Tom Steyer to SecState John Kerry: Investigate … Keystone XL has a fishy smell
In the letter (in entirety after the fold), Steyer calls for an independent and transparent review of the EIS.
Problems include:
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- The hiring of a TransCanada contractor EnvironmentalResourcesManagement (ERM) to write theFEIS.
- ERMs problematic representations aboutits ties to the tar sands industryon itsconflict of interest disclosure form.
- The Inspector Generals investigation intothis deception, an action taken only after persistentpressurefrom public interest groups.
- Additional conflicts( here , here and here )that have come to light since the Inspector Generals investigation began.
- Repeated quotes(e.g., here , here and here )to news outlets fromnamed andunnamedstaff membersat the State Department boastingofrigorous conflictof interest procedures that ensure that no contractors or subcontractors have financial or other inappropriate interests in the outcome of a project.Thisassertioncontinuedto be madeeven afterthe Inspector Generals investigation was announced.
- The unsurprising tilt of the draft FEIStowardERMsclient, TransCanada.
- Theinteragency criticism( here and here )that the draft EIS drewbecauseof its deep flaws.
- Thenearly identical nature of the final FEISto the draft EIS, despite significant, contradictory information coming to light after the draft version was issued. This includesignoring ignoring the realities of tar sands transportation , and estimatesthatKeystone XL wouldproduce the pollution equivalent of more than50coal plants an amount no serious expert thinks can be meaningfully offset.It also ignores the $30 billion in investment by companies backed by the Chinese government.
- The apparent rush to get the EIS out the door before the Inspector Generals investigation was complete despite a recent request by over 20 House members asking thatthe FEIS be held until theinvestigationwas completed.
And, in addition to this litany of issues that should disqualify this FEIS report from being used as a trusted document, there is now a report in the Canadian Press thatseems to indicate officials in Ottawa were provided withtheassurancethat they would receive the favorableFEIS that they had lobbied so hard to secure.
The EIS studies are supposed to be independent and unbiased. This one is anything but that. We need a new study done that can be trusted.
I don't know where you got that info ... It doesn't make a lot of sense . The idea of the pipeline is to get the tar to the closest refinery . That would be in the Louisianna region . The tar is pretty much useless until it is refined .
According to your own government reports, that said it will not affect the environment. They also stated that it will not lower the cost of fuel in the US, and it will not increase fuel for the US. The 40,000 employment figure was also discredited. It's more like 20,000 for 2 years and many of those jobs arerelated to businesses serving the pipeline..Resturants anyone. Full time jobs when the pipeline is completed is 35. BFD, 35 jobs and we risk one of the largest fresh water supplies in the US.
If you want to see the affects of a spill of this shit. Goggle the Kalamazoo Rivers spill. That might, just might make everyone think twice about piping this crap through the US.
The Price of Oil
Exposing the true costs of fossil fuels
A closer look at the new realities of the global oil market and at the companies who will profit from the pipeline reveals a completely different story: Keystone XL will not lessen U.S. dependence on foreign oil, but rather transport Canadian oil to American refineries for export to overseas markets......... Link
J4T ,
Typical attitude [with no comprehension of the markets ] of someone with a partisan ax to grind . Traders in the oil biz will inevitably sell to the highest bidder . That is how the commodities markets work . Saying :
"None of it will come into the American markets" is just an ignorant rant . Of course some of it will ... if anyone here is willing to outbid the Chinese . It is a global market for oil products and any additional sources will bring the the GLOBAL market price . Duh !
Who did this mythical asking ? Was it a govt agency ? If not it is of zero consequence .
BTW , if you are ever in the market for a new avatar , I suggest one with Canada doing the dirty deed on Uncle Sam [from behind] with a big black oil pipeline where his penis would be . I expect that would appeal to someone with a penchant for both lost causes & sexual obsession ...
There are 2 avenues to take :
1] Look up political cartoons online
2] If you have graphical arts software [like photoshop] you could make your own . Find cartoons of ;
Uncle Sam
A Canadian mountie in uniform
and an oil pipe line
Then just combine them . What fun !