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AEDNews - Construction Equipment Industry NewsPresident Obama Plays Politics with Keystone AgainOn March 21, President Obama announced that his administration will expedite approval for construction of the southern leg of the Keystone XL pipeline, reaching from Cushing, Okla. to petroleum refineries near the Gulf of Mexico in Texas. The 485-mile stretch knows as the “Gulf Coast Project” is merely 41 percent of the proposed 1,179-mile pipeline, which begins at the Canadian oil sands of Alberta. Construction on the small segment of the pipeline is a step in the right direction. Yet, by only agreeing to expedite the southern portion, which did not require presidential approval, many are wary of the politics involved. The president’s support of a small share of the pipeline is an attempt to have it both ways: appeasing environmental groups that oppose the entire project, while also attempting to claim credit for creating jobs while pursuing an “all of the above” energy policy and satisfying the concerns of his union allies. The State Department announced in November that it would delay a final decision on the Keystone XL pipeline by more than a year. In January, President Obama denied the approval for the project after Congress mandated a shortened review period. The project is estimated to create up to 13,000 construction industry jobs and generate 830,000 barrels of domestically refined oil. Urge President Obama to create thousands of jobs and approve the entire Keystone project by visiting AEDAction.org. Article Date: 2012-03-26 Source: Associated Equipment Distributors Copyright(C) 2012 Associated Equipment Distributors. All Rights Reserved. | ||||||
