Coverage: House approves Keystone pipeline

Although a veto by President Barack Obama is expected, the House of Representatives passed legislation on Wednesday to allow the Keystone pipeline to go through. Some call it necessary, while others believe it’s a waste of resources.

Dina Cappiello had this story for the Associated Press (via The Boston Globe):

The Republican-controlled Congress approved a bill Wednesday to construct the Keystone XL oil pipeline, setting up a confrontation with President Barack Obama, who has threatened to veto the measure.

The House voted 270-152 to send the bill to the president, endorsing changes made by the Senate that stated climate change was real and not a hoax, and oil sands should no longer be exempt from a tax used to cleanup oil spills. Only one Republican voted against the measure.

But neither chamber has enough support to overcome a veto, and supporters were already strategizing on how to secure the pipeline’s approval using other legislative means.

The New York Times story by Coral Davenport said the veto wouldn’t likely be the end of the fight:

The clash over Keystone is expected to continue for some time.

The proposed 1,179-mile pipeline, which would carry heavily polluting petroleum from the oil sands of Alberta to ports and refineries on the Gulf Coast, has emerged as a symbol for Democrats’ and Republicans’ fierce fight over energy, climate change and the economy.

Republicans and the oil industry say the project would create jobs and provide economic growth. Environmental activists have fought the project for years, saying it would harm the environment and could contribute to climate change.

Despite the debate over the pipeline, and its potency as a symbol of energy and environmental policy, experts have said repeatedly that the symbolism vastly outweighs its substance.

A State Department environmental review last year concluded that construction of the pipeline would not lead to a significant increase of carbon pollution into the atmosphere, and the number of jobs created by construction of the pipeline represents less than one-tenth of 1 percent of the total economy.

Still, environmentalists who have spent years marching and rallying to protest the pipeline say they would take Mr. Obama’s expected veto as a sign that he will eventually reject the project.

Bruce Alpert wrote for the New Orleans Times-Picayune that the Louisiana delegation all supports the deal, but there are some concerns about the pipeline’s safety:

But Rep. Frank Pallone, D-NJ., said he’s not assured by claims the pipeline will be state of the art.

“They say it will be ultra-safe, state-of-the-art pipeline,” Pallone said. “The problem, though, is that we’ve heard this before. TransCanada’s first Keystone pipeline, which brings Canadian tar sands oil to refineries in Illinois and Oklahoma, shouldn’t inspire confidence…In its first year of operation. It reported 14 separate oil spills — the largest spill occurred on May 7, 2011, when approximately 720,000 gallons of oil erupted from the pipeline in North Dakota.”

The entire Louisiana delegation supported the pipeline project.

“We have been fighting to get the Keystone XL pipeline approved and built for more than six years,” said Sen. Bill Cassidy, R-Baton Rouge…I hope the president joins the majority of Americans who want this pipeline and other energy infrastructure projects built by signing this bill into law.”

The bill includes several amendments adopted by the Senate: One measure declares that climate change is” real and not a hoax,” though another proposed amendment blaming climate change on human activity failed to gain the necessary 60 votes. Other amendments require that all forms of oil shipped through the pipeline be subject to the Oil Spill Liability Trust Fund’s per-barrel excise tax; and that land obtained for the project be consistent with protections provided for in the Constitution.

The Wall Street Journal story by Amy Harder said that many are concerned about the pipeline’s environmental impact:

As proposed, the Keystone XL pipeline would move as many as 830,000 barrels of oil a day, mostly from Canada’s oil sands to Steele City, Neb., where it would connect with existing pipelines to Gulf Coast refineries. Up to 100,000 barrels of that oil may come from North Dakota’s booming oil fields. If completed, the pipeline system would span 1,700 miles and cross six U.S. states. TransCanada already has spent $3 billion on the project, and the total cost could surpass $10 billion—more than twice an initial estimate—if it’s ever built.

The State Department is deciding whether the Keystone XL pipeline is in the nation’s interest by examining its impact on the U.S. economy, environment and national security, among other issues. This evaluation is expected to be the final leg of a review that has included multiple environmental assessments and delays. The administration faces no deadline to make a final decision.

Mr. Obama has been increasingly skeptical of the project since last November. He has said it wouldn’t create many permanent jobs or cut gas prices, as some of the project’s supporters have said. He also said it would mainly benefit only the Canadian oil industry.

If Mr. Obama follows through on his veto threat, it would be just his third veto so far in his presidency.

Even if the President vetoes the current legislation, the debate is likely to continue over the pipeline. Many people are looking for it to create jobs, boosting the economy, while others are concerned about the environment. The State Department report isn’t likely to settle anything, but we’ll just have to wait and see.