the time (now $20 billion) need to boost a few bucks from some Indian in a trailer home? Koch answered:

"I want my fair share -- and that's all of it."

Now "all of it" includes a pipeline, the Keystone XL, which would run the world's filthiest oil, crude made from tar sands, down from Canada to his family's refinery on the Gulf Coast of Texas...

http://www.opednews.com/...

And note that this whole fight was going back to well before Obama had to worry about re-election, as noted in the first two sentences. Now, it doesn't mean that Obama won't still give in, because he very well could, but it is now plainly obvious that this isn't set in stone and that there still IS a chance to do that. If there has been any dog-and-pony show, it has been solely to keep Big Fossil off his back while he tries to figure out what cards to play.

[CaliforniaPeggy]

4. Let's get this post on the Greatest Page! K&R! n/t

[wordpix]

6. Outrageous! DC has been a hotbed of action, hold a hearing here and on TX Gulf Coast

This is just plain stupid to hold a hearing in a tiny town on such a big international issue. Outrageous!

Typical BS from our oil and gas kings. The country is of, by and for the rich, period.

[locks]

7. Make it a big party

I hope the good people of Nebraska and thousands from around the nation will throw a huge protest like they did in D.C. The rest of us will keep on telling our congresspersons and the Administration how we feel about this disastrous project.

[PolitFreak]

9. Why not hold it on April 1st?

After all, people who support this catastrophe-in-waiting are fools.