Press Releases

Congressman Larry Bucshon (IN-08) released the following comment in regards to the Obama administration’s decision to reject the Keystone XL pipeline.

Congressman Bucshon (IN-08) states:

               “I am outraged that the President continues to deny hard working Americans well paying jobs.  We don’t need any more time to determine that the Keystone XL pipeline would create 20,000 jobs when we have had an unemployment rate above 8 percent since February 2009.  This is a commonsense, private sector proposal that would immediately benefit the economy and unemployment, yet is being held up by partisan politics and political calculations based on the November elections.  It is a sad day when the President sides with radical environmentalists while ignoring the needs of America’s middle class.  The only people that will benefit from this decision will be the recipients of this oil – the Chinese.”

Background:

Canada is the leading source of oil imports for the United States, sending over 2.5 million barrels per day to U.S. refineries in 2010.

Alberta’s oil sands resource is estimated to amount to over 1.7 trillion barrels of oil in-place, with 170 billion barrels technically recoverable with today’s technology. Only Saudi Arabia has larger proven oil reserves (260 billion barrels). While production from Alberta’s oil sands produces 1.7 million barrels per day, a recent report by the Canadian Energy Research Institute projects production will reach 2.1 million barrels per day by 2015 and 4.9 million barrels per day by 2035. Approximately 53 percent of Alberta’s oil sands production is currently exported to the United States.

To accommodate this dramatic rise in production, the Alberta, Canada-based TransCanada Corporation has proposed construction of a 1,661-mile extension (“Keystone XL”) of its Keystone pipeline system.  TransCanada’s $13 billion project would link oil sands from Alberta to refineries in the Midwest and Texas. The expansion would more than double the Keystone system’s capacity, allowing 1.29 million barrels per day of Canadian crude to enter U.S. markets.

Timeline of Events

September 2008 – TransCanada submitted its Application for a Presidential Permit to the State Department

April 2010 – State Department issued its Draft Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for EPA’s Review

April 2011 – Supplemental Draft EIS from the State Department to Address EPA concerns with “no new issues of substance” for EPA’s review

July 26, 2011 – House passed North American-Made Energy Security Act with bipartisan support that required a decision on the pipeline by November 1, 2011

August 2011 – State Department issued its Final EIS declare its preferred alternative was to build the pipeline as proposed with no major route or system modifications for a 90 day comment period for agencies to end on November 24, 2011 and 30 days for the public to end in September 2011

November 10, 2011 – State Department announced it would seek a new route through Nebraska, triggering a comprehensive new environmental review pushing a final decision until 2013

November 22, 2011 – Nebraska governor signed a bill that authorizes the Nebraska Department of Environmental Quality to review a new route for the pipeline to avoid the Sand Hills within the state’s borders

December 13, 2011 – House passes H.R. 3630, the Middle Class Tax Relief and Job Creation Act of 2011 which would require the President to issue a permit for the pipeline unless he determines that the pipeline would not serve the national interest within 60 days of enactment.

December 23, 2011 - House and Senate pass H.R. 3765, the Temporary Payroll Tax Cut Continuation Act of 2011, which also requires a permit from the President within 60 days, and if the President fails to act, the permit shall take effect by operation of the law.  President signs into law.

February 21, 2012 – Deadline for Keystone XL Decision

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