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State Department decision on Keystone project coming Aug. 15
News Articles Featured | Vancouver Sun | July 22, 2011
The U.S. State Department said Friday that it will wrap up its examination of environmental impacts of a proposed Canadian pipeline expansion from the oilsands in less than a month in order to ensure a final decision on the controversial project by the end of the year.
The Keystone XL project would expand the capacity of an existing pipeline system owned by Alberta-based TransCanada that now links the oilsands region to the U.S. Midwest, extending it on a route to the Gulf of Mexico coastal region. The multibillion-dollar project, if approved, is expected to expand the oilsands export capacity, delivering more Canadian crude oil south for processing in U.S. refineries.
Daniel Clune, the principal deputy assistant secretary from the U.S. Bureau of Oceans and International Environmental and Scientific Affairs, said that the department would consider a variety of factors, including recent developments such as a major pipeline spill on the Yellowstone River, instability in Libya affecting global oil supplies, as well as this week’s announcement by Canadian Environment Minister Peter Kent that Canada would increase its monitoring of the impact of oilsands activity based on recommendations from scientists.
In a conference call with reporters, Clune said there was no “mathematical equation” that would calculate all the factors, including greenhouse gas emissions or pipeline safety, and “spit out” an answer on the recommendations.
He also said he could not provide further details on the content of the final Environmental Impact Statement before it is released on Aug. 15.
The department is holding additional meetings in the coming weeks to hear from residents along the route of the proposed pipeline expansion and their thoughts on whether it is in the “national interest” of the country to issue a permit for TransCanada to proceed.
Other government departments would have 90 days to comment on the new Environmental Impact Statement before Secretary of State Hillary Clinton makes her decision or designates a senior official to decide. But even after that decision, government agencies would still have 15 days to request that the matter be referred to President Barack Obama for final approval or rejection.
Environmental groups in Canada and the U.S. have urged Obama to stop the project to send a signal that the country does not approve of expansion of oilsands production, which requires more energy and water consumption and produces more greenhouse gas emissions than conventional oil.
Susan Casey-Lefkowitz, director of the international program of the Natural Resources Defense Council, urged the government to take its time to ensure that it analyzes all the risks of the project, including potential spills, rising global warming-causing pollution and the effects on biodiversity along the route.
“There is no rush for an artificial deadline of the end of the year if we do not have analysis that will help protect farmers and communities along the pipeline path and the already beleaguered communities around the Gulf coast refineries,” Casey-Lefkowitz said Friday. “The State Department needs to stand by its commitment to complete a thorough review process and hold off on issuing the final environmental impact statement (EIS) until the studies can be done and the public has had a chance to comment on them.”
Canadian industry stakeholders have argued that they are addressing environmental concerns while offering a stable and secure source of energy for the United States.
TransCanada has also indicated that its Keystone system would use a state-of-the-art technology to ensure safety, rapidly detecting any potential leaks that could jeopardize the environment.
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has previously expressed reservations about the project, urging the government to consider all the options including an expansion of renewable energy options to move the country away from its dependence on oil.
Tagged with: keystone xl, transcanada, pipeline, state department
