Canada loses patience on Keystone XL, tells U.S. to decide

Reuters ^ | Fri Jan 17, 2014 | David Ljunggren

[thackney]

Canada bluntly told the United States on Thursday to settle the fate of TransCanada Corp's proposed Keystone XL pipeline, saying the drawn-out process on whether to approve the northern leg of the project was taking too long.

The hard-line comments by Foreign Minister John Baird were the clearest sign yet that Canada's Conservative government has lost patience over what it sees as U.S. foot-dragging.

Baird also conceded that Washington might veto the project, the first admission of its kind by a Canadian government minister.

The 1,200-mile (1,930-km) pipeline would carry 830,000 barrels a day from the Alberta tar sands in western Canada to the U.S. Gulf Coast. Ottawa strongly backs Keystone XL, which it says would create jobs and provide a secure supply of oil to Canada's closest ally and trading partner.

"The time for Keystone is now. I'll go further - the time for a decision on Keystone is now, even if it's not the right one. We can't continue in this state of limbo," Baird said in a speech to the U.S. Chamber of Commerce.

Although the State Department is responsible for ruling whether the pipeline meets the national interest, President Barack Obama has made clear he will make the final decision.

Obama is under heavy pressure from environmental activists to veto the northern leg, and Washington seems in no hurry, despite the growing irritation in Ottawa. Canada is the largest single supplier of energy to the United States.

The State Department issued a largely favorable initial environmental impact assessment in March 2013, which was followed by a public comment period. On paper, at least, the department should have issued an updated impact assessment and then a final recommendation by the end of 2013.

[cableguymn]

or at least the pipe line to AF1.. he flies that thing around so much it must have it’s own pipe.

[FatherofFive]

Oil states should shut off all pipelines to Washington D. C.

A couple old bumper stickers:

Let them freeze in the dark

Drive 70 and freeze a Yankee

[SeminoleCounty]

Canada is in a fix because NAFTA forces Canada to sell 2/3 of their oil to the US. A Free Trade deal that prevents trade..m

CAN is not able to sell much of Keystone Oil on world market...they would violate NAFTA

Free Trader Commies like Obama know this...and can screw over the Canadians.

NAFTA also screws the US over on this
...because if Canada could sell Keystone oil on world market...oil prices drop...and Islamic Terrorist oil states are crushed

Canada should just abrogate NAFTA...watch their economy grow

[SeminoleCounty]

With the exception of Cruz...most of the GOP leadership supports Obama...heck anyone supporting Free Trade supports Obama

[Iron Munro]

The uninformed, moocher majority made the decision on November 6, 2012.

[thackney]

False.

Article 605 of NAFTA has been interpreted by some to mean that Canada is required to sell a certain percentage of its energy output to the United States, even in the face of a severe domestic shortage. Moreover, they argue that NAFTA prevents this percentage from falling over time.

Neither of these statements is true. Canadian producers are free to sell as much oil as they wish to whomever they wish, including, for example, overseas customers. As a result, the share of total output exported to the United States can rise or fall according to the normal forces of supply and demand.

The only condition that NAFTA imposes on Canadian energy products is that all buyers in North America must have equal rights to buy those products.

http://www.parl.gc.ca/Content/LOP/researchpublications/prb0633-e.htm

[tillacum]

We have a crippler of American progress and prosperity living in OUR whitehouse. Our republican better grow a pair and put in the Keystone XL. This political posturing is getting pretty old.

[Two Kids' Dad]

The only way Zero would approve it is if it directly benefitted one of Moochelle’s friends. And Mooch doesn’t have friends in the oil business.

[Salvation]

Let’s get it despite Obama.

[jimsin]

WOULDN'T IT BE NICE IF THE POPE HIMSELF..... .... WOULD COME OUT IN FAVOR OF KEYSTONE WHICH IS A KEY TO CHEAP FUEL SO THAT, YOU KNOW, FOLKS COULD GET GOOD JOBS AND LIFT THEMSELVES OUT OF POVERTY AN ALL....? BALL'S IN YER COURT FRANK....WE'RE ALL EARS...NOW'S THE TIME TO DROWN OUT THE CRICKETS..

[kanawa]

The Muslim Brotherhood?