Trump greenlights Keystone XL pipeline, but obstacles loom

[rooster59]

Trump greenlights Keystone XL pipeline, but obstacles loom

By Jeff Mason and Ethan Lou

 

U.S. President Donald Trump smiles after announcing a permit for TransCanada Corp's Keystone XL oil pipeline while TransCanada Chief Executive Officer Russell Girling (L), U.S. Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross (C) and Energy Secretary Rick Perry (R) stand beside him in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington, U.S., March 24, 2017. REUTERS/Kevin Lamarque

 

WASHINGTON/CALGARY, Alberta (Reuters) - U.S. President Donald Trump's administration approved TransCanada Corp's <TRP.TO> Keystone XL pipeline on Friday, cheering the oil industry and angering environmentalists even as further hurdles for the controversial project loom.

 

The approval reverses a decision by former President Barack Obama to reject the project, but the company still needs to win financing, acquire local permits, and fend off likely legal challenges for the pipeline to be built.

 

"TransCanada will finally be allowed to complete this long-overdue project with efficiency and with speed," Trump said in the Oval Office before turning to ask TransCanada Chief Executive Officer Russell Girling when construction would start.

 

"We've got some work to do in Nebraska to get our permits there," Girling replied.

 

"Nebraska?" Trump said. "I'll call Nebraska."

 

Trump announced the presidential permit for Keystone XL at the White House with Girling and Sean McGarvey, president of North America's Building Trades Unions, standing nearby. He said the project would lower consumer fuel prices, create jobs and reduce U.S. dependence on foreign oil.

 

The pipeline linking Canadian oil sands to U.S. refiners had been blocked by Obama, who said it would do nothing to reduce fuel prices for U.S. motorists and would contribute to emissions linked to global warming.

 

Trump, however, campaigned on a promise to approve it, and he signed an executive order soon after taking office in January to advance the project.

 

TransCanada's U.S.-listed shares <TRP.N> dipped 5 cents to close at $46.21 on Friday.

 

JOBS

 

Trump has claimed the project would create 28,000 jobs in the United States. But a 2014 State Department study predicted just 3,900 construction jobs and 35 permanent jobs.

 

The president said he would get in touch with Nebraska Governor Pete Ricketts later in the day.

 

TransCanada applied to the Nebraska Public Service Commission in February for approval of the pipeline's route through the state. The company said it expects that process to conclude this year.

 

Ricketts said in a statement posted on Twitter that the project would help his state.

 

"I have full confidence that the Public Service Commission will conduct a thorough and fair review of the application," he said.

 

The White House has said the pipeline is exempt from a Trump executive order requiring new pipelines to be made from U.S. steel, because much of the pipe for the project has already been built and stockpiled.

 

"As we move forward, we'll continue to look to buy the rest of the materials we need from ... American manufacturers. We'll put American workers to work," Girling told reporters.

 

Environmental groups vowed to fight it.

 

Greenpeace said it would pressure banks to withhold financing for the multibillion-dollar project, and others said they would fight the pipeline in court.

"We'll use every tool in the kit," said Rhea Suh, president of the Natural Resources Defense Council.

 

Since Obama had nixed the pipeline based on an environmental assessment commissioned by the State Department in early 2014, opponents will likely argue in court that Trump cannot reverse the decision without conducting a new assessment.

 

CHALLENGES

 

Fred Jauss, partner at the international law firm Dorsey & Whitney and a former attorney with the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, said local permitting would also be a challenge.

 

"The Presidential Permit is only one part of a web of federal, state, and local permits that must be obtained prior to starting construction," he said.

 

"Other federal agencies, such as the Army Corps of Engineers, state regulatory commissions, and even local planning boards may have requirements that need to be fulfilled by Keystone prior to construction."

 

"In addition, TransCanada may still need to reach deals with hundreds of potentially affected landowners on the pipeline’s route. There is a lot of work ahead for TransCanada.”

 

The Keystone XL pipeline would bring more than 800,000 barrels per day of heavy crude from Canada's oil sands in Alberta into Nebraska, linking to an existing pipeline network feeding U.S. refineries and ports along the Gulf of Mexico.

 

The project could be a boon for Canada, which has struggled to bring its vast oil reserves to market.

 

"Our government has always been supportive of the Keystone XL pipeline and we are pleased with the U.S. decision," said a spokesman for Canada's minister of natural resources. "The importance of a common, continental energy market cannot be overstated."

 

The president of the American Petroleum Institute, Jack Gerard, said the approval was "welcome news" and would bolster U.S. energy security.

 

Expedited approval of projects is part of Trump's approach to a 10-year, $1 trillion infrastructure package he promised on the campaign trail. The White House is looking for ways to speed up approvals and permits for other infrastructure projects, which can sometimes take years to go through a regulatory maze.

 

TransCanada tried for more than five years to build the 1,179-mile (1,897-km) pipeline, until Obama rejected it in 2015. The company resubmitted its application for the project in January, after Trump signed the executive order smoothing its path.

 

 

-- © Copyright Reuters 2017-03-25

[canuckamuck]

Good, thank you.

[stander]

I remain amazed at the liberal argument that the Keystone pipeline is an environmental disaster.

How? Consider the trucks and rail tankers that will no longer be needed. A similar, “Oh, but the caribou will die” argument was attempted by the treehuggers to stop the Alaska pipeline. Not only are the pipeline and the caribou coexisting well, the caribou actually love the pipeline because it is warm and green grass grows around it even in cold weather.

[fxe1200]

12 minutes ago, stander said:

I remain amazed at the liberal argument that the Keystone pipeline is an environmental disaster.

How? Consider the trucks and rail tankers that will no longer be needed. A similar, “Oh, but the caribou will die” argument was attempted by the treehuggers to stop the Alaska pipeline. Not only are the pipeline and the caribou coexisting well, the caribou actually love the pipeline because it is warm and green grass grows around it even in cold weather.

Every pipeline built in the US is an environmental disaster, look here:  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_pipeline_accidents_in_the_United_States_in_the_21st_century#2017

 

[gabruce]

12 minutes ago, fxe1200 said:

Every pipeline built in the US is an environmental disaster, look here:  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_pipeline_accidents_in_the_United_States_in_the_21st_century#2017

 

It's okay this time. A Canadian company is building it. So no worries about quality and design.

[alanrchase]

"reduce US dependance on foreign oil"

Canadian oil is foreign oil isn't it?

[Srikcir]

24 minutes ago, alanrchase said:

"reduce US dependance on foreign oil"

Canadian oil is foreign oil isn't it?

Nearly all of Canada’s exports go to the United States, and this accounts for about a third of America’s total crude oil imports. Energy economics experts believe that quite a bit -- if not most -- of the Keystone XL crude oil will be bought and used by American refineries. The real beneficiaries of Canadian oil will be the American refineries mostly in Texas who would otherwise have to import more expensive crude oil from Venezuela and Mexico to maintain production levels.

http://www.politifact.com/truth-o-meter/statements/2014/nov/20/barack-obama/obama-says-keystone-xl-exporting-oil-experts-disag/

[Silurian]

Well, one can be certain that the pipeline will be made with 100% US steel as promised by the fraudulent POTUS. No need to worry that there will be any favoritism of Russia in this project. Yeah, right. yet another broken promise.

 

A Russian oligarch's company actively lobbied against provisions which mandated that Keystone XL’s steel be made in the U.S. so Trump elimination the provisions.

 

Opinion: Trump Lies and a Russian Profits As Keystone XL Will Not Use American Steel

http://www.politicususa.com/2017/03/08/trump-lied-russian-profits-keystone-american-steel.html

 

[stander]

"Today, I was pleased to announce the official approval of the presidential permit for the Keystone Pipeleine A great day for American jobs!" 

 

 

[Ramen087]

Here is an opinion piece from JK Melchior of the Independent Women's Forum.  Compares safety records regarding the accident rate of different delivery methods. Interesting numbers.

Don't be put off by the attention grabbing headline; give it a read.

 

http://nypost.com/2017/03/24/the-keystone-pipeline-is-a-plus-for-the-environment/

[Grubster]

Progress, just get out of the way, the oil is going to come from somewhere anyway, none of it is good for the environment. Just stop using oil and you won't be part of the problem.

[joecoolfrog]

Its difficult to find the right balance between commerce and the environment....but not if you disregard the environment completely?

[elgordo38]

7 hours ago, rooster59 said:

He said the project would lower consumer fuel prices, create jobs and reduce U.S. dependence on foreign oil.

By the time it is built Donald better check and see if just straight pure clean water can be piped through. The world is changing fast. Suggest you watch the documentary Water And Power A California Heist. In the end water could prove more valuable than oil. 

[elgordo38]

7 hours ago, rooster59 said:

The president of the American Petroleum Institute, Jack Gerard, said the approval was "welcome news" and would bolster U.S. energy security.

 

At the speed the world is changing and the time it takes to build this pipeline it could be obsolete from the get go.

[dunroaming]

Just check out the smug grin on Trump's face in the photograph in the heading.  If there was ever a face that needed a slap it is that one!

[elgordo38]

5 minutes ago, dunroaming said:

Just check out the smug grin on Trump's face in the photograph in the heading.  If there was ever a face that needed a slap it is that one!

They could have at least photo shopped/chopped it.

[stander]

The Obama administration rejected Keystone in late 2015 citing concerns over climate change, even though the State Department’s research has found the pipeline won’t raise North American greenhouse-gas emissions but will create more than 40,000 jobs.

[ilostmypassword]

1 hour ago, stander said:

The Obama administration rejected Keystone in late 2015 citing concerns over climate change, even though the State Department’s research has found the pipeline won’t raise North American greenhouse-gas emissions but will create more than 40,000 jobs.

The construction phase, though, is expected to take only one to two years. After construction, the pipeline would employ a lesser number, primarily for maintenance. The total number of long-term jobs: about 50.

http://www.politifact.com/truth-o-meter/article/2015/jan/09/3-key-keystone-xl-questions-answered/

[keep it real]

2 hours ago, stander said:

The Obama administration rejected Keystone in late 2015 citing concerns over climate change, even though the State Department’s research has found the pipeline won’t raise North American greenhouse-gas emissions but will create more than 40,000 jobs.

it's been said that warren buffet owns the railway that currently transports the oil, and he gave Obama some 25M to block the damn pipeline.

[Basil B]

11 hours ago, stander said:

I remain amazed at the liberal argument that the Keystone pipeline is an environmental disaster.

How? Consider the trucks and rail tankers that will no longer be needed. A similar, “Oh, but the caribou will die” argument was attempted by the treehuggers to stop the Alaska pipeline. Not only are the pipeline and the caribou coexisting well, the caribou actually love the pipeline because it is warm and green grass grows around it even in cold weather.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_pipeline_accidents_in_the_United_States_in_the_21st_century

And that's just in the US, Nigeria and Russia come to mind re some dammed awful environmental disasters.

[Basil B]

It does make a good laugh to read Trump & Keystone in the same sentence.

[tuktuktuk]

11 minutes ago, Basil B said:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_pipeline_accidents_in_the_United_States_in_the_21st_century

And that's just in the US, Nigeria and Russia come to mind re some dammed awful environmental disasters.

You should also check out some of the disasters associated with other methods of transportation. Producing, transporting, refining and consuming oil and gas is inherently unsafe and harmful to the environment, but we're stuck with it. Certainly for our lifetimes and almost certainly for our children and grandchildren.

 

There is no foreseeable replacement for fuel and especially not for the vast array of derivative products. Just to start, try making tires, high pressure hydraulic hoses and aviation fuel with renewable based products. Then think about where we'd be without those. Then multiply that impact by 10,000 to account for all of the other products and capabilities that would go away.

 

I love environmentalists. They want to save me from the world we've all created, but I'm pretty happy in it. 

[Srikcir]

6 hours ago, stander said:

The Obama administration rejected Keystone in late 2015 citing concerns over climate change, even though the State Department’s research has found the pipeline won’t raise North American greenhouse-gas emissions but will create more than 40,000 jobs.

There was no conflict in the statements as they depended on economic events at different timelines.

 

Yes - the State Department’s research has found the pipeline won’t raise North American greenhouse-gas emissions. But that was decided in January 2014 when oil prices at $90 and $110 per barrel made transportation of tar sands oil profitable by rail and truck. Thus, Canada would have expanded extraction still causing greenhouse-gas emissions regardless of the absence of the Keystone pipeline.

 

Yes - Obama administration rejected Keystone in late 2015 citing concerns over climate change. Oil prices hit a five-year low to about $50 per barrel making pipeline transmission the only profitable means for transportation to American refineries. If not for the Keystone pipeline Canada would not have expanded extraction. Thus, Keystone pipeline would contribute to green-house emissions.

https://www.usnews.com/news/articles/2015/02/03/epa-keystone-xl-pipeline-will-impact-global-warming

 

 

 

[iReason]

8 hours ago, stander said:

Consider the trucks and rail tankers that will no longer be needed. A similar, “Oh, but the caribou will die” argument was attempted by the treehuggers to stop the Alaska pipeline. Not only are the pipeline and the caribou coexisting well, the caribou actually love the pipeline because it is warm and green grass grows around it even in cold weather.

Got you chasing your tail about caribou do they?

 

Given you an opportunity to spew your marginalizing labels have they?

 

More subterfuge for the parlor talk, arm-chair quarterbacks.

Yawn...

 

Let's examine the reality of the pipeline shall we?

 

More Keystone Spin

 

"Critics continue to call it an “export pipeline” while proponents say the oil it carries would be “used by Americans, not exported overseas.”

 

"Actually, somewhere between 38 percent and 50 percent of the output at the coastal refineries it would serve was exported in the most recent 12 months on record, depending on assumptions."

 

"We can calculate how much of total refined product from the entire Gulf Coast district went for export in 2014. It was close to 37.5 percent."

 

http://www.factcheck.org/2015/03/more-keystone-spin/

 

Purchased from a foreign country and a bulk of it is sold to foreign countries. 

Edited March 25, 2017 by iReason

[DM07]

The construction phase, though, is expected to take only one to two years. After construction, the pipeline would employ a lesser number, primarily for maintenance. The total number of long-term jobs: about 50.
http://www.politifact.com/truth-o-meter/article/2015/jan/09/3-key-keystone-xl-questions-answered/

Yes... but those will be 'Murican- jobs!
Or as Yoda would say "The delusion is strong with these ones!"


Sent from my iPhone using Thaivisa Connect

[stander]

Activists Seek to Intervene in Nebraska Keystone XL Review

http://www.foxbusiness.com/features/2017/03/22/activists-seek-to-intervene-in-nebraska-keystone-xl-review.html

 

Nebraska State law requires they show a personal effect from the pipeline, a personal reason why the pipeline’s construction will impact their lives, their properties, their businesses. But it’s just a matter of time before their cause will crumble, Americans aren’t about to lose out on this business opportunity.

[Grubster]

21 hours ago, joecoolfrog said:

Its difficult to find the right balance between commerce and the environment....but not if you disregard the environment completely?

Well I can tell you that sending all the production to foreign countries that could care less about the environment or workers standard of living is not the answer and is precisely what we the west have been doing.

[iReason]

Just now, Grubster said:

Well I can tell you that sending all the production to foreign countries that could care less about the environment or workers standard of living is not the answer and is precisely what we the west have been doing.

 

Well, actually no, you can't.

 

The Keystone Pipeline; i.e:

 

"The fact is that most if not all of the Canadian crude is designated to be processed in U.S. refineries, not exported directly. But a large portion of the diesel fuel, gasoline and other products of those refineries is indeed expected to be sold overseas."

 

"NRDC told us its calculations assume that all of the Canadian crude coming through the pipeline would go only to coastal refineries in Texas and Louisiana (sub-districts for which the government provides aggregate production figures), and that all of the Gulf Coast district’s exports of refined products come only from those refineries."

 

http://www.factcheck.org/2015/03/more-keystone-spin/

[stander]

Boom! Keystone would make US and Canada bigger competitors with OPEC.

http://www.cnbc.com/2017/03/24/boom-keystone-would-make-us-and-canada-bigger-competitors-with-opec.html

[steven100]

Good job ....    create jobs ... jobs ...  jobs  ..

 

Thats what the Australian PM needs to do but the clown is failing miserably ...