President Obama puts the Keystone XL pipeline project on hold
As part of a deal hatched with the Republicans in Congress for a short-term extension to the payroll tax cut last month, President Obama faced a February 21st deadline to issue a decision on the Keystone XL oil pipeline project. Yesterday, Obama announced he is putting the project on hold, saying sixty days is not enough time to conduct the necessary reviews.
“This announcement is not a judgment on the merits of the pipeline, but the arbitrary nature of a deadline that prevented the State Department from gathering the information necessary to approve the project and protect the American people,” Obama said. “I’m disappointed that Republicans in Congress forced this decision, but it does not change my administration’s commitment to American-made energy that creates jobs and reduces our dependence on oil.”
The Keystone XL pipeline has been a controversial topic since this past summer. This 1,700-mile pipeline is a $7 billion project that would carry synthetic crude oil from northeastern Alberta, Canada through six American states to Gulf Coast refineries.
Opponents, primarily made up of Democrats and environmentalists, are concerned that a major leak in this pipeline could cause irreparable harm to fresh water supplies and the environment in the 6 states it would pass through. In addition they point out that Keystone XL pipeline is an example of America’s reluctance to embrace renewable sources of energy and its reliance on fossil fuels.
Supporters of the project include the oil industry, some unions, and the majority of the Republican Party. They argue that the development of this pipeline would create an estimated 20,000 new jobs and help end American reliance on oil from volatile and sometime hostile OPEC regimes.
In reaction to the announcement, Republican House Speaker John Boehner accused President Obama of “selling out American jobs for politics” and saying Keystone XL operator TransCanada would be forced to rely further on China as a consumer of its exported oil. “The president was given the authority to block this project only – and only – if he believes it’s not in the national interest of the United States. Is it not in the national interest to create tens of thousands of jobs here in America with private investment?” Boehner said. “The president has said he’ll do anything that he can to create jobs. Today that promise was broken.”
It’s important to note that the Keystone XL pipeline project has not been scrapped completely. TransCanada will be allowed to resubmit its permitting application, and when it does the company announced it will have a new route for the pipeline that avoids environmentally sensitive areas. However, the State Department said it would still take more than a year to complete a new environmental review, which pushes construction off until at least 2014.
What do you think? Was this a responsible or irresponsible decision by President Obama? Join the discussion below!
I thought Jimmy carter was the worst President I would ever see in my lifetime, but I was mistaken. Obama wins and it was no contest, without a doubt Obama is the worst President we will ever see. .
I would have expected nothing less from this joke of a leader. He is doing this to please his environmental wackos who will do everything they can to turn this country back to its horse and buggy days. Who cares that oil companies have continually found ways to develop and move their products without harming the environment? Who cares that this project will create thousands of jobs? Certainly not the oaf that holds the presidency. We must get this man out of office this year.
Irresponsible. He has had 3 years to look at this. The only reason he is using for rejecting this is in his words, "the republicans have forced this and his administration has not been given enough time". That is BS!
He has sold the American and Canadian people down the drain.He could care less about creating jobs for the people.For what ever real reason he didn't approve this project (and only he knows why) its for his own personnel agenda.He could care less about America and its people.
THIS is not about nothing More than POLITICS, to the Core. This POTUS is Intent on doing, saying Anything, for 4 more Years of Bringing Down Our Nation. Every endeaver of his as POTUS has been to acquire More Power, to insure his Re-election. His record now Speaks,and He Owns IT. We Must Remove the IMPOSTER, Usurper, from Our mist. If NOT, Our Nation Will Be Changerd For the Worst.
Obama's decision is completely shortsighted and based only on his desire to be re-elected. There were past presidents who made difficult decisions based solely on what was best for our country; Obama, in only three plus years, has yet to demonstrate the ability to make good decisions for those he serves.
Obama's secret is out: he talks a moderately good game, but when push comes to shove, we don't want him taking the final shot with 10 seconds to go in the game.
I'm not sleeping too soundly with him in office.
This is rediculas. This issue has been studied for three years. I had a professor tell me once "don't ask a professor to make a decision for they are incapable". They have been trained either formally or through personal experience to study problems–not solve them. In the real world you can't afford to wait for a "propeller headed professor ie. Obama to make a problem solving decision for he is incapable. At some point in the decision making process you must take existing known facts and make a decision. If that decision is good–things get done–if bad modify the original decision to continue doing things. Either way things get done not put back on the self to "studie".
Ok
as always those lunatics environmentalist have decided for the majority and the politiciens have prostituted themself to them. brave! keep sending your money to those who killed thousands of people in the 9/11, iran who want to eleminate israel and nuke the us.
good job gringos
I will have to agree with you Bill. Lets get him out of there.
Politics as unusual..
The Mysery man may have had the final say on the canceling of the pipeline until after the coming elections but the part of this that is irony, first he blames the cancelation on the republicans and the kicker is the Republicans gave him last say on the control of private property and the pipeline deal.
Stupid is as stupid does……It's like watching morons hold hands.
I agree with these comments,certainly …but what is lost everywhere is that these Green Lunies keep getting more power because no one challenges them !
Obama wants their votes.
They will do anything to win;certainly lie and distort ( as we have seen in their attack on Keystone).. The oil industry wont attack their distortions too much. They are afraid as well.,giving them more power.
Here in Vancouver they funded our Green mayor's campaign,again. : three funds from Seattle and San Francisco helped him win.
Of course we must be environmentally responsible but not at the cost of people, They just want people to disappear altogether.
If Keystone has been studied for 3 years already why cannot the "deciders" pull together all the inforamtion they already have and figure it out over the next 60 days?
As usual expecting government employees to do anything quickly is . . . . you fill in here. . . .!!
I think Canada should not bother re-applying. Canada has the energy resources to process the finished products. Just set up companies here in Canada and we can sell you the finished products to whomever needs/affords them. Of course, we would be interested to doing deals with our friendly neighbours to the south and also, of course, to any one else interested.
Yet another purely politically expedient decision, just the same as making sure that Obamacare does not go into effect until 2013-2014, at which time voters will realize what a total 'cluster___ it will be. What we can hope is that Obama realizes too late this November that the American public cannot will no longer be fooled by his 'eloquence' and will judge him on his merits (or lack thereof).
The pipe line should be shorter ending in a nothern state and a new refinery built there. No huricanes to drive the prices up!
One of the worst decisions ever made by a sitting US President. If there was any uncertainty before that Obama's legacy would rank him with Carter and Harding as one of the worst in our nation's history, there should be no doubt now. Feel bad for us, but not for the Canadians. The Chinese are likely already discussing how much they will pay to have the pipeline rerouted to Vancouver..in exchange for the exclusive right to purchase and ship to Bejing. Our knee-jerk liberal/socialist/extreme green administration has really torpedoed us this time. All that yak-yak about creating jobs and energy independence was just a complete ja*k-job..Much better to blow $500 million on a loser solar outfit to keep the Sierra Club happy.
Both the State Department and Obama should to be run out of town now and never allowed back. What is one more year of studying The Keystone Pipeline route going to show that has not been learned from the 3 year study that has already been done? All the delay is going todo is push up the price of the pipeline and delay the creation of thousands and thousands of new jobs that are desperately needed!! What else can be expected from the worst president that we have ever had and whose cabinet only has eight members who have any business experience the rest of the cabinet are only professional paper pushers. Obama and all of the rest of his cronies must be given their pink slips on November 6, 2012.
Let Keystone supply China. The only people that will get jobs from this pipeline here in the plains are temporary workers and the corporations who take all of the profits. The comments I've read here are written by illegals and misinformed persons who want to take advantage of the boom towns created by the pipeline. We are already getting oil from this source; join the existing crowd and get a job, if you are qualified.
As in the hog feed lots and factory farms in Iowa, the corporations take all the money and leave the mess for everyone else to clean up. No, we don't have to go back to horse and buggy days, but moderation and discussion in all things is best. We don't want your violent, name-calling, pigeon English defaming the government.
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