I don't believe he's really considering the environment, either, but rather the financial (and political) ramifications of what an environmental disaster could cost him.
The State Department said the approval will interfere with alternative energy source programs, but they first stated that when Bush was president, and also said that it was not an impediment to approval.
In fact, the State Department initially approved the thing outright, but changed their mind when tree huggers (and Nebraska Republicans) got too loud regarding the possible environmental impact of a rupture. Parts of it were long ago approved and has already been constructed and is online.
The State Department (nor Obama) isn't trying to thwart of kill this thing. The entire pipeline will be completed.
"Nebrakska not having a completed permit route is also another issue, but one that could be done in a short amount of time. After all, they have been fooling around with this for three years."
Actually, they've been fooling around with it since February 2005.
But once the resubmit the proposal with the accepted routing through Nebraska, work on the pipeline should begin rather quickly, sometime in 2014, 2015 at the latest.
"Incidentally, I thought they had a alternative route around this aquifer? Not 100 percent sure on that."
They do. They've had one in the works for several years, and they've been working with the State Department and Nebraska to finalize it. It's virtually finalized, just need to get the final blueprint details done. If Congress hadn't put in a deadline for the decision, it would likely be over with by mid summer.
I know someone who is directly involved in this, a relative of mine. He (and his wife) used to be employed by ConocoPhilips, but now works for TransCanada since they bought ConocoPhilips' interest and are now the sole owner. They deal with the Cushing, OK oil hub and tank farm, which is one of the key segments in the Keystone pipeline, and it's where US oil will enter the pipeline (another connection where US oil will enter is Baker, Montana), when the pipeline is completed. From Cushing it will head on down to Texas.
The State Department had already issued the Presidential Permit for the permits and construction of the early phases of the Keystone Pipeline (not the XL extension) in 2008 at the US/Canadian border, and it went online in 2010. Then another segment, the Keystone-Cushing pipeline from Steel City, NE through Kansas to Cushing, OK went online just about a year ago.
Phase 3 of this thing takes the oil from Cushing down to Texas.
Phase 4 is the one that links up Alberta, via Baker, Montana and then through South Dakota and Nebraska and hook up with Steel City, where it then flows to Cushing and finally to Texas.
Ironically, it was a Canadian union (Energy, Communications and Paperworkers Union, or something like that) who has fought the hardest against the pipeline, trying everything they could think of to kill the project. They stated that since the pipeline would serve the US exclusively, and would yield very few permanent Canadian jobs (not much of that pipeline in actually in Canada), and because it would reduce Canada's energy security and other falling sky reasons, that it should not be allowed.
The threat of running the pipeline to the Pacific and feeding china with is is an empty threat. The already exists a mountain of litigation blocking it, and that combined with expected additional litigation and additional costs of routing it over the Rockies will cost TransCanada more money than they could ever hope to get out of the pipeline.
This thing will get done, and ironically, it's likely to be on Obama's watch. But the reason he killed it at present has little to do with where the money goes.
The State Department said the approval will interfere with alternative energy source programs, but they first stated that when Bush was president, and also said that it was not an impediment to approval.
In fact, the State Department initially approved the thing outright, but changed their mind when tree huggers (and Nebraska Republicans) got too loud regarding the possible environmental impact of a rupture. Parts of it were long ago approved and has already been constructed and is online.
The State Department (nor Obama) isn't trying to thwart of kill this thing. The entire pipeline will be completed.
"Nebrakska not having a completed permit route is also another issue, but one that could be done in a short amount of time. After all, they have been fooling around with this for three years."
Actually, they've been fooling around with it since February 2005.
But once the resubmit the proposal with the accepted routing through Nebraska, work on the pipeline should begin rather quickly, sometime in 2014, 2015 at the latest.
"Incidentally, I thought they had a alternative route around this aquifer? Not 100 percent sure on that."
They do. They've had one in the works for several years, and they've been working with the State Department and Nebraska to finalize it. It's virtually finalized, just need to get the final blueprint details done. If Congress hadn't put in a deadline for the decision, it would likely be over with by mid summer.
I know someone who is directly involved in this, a relative of mine. He (and his wife) used to be employed by ConocoPhilips, but now works for TransCanada since they bought ConocoPhilips' interest and are now the sole owner. They deal with the Cushing, OK oil hub and tank farm, which is one of the key segments in the Keystone pipeline, and it's where US oil will enter the pipeline (another connection where US oil will enter is Baker, Montana), when the pipeline is completed. From Cushing it will head on down to Texas.
The State Department had already issued the Presidential Permit for the permits and construction of the early phases of the Keystone Pipeline (not the XL extension) in 2008 at the US/Canadian border, and it went online in 2010. Then another segment, the Keystone-Cushing pipeline from Steel City, NE through Kansas to Cushing, OK went online just about a year ago.
Phase 3 of this thing takes the oil from Cushing down to Texas.
Phase 4 is the one that links up Alberta, via Baker, Montana and then through South Dakota and Nebraska and hook up with Steel City, where it then flows to Cushing and finally to Texas.
Ironically, it was a Canadian union (Energy, Communications and Paperworkers Union, or something like that) who has fought the hardest against the pipeline, trying everything they could think of to kill the project. They stated that since the pipeline would serve the US exclusively, and would yield very few permanent Canadian jobs (not much of that pipeline in actually in Canada), and because it would reduce Canada's energy security and other falling sky reasons, that it should not be allowed.
The threat of running the pipeline to the Pacific and feeding china with is is an empty threat. The already exists a mountain of litigation blocking it, and that combined with expected additional litigation and additional costs of routing it over the Rockies will cost TransCanada more money than they could ever hope to get out of the pipeline.
This thing will get done, and ironically, it's likely to be on Obama's watch. But the reason he killed it at present has little to do with where the money goes.
I'm not explaining myself to you. I'm explaining myself to others who, well, you know...
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