Congress cannot accelerate Keystone (XL pipeline) decision: State Department

Yahoo ^ | 12/12/11

[Libloather]

Congress cannot accelerate Keystone decision: State Department
Reuters – 12 hrs ago

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. State Department warned on Monday that a plan by congressional Republicans to fast track the Canada-to-Texas Keystone XL pipeline decision would violate environmental laws and force it to withhold approval.

"Should Congress impose an arbitrary deadline for the permit decision ... the department would be unable to make a determination to issue a permit for this project," the State Department said in a statement.

**SNIP**

Environmentalists say the pipeline would threaten Nebraska's Sand Hills region and lead to higher greenhouse gas emissions, and had threatened to hold back on campaigning for Obama in the election.

The State Department is now obtaining additional information on possible alternate routes that avoid the Sand Hills in Nebraska, and believes this review could be completed in time for a decision to be made in first quarter 2013, it said.

[SailormanCGA72]

“Civil Service rules notwithstanding, clean out that nest of vipers.Fire every liberal POS there.”

I was my experience based on being a naval attache at an embassy long ago, that 95% of all State Department employees fall into the uber-liberal camp. We definitely need to clean house.

[opentalk]

The state department is influenced by Soros, Podesta is now an adviser.

[Former Proud Canadian]

Not a distinction without a difference.

Hey, I understand you are against the pipeline. That's ok, but your real argument is not eminent domain.

[gnickgnack2]

I still recall a Playboy cartoon from my childhood..a father and his son viewing a statue of numerous people, “There are no great men,son, only great committees.”

[org.whodat]

Wrong, I oppose eminent domain, the pipeline is ok, but they should make the companies provide the jobs they are claiming for the life of the pipeline. In short, if they claim 200000 jobs, they provide 200000 jobs for the life of the line and that is written into the approval.

[opentalk]

defund...State Department

Agree. The state department is being used to promote gay rights agenda...Muslim outreach.. ..Rest of progressive agenda.

[2001convSVT]

Sad but true, even in your father's time we have strayed from the path of our Founding Republic.

[Former Proud Canadian]

Yeah, ok. I think I know where you are coming from.

[bert]

Regardless of what congress passes, there will be a reason developed for stopping it. Congress is powerless to make any real difference.

[upcountryhorseman]

The State Dept. is full of liberal wonks!

[Georgia Girl 2]

Time to defund the EPA. Enough already.

[esarlls3]

And the concept of a foreign company getting the rights of eminent domain, I do not think that is in the Constitution.

I expect it would be done with separate companies owning the pipeline on either side of the border. Similar to Alliance Pipeline, and others.

The Alliance Pipeline (NW Canada to Chicago) shows:

• Alliance Pipeline Limited Partnership ("Alliance Canada") owns the Canadian portion of the Alliance Pipeline system.
• Alliance Pipeline L.P. ("Alliance USA") owns the U.S. portion of the Alliance Pipeline system.

[org.whodat]

That is even worse, they write the cost of the line off their taxes and in the end the American tax payer pays for for the line. Which is probably the game plan from the start anyway.

[apoliticalone]

Call me old fashioned as in 1776 old fashioned, but I have a real problem with foreign countries and private corporations taking US private property by eminent domain. There’s something anti-American about it.

This is obviously going to lower property values for those who will have it in their back yard.

Is the oil going to end up being used in USA vehicles or in Communist China and the profits of Canadian and global corporations and markets? If I’m going to rip up my back yard I’m not willing to do it for the benefit of another country.

[CurlyDave]

No, it is not a foreign country wanting to install a pipeline. It is a foreign company, TransCanada Pipelines, many of whose shareholders are US citizens.

Who reality cares who wants to install it?

Once the pipeline is installed on US soil, we effectively control it. The owners can not take it back, and in time of war it could be confiscated.

[okie01]

Duh, you do know that it is a foreign country that is wishing to install a pipeline in the united states. Would you rather we turn our sovereignty over to the UN.

Shell owns and operates pipelines. It's a foreign company.

Canadian Pacific and Canadian National own and operate railroads in the USA. They're common carriers, just like the pipelines. And, in case you didn't know, they're foreign companies.

Are you aware of any "sovereignty problems" associated with these operations?

[Former Proud Canadian]

What you say is true, though highly improbable.

I don't know, but it has been suggested that the American portion of the pipeline would be owned by a US subsidiary of TransCanada. As for your war reference, as long as the oil flows there would be no reason for the US government to take over the pipeline. I don't anticipate a war between Canada and the US within the lifetime of this pipeline.