Keystone XL Pipeline

===

This category originally (now see pipelines) covers pipelines in general, but of course keystone is bigsee also transcanadasee activist suppress 2 "critical infr" // eco econ terror "boost" conspiracy520 bak dilbit Kalamazoo =This category originally (now see pipelines) covers pipelines in general, but of course keystone is bigsee also transcanadasee activist suppress 2 "critical infr" // eco econ terror "boost" conspiracy520 bak dilbit Kalamazoo , capt=
<div>===</div><div>ding dong!</div><div>
</div><div><a href="https://www.alternet.org/2021/06/is-keystone-xl/">https://www.alternet.org/2021/06/is-keystone-xl/</a></div><div>comm dr</div><div>
<div class="body js-expandable clearfix js-listicle-body css-listicle-body-2653296908"><div class="body-description">After more than a decade of grassroots <a href="https://www.sierraclub.org/sierra/here-s-how-we-defeated-keystone-xl-pipeline" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">organizing, agitation, and tireless opposition </a>by

the international climate movement, the final nail was slammed into the

Keystone XL's coffin Wednesday afternoon when the company behind the

transnational tar sands pipeline officially <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2021/06/09/energy/keystone-pipeline-canceled/index.html" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">pulled the plug </a>on its plans.Following

consultation with Canadian officials and regulators—including "its

partner, the Government of Alberta"—TC Energy confirmed its "<a href="https://www.tcenergy.com/announcements/2021-06-09-tc-energy-confirms-termination-of-keystone-xl-pipeline-project/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">termination</a>"

of the project in a statement citing the revocation of a federal U.S.

permit by President Joe Biden on his first day in office on January 20

as the leading reason.Climate campaigners, however, were

immediate in claiming a final victory after years of struggle against

the company and its backers both in Washington, D.C. and Ottawa."TC

Energy just confirmed what we already knew but it's a thrilling reality

all the same—the Keystone XL pipeline is no more and never will be,"

said David Turnbull, strategic communications director with Oil Change

International (OCI).

<div style="margin:1em 0">OMG! It’s official. We took on a multi-billion dollar corporation and we won!!

Keystone XL is dead!! The People m… https://t.co/BT5PAhBxmy</div> — Dallas Goldtooth (@Dallas Goldtooth)

                        <a href="https://twitter.com/dallasgoldtooth/statuses/1402730374682320898">1623271957.0</a></font>

</blockquote>

</div>

"After more than 10 years of organizing we have finally defeated an

oil giant, Keystone XL is dead!" declared the Indigenous Environmental

Network (IEN) in reaction. "We are dancing in our hearts because of this

victory! From Dene territories in Northern Alberta to Indigenous lands

along the Gulf of Mexico, we stood hand-in-hand to protect the next

seven generations of life, the water and our communities from this dirty

tar sands pipeline. And that struggle is vindicated."IEN said

that the win over TC Energy and its supporters was "not the end—but

merely the beginning of further victories," and also reminded the world

that there are "still frontline Indigenous water protectors like Oscar

High Elk who face charges for standing against the Keystone XL

pipeline."Calling the news "yet another huge moment in an

historic effort," Turnbull at OCI said that while the Canadian company's

press statement failed to admit it, "this project is finally being

abandoned thanks to more than a decade of resistance from Indigenous

communities, landowners, farmers, ranchers, and climate activists along

its route and around the world."Jared Margolis, a senior attorney

at the Center for Biological Diversity, declared the victory in the

drawn-out battle—which largely took place under the Democratic

administration of former President Barack Obama—"a landmark moment in

the fight against the climate crisis.""We need to keep moving

away from dirty, dangerous pipelines that lock us into an unsustainable

future," added Margolis, who said he now hopes President Joe Biden will

take this lesson and apply to other polluting fossil projects. "We're

hopeful that the Biden administration will continue to shift this

country in the right direction by opposing fossil fuel projects that

threaten our climate, our waters and imperiled wildlife," he said. "Good

riddance to Keystone XL!"

<div style="margin:1em 0">After YEARS the #NoKXL fight is over. The Keystone Pipeline is finally dead. Now do #Line3 and #DAPL

https://t.co/A7YukN0GR0</div> — RAN (@RAN)

                        <a href="https://twitter.com/RAN/statuses/1402742910265839618">1623274946.0</a></font>

</blockquote>

</div>

Jamie Henn and Bill McKibben, both co-founders of 350.org and key

architects of the decision to make the Keystone XL pipeline a target and

symbol of the global climate movement, also heralded the news."When this fight began, people thought Big Oil couldn't be beat." —Bill McKibben, 350.org co-founder"When

this fight began, people thought Big Oil couldn't be beat," said

McKibben, who was among those arrested outside the White House in 2011

protesting the pipeline."Keystone XL is now the most famous

fossil fuel project killed by the climate movement, but it won't be the

last," said Henn. "The same coalition that stopped this pipeline is now

battling Line 3 and dozens of other fossil fuel projects across the

country. Biden did the right thing on KXL, now it's time to go a step

further and say no to all new fossil fuel projects everywhere."Clayton

Thomas Muller, another longtime KXL opponent and currently a senior

campaigns specialist at 350.org in Canada, said: "This victory is thanks

to Indigenous land defenders who fought the Keystone XL pipeline for

over a decade. Indigenous-led resistance is critical in the fight

against the climate crisis and we need to follow the lead of Indigenous

peoples, particularly Indigenous women, who are leading this fight

across the continent and around the world. With Keystone XL cancelled,

it's time to turn our attention to the Indigenous-led resistance to the

Line 3 and the Trans Mountain tar sands pipelines."McKibben also

made the direct connection to KXL and the decision now looming before

Biden when it comes to Line 3 in northern Minnesota. "When enough people

rise up we're stronger even than the richest fossil fuel companies," he

said. "And by the way, the same climate test that ruled out Keystone

should do the same for Line 3."<div class="around-the-web"><div class="from-your-site__headline">From Your Site Articles</div>

        <ul class="around-the-web__list"><li class="from-your-site__item">
                        <font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><a href="https://www.alternet.org/2021/03/mass-shooting/" class="from-your-site__link" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">The debate over mass shootings and domestic terrorism is about to ... ›</a></font>
                    </li><li class="from-your-site__item">
                        <font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><a href="https://www.alternet.org/2021/04/line-3/" class="from-your-site__link" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">When women become allies to save watersheds and wildlife ... ›</a></font>
                    </li></ul><div class="around-the-web__headline"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Related Articles Around the Web</font></div>
        <ul class="around-the-web__list"><li class="around-the-web__item">
                        <font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><a href="https://www.vox.com/22306919/biden-keystone-xl-trudeau-oil-pipeline-climate-change" class="around-the-web__link" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Biden shut down the Keystone XL pipeline. Here's what that means ... ›</a></font>
                    </li><li class="around-the-web__item">
                        <font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><a href="https://www.nationalgeographic.com/environment/article/keystone-xl-pipeline-dead-now-what" class="around-the-web__link" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">The Keystone XL pipeline is dead. Now what? ›</a></font>
                    </li><li class="around-the-web__item">
                        <font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><a href="https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/why-keystone-xl-is-dead/" class="around-the-web__link" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Why Keystone XL Is Dead - Scientific American ›</a></font>
                    </li></ul></div></div>

    </div></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><br /></font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">===</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">===</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">1/21 mma NOT DAPL?</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><b><br /></b></font></div><div><table role="presentation" class="yiv1124487415stylingblock-content-wrapper" style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); min-width: 100%;" width="100%" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0"><tbody><tr><td class="yiv1124487415stylingblock-content-margin-cell" style="word-break: normal; border-collapse: collapse; padding: 0px 10px;"><table role="presentation" class="yiv1124487415stylingblock-content-wrapper" style="background-color: transparent; min-width: 100%;" width="100%" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0"><tbody><tr><td class="yiv1124487415stylingblock-content-wrapper yiv1124487415camarker-inner" style="word-break: normal; border-collapse: collapse; padding: 0px;"><h2 style="line-height: 1;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><a rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" href="http://click.e.mediamatters.org/?qs=ca0ec08e37d525eea60f3ee565a8a02afb509ca8aa781bc998e39c8876045a87b7662b36aa79f1adc0601a59c259926c1326d55d42bcd310" title="As Biden takes climate action. Fox News and Sinclair respond with lies">As Biden takes climate action. Fox News and Sinclair respond with lies</a></font></h2></td></tr></tbody></table></td></tr></tbody></table><table role="presentation" class="yiv1124487415stylingblock-content-wrapper" style="min-width: 100%;" width="100%" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0"><tbody><tr><td class="yiv1124487415stylingblock-content-wrapper yiv1124487415camarker-inner" style="word-break: normal; border-collapse: collapse; padding: 0px 10px;"><p style="margin: 1em 0px;" /><div style="line-height: 31px;"><p style="margin: 1em 0px;"><span style="line-height: 31px;"><span style="margin-bottom: 1em;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 204, 102);">Some of President&nbsp;<b>Joe Biden</b>'s first actions were in response to climate change -- like rejoining the Paris accords and canceling the Keystone XL Pipeline once and for all</span>. Fox News&nbsp;<a rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" href="http://click.e.mediamatters.org/?qs=ca0ec08e37d525eecdb6433b7641028df3d8f17061fa9f92c47f9bfd7a3832de8dc35089f5c6c842b190a0262ec066d562a5148d02b613e1" title="responded">responded</a>&nbsp;to Biden's executive actions by hosting climate deniers and climate "contrarians." One Fox host&nbsp;<a rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" href="http://click.e.mediamatters.org/?qs=ca0ec08e37d525ee8490edf9c4a5779a7f97d74e584c1ddfa1498d5e08d823e5aa7a780b67ec2dc79e0cfedfe5b3c1120fa6c07b67067f9b" title="declared">declared&nbsp;</a>that climate activists just want to "fight the weather." Contrary to claims aired on Fox, taking action on climate change will create jobs.</font></span></span></p><p style="margin: 1em 0px;"><span style="line-height: 31px;"><span style="margin-bottom: 1em;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">It wasn't just Fox. Sinclair Broadcasting&nbsp;<a rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" href="http://click.e.mediamatters.org/?qs=ca0ec08e37d525ee50b1d737873252eeab060ff02e387eaa1b03a245278fe36a8594c72f6001a744cd90172c3357ea5352bdf943e788fcdc" title="also aired">also aired</a>&nbsp;claims on local news stations across the country that canceling the Keystone XL Pipeline would destroy jobs. Longtime readers will remember these accusations being&nbsp;<a rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" href="http://click.e.mediamatters.org/?qs=ca0ec08e37d525ee659392d5360bda594433c394b9930f82531454f5f4d9e2f4b2fa9a8acd2ff94da8f19d3a1985aff2164df7273e485569" title="debunked repeatedly">debunked repeatedly&nbsp;</a>, but they've again gained steam on the right in the early days of the Biden administration, with some inflating the number to tens of thousands of jobs. The actual number is a few hundred jobs to construct the pipeline, and a few dozen to maintain it after that; the number is dwarfed by the number of clean energy jobs that already exist, much less ones that could exist with further investment. Additionally, the jobs number doesn't take into account the risks of oil spills or threats to drinking water. For instance, the already-existing Keystone Pipeline (that is, the non-XL version) has already seen at least 21 oil spills and leaks.</font></span></span></p></div></td></tr></tbody></table></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">===</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">===</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">3 wins, also XL and atlantic gas</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><br /></font></div><div><div><h3 class="magcat-titlte entry-title" style="box-sizing: border-box; outline: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; letter-spacing: 1px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><a href="https://www.alternet.org/2020/07/judge-rules-that-dakota-access-pipeline-must-be-shut-down-and-emptied/" style="box-sizing: border-box; outline: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration-line: none; transition: all 0.3s ease 0s; cursor: pointer; display: block; letter-spacing: 0px; line-height: 1.4;"><font style="font-weight: normal;" size="4" face="Times New Roman" color="#000000">Judge rules that Dakota Access Pipeline must be shut down and emptied</font></a><a href="https://www.alternet.org/2020/07/judge-rules-that-dakota-access-pipeline-must-be-shut-down-and-emptied/" style="box-sizing: border-box; outline: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration-line: none; transition: all 0.3s ease 0s; cursor: pointer; display: block; letter-spacing: 0px; line-height: 1.4;"><font style="font-weight: normal;" size="4" face="Times New Roman" /></a><font style="font-weight: normal;" size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font style="font-weight: normal;" size="4" face="Times New Roman"><a href="https://www.alternet.org/author/matthew-rozsa/" title="Posts by Matthew Rozsa" class="author url fn" rel="author" style="text-align: right; box-sizing: border-box; outline: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration-line: none; transition: color 0.3s ease 0s; cursor: pointer;">Matthew Rozsa</a><span style="text-align: right;">&nbsp;</span><span style="text-align: right;">/</span><span style="text-align: right;">&nbsp;</span><a href="https://www.alternet.org/author/salon/" title="Posts by Salon " class="author url fn" rel="author" style="text-align: right; box-sizing: border-box; outline: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration-line: none; transition: color 0.3s ease 0s; cursor: pointer;">Salo</a>n</font><a href="https://www.alternet.org/2020/07/judge-rules-that-dakota-access-pipeline-must-be-shut-down-and-emptied/" style="box-sizing: border-box; outline: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration-line: none; transition: all 0.3s ease 0s; cursor: pointer; display: block; letter-spacing: 0px; line-height: 1.4;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman" color="#000000">an 720</font></a></font></h3></div><div><font style="font-weight: normal;" size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">===</font></font></div></div><p><font style="font-weight: normal;" size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">==</font></font></p><p><font style="font-weight: normal;" size="4" face="Times New Roman"><a href="https://www.desmogblog.com/2020/05/03/keystone-xl-future-pipeline-permits"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman" color="#000000">https://www.desmogblog.com/2020/05/03/keystone-xl-future-pipeline-permits</font></a></font></p><p dir="ltr" id="docs-internal-guid-b98c60a2-7fff-8dc6-0390-f503769f6dc7" style="margin: 1em 0px;"><font style="font-weight: normal;" size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><b>On April 15, Judge Brian Morris&nbsp;<a href="https://www.desmogblog.com/sites/beta.desmogblog.com/files/morris-kxl-army-corps-summary-judgment-order.pdf" style="text-decoration-line: none;">nullified</a>&nbsp;water-crossing permits in Montana that were granted for&nbsp;the Keystone&nbsp;<span class="caps">XL</span>, a major setback for the long-embattled tar sands oil pipeline. The ruling came just days after Keystone&nbsp;<span class="caps">XL</span>&nbsp;owner&nbsp;<span class="caps">TC</span>&nbsp;Energy, formerly known as TransCanada, obtained&nbsp;<a href="https://therealnews.com/columns/climate-crisis-covid-19-cancels-cop26-kxl-construction-trump-big-oil-huddle" target="_blank" style="text-decoration-line: none;">billions of dollars in subsidies</a>&nbsp;from the Alberta government as global oil prices&nbsp;plummeted.</b></font></font></p><p dir="ltr" style="margin: 1em 0px;"><font style="font-weight: normal;" size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font style="background-color: rgb(255, 204, 102);" size="4" face="Times New Roman">The oil and gas industry has taken notice. Seemingly just a ruling on Keystone&nbsp;<span class="caps">XL</span>&nbsp;— the subject of opposition by the climate movement for the past decade — the ruling could have far broader implications for the future of building water-crossing pipelines and utility&nbsp;lines.</font></font></p><p style="margin: 1em 0px;"><font style="font-weight: normal;" size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><b>In his decision, Judge Morris cited a potential violation of the Endangered Species Act when he ordered the&nbsp;<span class="caps">U.S.</span>&nbsp;Army Corps of Engineers to do a deeper analysis of potential impacts to protected species.</b> Morris required the Corps to demonstrate whether or not it could construct the pipeline without harming endangered species, such as the Pallid Sturgeon or the American burying beetle. Instead,&nbsp;the Army Corps “failed to consider relevant expert analysis and failed to articulate a rational connection between the facts it found and the choice it made,”&nbsp;Morris&nbsp;ruled,&nbsp;when the Corps&nbsp;gave Keystone&nbsp;<span class="caps">XL</span>&nbsp;the initial green&nbsp;light.</font></font></p><p dir="ltr" style="margin: 1em 0px;"><font style="font-weight: normal;" size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 102);" size="4" face="Times New Roman">The&nbsp;<a href="https://www.nrdc.org/sites/default/files/kxl-complaint-20190701.pdf" target="_blank" style="text-decoration-line: none;">original July 2019&nbsp;complaint&nbsp;</a>in that case — filed by Northern Plains Resource Council, Bold Alliance, Sierra Club, Natural Resources Defense Council, and Center for Biological Diversity — also argued that the Army Corps had violated the National Environmental Policy Act (<span class="caps">NEPA</span>) in using an obscure regulatory lever to fast-track the review&nbsp;process.</font></font></p><p dir="ltr" style="margin: 1em 0px;"><font style="font-weight: normal;" size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><b>Known as&nbsp;<a href="https://www.usace.army.mil/Missions/Civil-Works/Regulatory-Program-and-Permits/Nationwide-Permits/" target="_blank" style="text-decoration-line: none;">Nationwide Permit 12</a>, the permit only requires a short environmental analysis compared to the more robust environmental impact statement required under&nbsp;<span class="caps">NEPA</span>&nbsp;for other major infrastructure projects</b>. But Morris also wrote that the decision applied not just to Keystone&nbsp;<span class="caps">XL</span>, but to all major federal projects aiming to utilize Nationwide Permit 12, calling for it to be “vacated pending completion of the consultation process and compliance with all environmental statutes and&nbsp;regulations.”</font></font></p><p dir="ltr" style="margin: 1em 0px;"><font style="font-weight: normal;" size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><b>Just two days after this decision, Army Corps regulatory program Chief Jennifer Moyer wrote in an email obtained by the Associated Press that the agency should suspend the program indefinitely “out of an abundance of caution” until the issue is resolved&nbsp;legally.&nbsp;</b></font></font></p><p dir="ltr" style="margin: 1em 0px;"><font style="font-weight: normal;" size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><b>The Trump administration has already&nbsp;<a href="https://www.desmogblog.com/sites/beta.desmogblog.com/files/DOJ%20Motion%20for%20Stay%20Pending%20Appeal_0.pdf" style="text-decoration-line: none;">requested a procedural halt</a>&nbsp;on implementing Morris’ decision until its potential appeal weaves its way through the legal&nbsp;system.</b></font></font></p><p dir="ltr" style="margin: 1em 0px;"><font style="font-weight: normal;" size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><span class="dquo" style="margin-left: 0px;">“</span>The Court has eliminated Nationwide Permit 12 for use by any utility line project anywhere in the country, which has extraordinary and immediate implications for numerous projects,”&nbsp;<a href="https://www.desmogblog.com/sites/beta.desmogblog.com/files/DOJ%20Motion%20for%20Stay%20Pending%20Appeal_0.pdf" style="text-decoration-line: none;">the&nbsp;<span class="caps">U.S.</span>&nbsp;Department of Justice attorneys wrote</a>&nbsp;on behalf of the Army&nbsp;Corps.</font></font></p><p dir="ltr" style="margin: 1em 0px;"><font style="font-weight: normal;" size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">The&nbsp;<a href="https://www.desmogblog.com/american-petroleum-institute" style="text-decoration-line: none;">American Petroleum Institute</a>&nbsp;(<span class="caps">API</span>), the lobbying and advocacy voice of the oil and gas industry, has also filed an affidavit in favor of putting a procedural halt to Morris’&nbsp;ruling.&nbsp;</font></font></p><p dir="ltr" style="margin: 1em 0px;"><font style="font-weight: normal;" size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><span class="dquo" style="margin-left: 0px;">“</span>The ability to provide reliable energy is even more important now during this sensitive and challenging time brought on by&nbsp;<span class="caps">COVID</span>-19,” Robin Rorick, Vice President of Midstream and Industry Operations for&nbsp;<span class="caps">API</span>,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.desmogblog.com/sites/beta.desmogblog.com/files/API%20Affidavit%20Robin%20Rorick.pdf" style="text-decoration-line: none;">wrote in the affidavit</a>. “The Court’s Order could threaten&nbsp;<span class="caps">API</span>’s members’ ability to continue numerous energy and infrastructure projects, affecting the health of numerous companies and job security in an already-strained&nbsp;economy.”</font></font></p><p dir="ltr" style="margin: 1em 0px;"><font style="font-weight: normal;" size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><b><span class="caps">API</span>&nbsp;<a href="https://www.api.org/news-policy-and-issues/news/2020/04/17/labor-industry-respond-to-montana-district-court-decision-on-usace-nationwide-pe" target="_blank" style="text-decoration-line: none;">also joined</a>&nbsp;North America’s Building Trades Unions and Interstate Natural Gas Association of America in denouncing the ruling along similar&nbsp;lines</b>.</font></font></p><h3 dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.28205em; margin-top: 1.28205em; margin-bottom: 1.28205em;"><font style="font-weight: normal;" size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">'Single and&nbsp;Complete'</font></font></h3><p dir="ltr" style="margin: 1em 0px;"><font style="font-weight: normal;" size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Nationwide Permit 12 historically was used&nbsp;for small “<a href="https://www.nao.usace.army.mil/Portals/31/docs/regulatory/NationwidePermits/Nationwide_Permit_12.pdf" target="_blank" style="text-decoration-line: none;">single and complete</a>” projects crossing water parcels half an acre in size or&nbsp;smaller.&nbsp;</font></font></p><p dir="ltr" style="margin: 1em 0px;"><font style="font-weight: normal;" size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">But in the aftermath of protests and civil disobedience actions taken against Keystone&nbsp;<span class="caps">XL</span>, the Obama administration began using that permitting process to split pipelines into&nbsp;<a href="https://www.desmogblog.com/2013/11/22/US-court-denies-halt-pipeline-set-replace-keystone-xl-northern-half" style="text-decoration-line: none;">hundreds or thousands</a>&nbsp;of half-acre pieces. The process was a way around the more robust and democratic National Environmental Policy Act (<span class="caps">NEPA</span>) regulatory process, which involves both a public commenting and public hearing&nbsp;phase. Nationwide Permit 12 was also&nbsp;<a href="https://www.desmogblog.com/2016/09/08/dakota-access-pipeline-big-oil-nationwide-permit-12" style="text-decoration-line: none;">used to push through</a>&nbsp;the Dakota Access pipeline, as well as the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.desmogblog.com/2013/10/13/us-court-keystone-xl-profits-more-important-than-environment" style="text-decoration-line: none;">southern leg</a>&nbsp;of the Keystone&nbsp;<span class="caps">XL</span>, both greenlighted by President Barack&nbsp;Obama.</font></font></p><p dir="ltr" style="margin: 1em 0px;"><font style="font-weight: normal;" size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">During the Obama era, environmental groups decried this as a form of “<a href="https://www.commondreams.org/newswire/2016/08/02/comment-period-closes-diverse-voices-call-overhaul-fast-track-pipeline-approval" target="_blank" style="text-decoration-line: none;">segmentation</a>” and a way out of complying with&nbsp;<span class="caps">NEPA</span>, which they routinely challeneged in court&nbsp;<a href="https://www.desmogblog.com/2014/06/25/recent-federal-court-decision-could-muddy-waters-keystone-xl-south-flanagan-south" style="text-decoration-line: none;">with some success</a>—though not enough to undo the legal lever. The bedrock environmental law is now under further attack by President&nbsp;<a href="https://www.desmogblog.com/donald-trump" style="text-decoration-line: none;">Donald Trump</a>, with the administration trying to remove&nbsp;climate change&nbsp;contribution as a factor analyzed under the law for major projects and aiming to narrow the scope of and time it takes to complete these environmental&nbsp;impact&nbsp;reviews.&nbsp;</font></font></p><p dir="ltr" style="margin: 1em 0px;"><font style="font-weight: normal;" size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">[vid]</font></font></p><p dir="ltr" style="margin: 1em 0px;"><font style="font-weight: normal;" size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font style="background-color: rgb(255, 204, 102);" size="4" face="Times New Roman">Since March 2017, the Trump administration has utilized Nationwide Permit 12 over&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/3fb59f0666144ddf4dce0d6d0514d407" target="_blank" style="text-decoration-line: none;">37,000 times</a>, the&nbsp;<span class="caps">AP</span>&nbsp;reported. As it stands today, the Army Corps’ decision to halt use of the Nationwide Permit 12 fast-track tool has put 360 permit applications on&nbsp;hold.&nbsp;</font></font></p><p dir="ltr" style="margin: 1em 0px;"><font style="font-weight: normal;" size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><span class="dquo" style="margin-left: 0px;">“</span>The reason that matters is that the public and the communities and everybody that lives there has the chance to get involved in the process,” Eric Huber, Senior Managing Attorney with the Sierra Club's Environmental Law Program, told DeSmog. “Otherwise, these special permits just allow a pipeline company to go out and start construction without notice to anybody or to take private property and just proceed and blast this through regardless of how the local community thinks of&nbsp;it.”</font></font></p><p dir="ltr" style="margin: 1em 0px;"><font style="font-weight: normal;" size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><b>External corporate attorneys, too, have taken notice and expressed their own concerns about the&nbsp;ruling.</b></font></font></p><p dir="ltr" style="margin: 1em 0px;"><font style="font-weight: normal;" size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><span class="dquo" style="margin-left: 0px;">“</span>The decision puts in limbo thousands of infrastructure projects nationwide that rely on [Nationwide Permit] 12 for the construction, maintenance, or repair of utility lines and poses particularly acute problems for the oil and gas industry, which relies on the permit to facilitate projects ranging from large interstate pipelines to smaller gathering lines at exploration and production sites,” wrote attorneys from<b> Brownstein Hyatt Farber Schreck, a&nbsp;<a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/climate-environment/2019/04/03/firm-that-once-employed-trumps-pick-run-interior-is-making-millions-lobbying-it/" target="_blank" style="text-decoration-line: none;">firm with close ties</a>&nbsp;to the Trump administration, in&nbsp;<a href="https://www.jdsupra.com/legalnews/district-court-ruling-on-keystone-xl-27542/" target="_blank" style="text-decoration-line: none;">one such reaction to the ruling</a>.</b></font></font></p><p dir="ltr" style="margin: 1em 0px;"><font style="font-weight: normal;" size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Brownstein Hyatt Farber Schreck’s fossil fuel industry lobbying&nbsp;<a href="https://www.opensecrets.org/federal-lobbying/firms/summary?cycle=2020&id=D000000724&t0-search=oil" target="_blank" style="text-decoration-line: none;">clients</a>&nbsp;include&nbsp;the American Petroleum Institute, American Public Power Association, Freeport&nbsp;<span class="caps">LNG</span>, Talos Energy, Jordan Cove&nbsp;<span class="caps">LNG</span>,&nbsp;<span class="caps">WPX</span>&nbsp;Energy, and the New Mexico Oil and Gas&nbsp;Association.</font></font></p><p dir="ltr" style="margin: 1em 0px;"><font style="font-weight: normal;" size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Another firm heavily involved in fossil fuel industry litigation and lobbying, Steptoe&nbsp;<span class="amp">&</span>&nbsp;Johnson, also weighed in on the ruling and&nbsp;<a href="https://www.jdsupra.com/legalnews/new-montana-district-court-ruling-could-59518/" target="_blank" style="text-decoration-line: none;">wrote</a>&nbsp;that it could have the impact of “extending permitting time frames for these types of projects” going forward. The firm’s fossil fuel industry lobbying&nbsp;<a href="https://www.opensecrets.org/federal-lobbying/firms/summary?cycle=2020&id=D000022267&t0-search=coal" target="_blank" style="text-decoration-line: none;">clients</a>&nbsp;include American Gas Association, Gas Technology Institute, and Peabody&nbsp;Energy.</font></font></p><h3 dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.28205em; margin-top: 1.28205em; margin-bottom: 1.28205em;"><font style="font-weight: normal;" size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Permian Highway Pipeline in&nbsp;Texas</font></font></h3><p style="margin: 1em 0px;"><font style="font-weight: normal;" size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font style="background-color: rgb(255, 204, 102);" size="4" face="Times New Roman">The legal precedent set in the Keystone&nbsp;<span class="caps">XL</span>&nbsp;case is already playing out in federal&nbsp;courts.</font></font></p><p style="margin: 1em 0px;"><font style="font-weight: normal;" size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><b>On April 30, the Sierra Club filed a&nbsp;<a href="https://www.desmogblog.com/sites/beta.desmogblog.com/files/Sierra%20Club%20v%20Army%20Corps%20of%20Engineers.pdf" style="text-decoration-line: none;">lawsuit</a>&nbsp;</b>in the&nbsp;<span class="caps">U.S.</span>&nbsp;District Court for the Western District of Texas<span style="font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">&nbsp;</span>against the Army Corps of Engineers over another controversial pipeline. The complaint says the Army Corps did not comply with&nbsp;<span class="caps">NEPA</span>&nbsp;in issuing a Nationwide Permit 12 to the 428-mile&nbsp;<a href="https://www.spglobal.com/platts/en/market-insights/latest-news/natural-gas/101719-kinder-morgan-pushes-back-permian-highway-gas-pipe-in-service-date-blames-permitting" target="_blank" style="text-decoration-line: none;">Permian Highway gas pipeline</a>. It also argues&nbsp;the agency is not currently in compliance&nbsp;with the order in the Keystone&nbsp;<span class="caps">XL</span>&nbsp;case because it has&nbsp;continued to allow pipeline construction under the contested&nbsp;Nationwide Permit 12&nbsp;program.</font></font></p><p dir="ltr" style="margin: 1em 0px;"><font style="font-weight: normal;" size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">“It is outrageous that the Corps approved this project without public notice or opportunity to comment on their permits,” Rebecca McCreary, a Sierra Club attorney,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.sierraclub.org/press-releases/2020/04/sierra-club-lawsuit-challenges-construction-permian-highway-fracked-gas" target="_blank" style="text-decoration-line: none;">said of the Permian Highway pipeline in a press release</a>.&nbsp; “Nationwide Permit 12 allows for no public hearings or participation by the local communities before the Corps permits construction to start, nor is there public notice or comment on the&nbsp;<span class="caps">U.S.</span>&nbsp;Fish and Wildlife Service permits allowing harm to the endangered species along the route. The Corps should stop this project&nbsp;immediately.”</font></font></p><p dir="ltr" style="margin: 1em 0px;"><font style="font-weight: normal;" size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><b>Owned by Kinder Morgan, Permian Highway is a pipeline slated to carry gas obtained via&nbsp;<a href="https://www.desmogblog.com/fracking-the-future/" style="text-decoration-line: none;">hydraulic fracturing (“fracking”)</a>&nbsp;in Texas’ Permian Basin east&nbsp;across the state.</b> Kinder Morgan told DeSmog it was aware of the lawsuit, but declined to comment on it and the broader Nationwide Permit 12&nbsp;issue.</font></font></p><p dir="ltr" style="margin: 1em 0px;"><font style="font-weight: normal;" size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Permian Highway has already seen issues with spills into water systems, with&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kvue.com/article/news/local/sierra-club-brown-water-blanco-permian-highway-pipeline/269-d01ebb5c-778a-42af-b24e-e40f7ef00020" target="_blank" style="text-decoration-line: none; outline: 0px;">one late March</a>&nbsp;incident&nbsp;<a href="https://www.statesman.com/news/20200408/records-pipeline-company-spilled-36000-gallons-of-drilling-fluid-in-hill-country" target="_blank" style="text-decoration-line: none;">spilling 36,000 gallons</a>&nbsp;of drilling slurry — including a carcinogenic additive — into&nbsp;groundwater.&nbsp;</font></font></p><p dir="ltr" style="margin: 1em 0px;"><font style="font-weight: normal;" size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">[twt]</font></font></p><p dir="ltr" style="margin: 1em 0px;"><font style="font-weight: normal;" size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 102);" size="4" face="Times New Roman">Responding, the Hays County Commissioners Court&nbsp;<a href="https://hayscountytx.com/2020/04/22/commissioners-court-votes-to-rescind-road-permits-for-permian-highway-pipeline/" target="_blank" style="text-decoration-line: none;">voted</a>&nbsp;on April 22 to rescind road permits given by the Texas county to allow Kinder Morgan to drill underneath county roads as it builds the pipeline. And Kinder Morgan, too, has suspended construction on this portion of the pipeline as it “determines the best path forward” in the aftermath of the spill, the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.houstonchronicle.com/business/energy/amp/kinder-morgan-hill-country-pipeline-drill-accident-15175986.php?fbclid=IwAR2JrPNbbEmSHwogVxIZtMMe12qAdD_PQOt1tkGQxc3VZ0laSiZghFIXEjE" target="_blank" style="text-decoration-line: none;">company told Houston Chronicle</a>.</font></font></p><p dir="ltr" style="margin: 1em 0px;"><font style="font-weight: normal;" size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><b>The City of Austin, City of San Marcos, Hays County, Travis County, and others also&nbsp;<a href="https://www.desmogblog.com/sites/beta.desmogblog.com/files/Austin%20Lawsuit.pdf" style="text-decoration-line: none;">filed</a>&nbsp;their own Endangered Species Act lawsuit in February, </b>arguing that the pipeline could threaten protected Golden Cheeked Warblers, two salamander species, and their&nbsp;habitats.&nbsp;</font></font></p><h3 dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.28205em; margin-top: 1.28205em; margin-bottom: 1.28205em;"><font style="font-weight: normal;" size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Keystone&nbsp;<span class="caps">XL</span>&nbsp;Decision&nbsp;Looms</font></font></h3><p dir="ltr" style="margin: 1em 0px;"><font style="font-weight: normal;" size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 102);" size="4" face="Times New Roman">In the Keystone&nbsp;<span class="caps">XL</span>&nbsp;case in Montana, Morris recently&nbsp;<a href="https://www.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.uscourts.mtd.61274/gov.uscourts.mtd.61274.134.0.pdf" target="_blank" style="text-decoration-line: none;">denied&nbsp;</a>the Army Corps a procedural stay in the case.&nbsp;<b><span class="caps">TC</span>&nbsp;Energy</b>, for its part, wants the decision&nbsp;<a href="https://www.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.uscourts.mtd.61274/gov.uscourts.mtd.61274.137.0.pdf" target="_blank" style="text-decoration-line: none;">struck down</a>&nbsp;as it applies both&nbsp;to its own pipeline and for the permitting program at&nbsp;large.</font></font></p><p dir="ltr" style="margin: 1em 0px;"><font style="font-weight: normal;" size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><span class="dquo" style="margin-left: 0px;">“</span>If&nbsp;<span class="caps">TC</span>&nbsp;Energy does not receive authorization from the Army Corps by early July, its construction plans will be significantly impacted,” Gary Salsman, a&nbsp;<span class="caps">TC</span>&nbsp;Energy vice president&nbsp;for the Keystone&nbsp;<span class="caps">XL</span>&nbsp;project,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.uscourts.mtd.61274/gov.uscourts.mtd.61274.137.1.pdf" target="_blank" style="text-decoration-line: none;">wrote in his April 29 affidavit</a>. “Currently,&nbsp;<span class="caps">TC</span>&nbsp;Energy is evaluating potential options that would be available to it in that circumstance, each of which have significant adverse&nbsp;consequences.”</font></font></p><p dir="ltr" style="margin: 1em 0px;"><font style="font-weight: normal;" size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Those “potential options,” Salsman wrote, include a potential construction delay across Montana, South Dakota, and Nebraska; a change in construction plans this year to avoid the waters it is currently slated to cross that are impacted by the vacating of&nbsp;Nationwide Permit 12; or ending construction all together. He added that if construction does not begin in 2020, it could cost the company $750 million to $1.3&nbsp;billion.</font></font></p><p dir="ltr" style="margin: 1em 0px;"><font style="font-weight: normal;" size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Morris could make a decision on how broadly his Nationwide Permit 12 decision applies&nbsp;<a href="https://www.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.uscourts.mtd.61274/gov.uscourts.mtd.61274.134.0.pdf" target="_blank" style="text-decoration-line: none;">as soon as May 8</a>. Regardless of the outcome, Morris' next move will likely face an appeal from either&nbsp;side.&nbsp;</font></font></p><p dir="ltr" style="margin: 1em 0px;"><font style="font-weight: normal;" size="4" face="Times New Roman"><br /></font></p><div class="field-label" times="Times" new="New" roman="Roman" font-size="font-size" large="large" display="display" inline="inline"><font style="font-weight: normal;" size="4" face="Times New Roman">TAGS:&nbsp;</font></div><div class="field-items" times="Times" new="New" roman="Roman" font-size="font-size" large="large" display="display" inline="inline"><div class="field-item even" style="display: inline-block; margin-right: 0.5em;"><font style="font-weight: normal;" size="4" face="Times New Roman"><a href="https://www.desmogblog.com/topics/permian-highway-pipeline">Permian Highway Pipeline</a></font></div><div class="field-item odd" style="display: inline-block; margin-right: 0.5em;"><font style="font-weight: normal;" size="4" face="Times New Roman"><a href="https://www.desmogblog.com/topics/brownstein-hyatt-farber-schreck">Brownstein Hyatt Farber Schreck</a></font></div><div class="field-item even" style="display: inline-block; margin-right: 0.5em;"><font style="font-weight: normal;" size="4" face="Times New Roman"><a href="https://www.desmogblog.com/directory/vocabulary/6586">Kinder Morgan</a></font></div><div class="field-item odd" style="display: inline-block; margin-right: 0.5em;"><font style="font-weight: normal;" size="4" face="Times New Roman"><a href="https://www.desmogblog.com/directory/vocabulary/9356">Army Corps of Engineers</a></font></div><div class="field-item even" style="display: inline-block; margin-right: 0.5em;"><font style="font-weight: normal;" size="4" face="Times New Roman"><a href="https://www.desmogblog.com/directory/vocabulary/643">American Petroleum Institute</a></font></div><div class="field-item odd" style="display: inline-block; margin-right: 0.5em;"><font style="font-weight: normal;" size="4" face="Times New Roman"><a href="https://www.desmogblog.com/directory/vocabulary/666">Sierra Club</a></font></div><div class="field-item even" style="display: inline-block; margin-right: 0.5em;"><font style="font-weight: normal;" size="4" face="Times New Roman"><a href="https://www.desmogblog.com/directory/vocabulary/5857">Keystone XL</a></font></div><div class="field-item odd" style="display: inline-block; margin-right: 0.5em;"><font style="font-weight: normal;" size="4" face="Times New Roman"><a href="https://www.desmogblog.com/directory/vocabulary/18524">Permian Basin</a></font></div><div class="field-item even" style="display: inline-block; margin-right: 0.5em;"><font style="font-weight: normal;" size="4" face="Times New Roman"><a href="https://www.desmogblog.com/tags/oil-sands">oil sands</a></font></div><div class="field-item odd" style="display: inline-block; margin-right: 0.5em;"><font style="font-weight: normal;" size="4" face="Times New Roman"><a href="https://www.desmogblog.com/directory/vocabulary/2632">tar sands</a></font></div><div class="field-item even" style="display: inline-block; margin-right: 0.5em;"><font style="font-weight: normal;" size="4" face="Times New Roman"><a href="https://www.desmogblog.com/directory/vocabulary/14049">Nationwide Permit 12</a></font></div><div class="field-item odd" style="display: inline-block; margin-right: 0.5em;"><font style="font-weight: normal;" size="4" face="Times New Roman"><a href="https://www.desmogblog.com/topics/brian-morris">Brian Morris</a></font></div><div class="field-item even" style="display: inline-block; margin-right: 0.5em;"><font style="font-weight: normal;" size="4" face="Times New Roman"><a href="https://www.desmogblog.com/topics/tc-energy">TC Energy</a></font></div><div class="field-item odd" style="display: inline-block; margin-right: 0.5em;"><font style="font-weight: normal;" size="4" face="Times New Roman"><a href="https://www.desmogblog.com/directory/vocabulary/5420">TransCanada</a></font></div><div class="field-item even" style="display: inline-block; margin-right: 0.5em;"><font style="font-weight: normal;" size="4" face="Times New Roman"><a href="https://www.desmogblog.com/topics/trump-administration">Trump Administration</a></font></div><div class="field-item odd" style="display: inline-block; margin-right: 0.5em;"><font style="font-weight: normal;" size="4" face="Times New Roman"><a href="https://www.desmogblog.com/directory/vocabulary/3844">Obama administration</a></font></div><div class="field-item even" style="display: inline-block; margin-right: 0.5em;"><font style="font-weight: normal;" size="4" face="Times New Roman"><a href="https://www.desmogblog.com/directory/vocabulary/5869">National Environmental Policy Act</a></font></div><div class="field-item odd" style="display: inline-block; margin-right: 0.5em;"><font style="font-weight: normal;" size="4" face="Times New Roman"><a href="https://www.desmogblog.com/directory/vocabulary/5670">Clean Water Act</a></font></div><div class="field-item even" style="display: inline-block; margin-right: 0.5em;"><font style="font-weight: normal;" size="4" face="Times New Roman"><a href="https://www.desmogblog.com/directory/vocabulary/3030">endangered species act</a></font></div></div><div><font style="font-weight: normal;" size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">===</font></font></div><div><font style="font-weight: normal;" size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">420 ew</font></font></div><div><font style="font-weight: normal;" size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><br /></font></font></div><div><font style="font-weight: normal;" size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/keystone-xl-pipeline-permit-2645731994.html">https://www.ecowatch.com/keystone-xl-pipeline-permit-2645731994.html</a></font></font></div><div><font style="font-weight: normal;" size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><br /></font></font></div><div><font style="font-weight: normal;" size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">==</font></font></div><div><p><font style="font-weight: normal;" size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">==</font></font></p><p><font style="font-weight: normal;" size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">420 just bewildering; same time as trump meets with oil ceo record low prices for oil</font></font></p><p><font style="font-weight: normal;" size="4" face="Times New Roman"><a href="https://www.democracynow.org/2020/4/6/headlines/construction_of_keystone_xl_pipeline_to_resume_despite_coronavirus_and_environmental_threats"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman" color="#000000">https://www.democracynow.org/2020/4/6/headlines/construction_of_keystone_xl_pipeline_to_resume_despite_coronavirus_and_environmental_threats</font></a></font></p><p><font style="font-weight: normal;" size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><br /></font></font></p><p><font style="font-weight: normal;" size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">in&nbsp;<span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">environmental news, construction on th</span><b><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">e Keystone XL pipeline is set to resume. Officials in Alberta, Canada, said they would hand over more than&nbsp;</span><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 102);">$1 billion to TC Energy — formerly known as TransCanada</span><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">&nbsp;— so that construction can continue, even though it risks putting construction workers and residents on the pipeline’s path — many of them from indigenous communities&nbsp;</span></b><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">— at heightened risk for contracting the coronavirus. South Dakota and several other states recently passed new laws criminalizing protests against pipelines.</span></font></font></p></div><div><font style="font-weight: normal;" size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">==</font></font></div><p><font style="font-weight: normal;" size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">==</font></font></p><p><font style="font-weight: normal;" size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">aug 2019</font></font></p><p><font style="font-weight: normal;" size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2019/aug/23/nebraska-lifts-a-last-major-hurdle-for-keystone-xl-pipeline</font></font></p><p><font style="font-weight: normal;" size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><br /></font></font></p><p><font style="font-weight: normal;" size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">no lnx</font></font></p><p><font style="font-weight: normal;" size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font style="background-color: rgb(255, 204, 102);" size="4" face="Times New Roman">keystone XL pipeline set to go ahead as court lifts last major hurdle</font></font></p><p><font style="font-weight: normal;" size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><br /></font></font></p><p><font style="font-weight: normal;" size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><b>State’s highest court rejects attempt to derail project by opponents who want to force developer to reapply for state approval</b></font></font></p><p><font style="font-weight: normal;" size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><br /></font></font></p><p><font style="font-weight: normal;" size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Associated Press</font></font></p><p><font style="font-weight: normal;" size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><br /></font></font></p><p><font style="font-weight: normal;" size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Fri 23 Aug 2019 10.39 EDTLast modified on Fri 23 Aug 2019 11.10 EDT</font></font></p><p><font style="font-weight: normal;" size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><br /></font></font></p><p><font style="font-weight: normal;" size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Nebraska’s highest court lifted one of the last major hurdles for the Keystone XL pipeline on Friday when it rejected another attempt to derail the project by opponents who wanted to force the developer to reapply for state approval.</font></font></p><p><font style="font-weight: normal;" size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><br /></font></font></p><p><font style="font-weight: normal;" size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">The pipeline faces intense resistance from environmental groups, Native American tribes and some landowners along the route who worry about its long-term impact on their groundwater and property rights. But in Nebraska, many affected landowners have accepted the project and are eager to collect payments from the company.</font></font></p><p><font style="font-weight: normal;" size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><br /></font></font></p><p><font style="font-weight: normal;" size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">The Nebraska supreme court upheld the decision of regulators who voted in November 2017 to green-light a route through the state. The court’s decision was a victory for the $8bn project, which has been mired in lawsuits and regulatory hearings since it was proposed in 2008.</font></font></p><p><font style="font-weight: normal;" size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><br /></font></font></p><p><font style="font-weight: normal;" size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Barack Obama’s administration studied the project for years before finally rejecting it in 2015 because of concerns about carbon pollution. Donald Trump reversed that decision in March 2017. Federal approval was required because the route crosses an international border.</font></font></p><p><font style="font-weight: normal;" size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><br /></font></font></p><p><font style="font-weight: normal;" size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">The Nebraska Public Service Commission voted 3-2 in favor of an “alternative route” for the project instead of developer TC Energy’s preferred pathway for the pipeline. Opponents filed a lawsuit arguing the company didn’t follow all the required procedures for the alternative route, in violation of state law.</font></font></p><p><font style="font-weight: normal;" size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><br /></font></font></p><p><font style="font-weight: normal;" size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Attorneys for the opponents argued that TC Energy’s application with the commission was only valid for its preferred route, and the company formerly known as TransCanada could only seek approval for one route at a time. Nebraska state attorneys disputed that claim, saying that the commission’s decision complied with the law and was in the public’s interest.</font></font></p><p><font style="font-weight: normal;" size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><br /></font></font></p><p><font style="font-weight: normal;" size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">The high court on Friday sided with the state, saying the Public Service Commission is the agency responsible for determining which pipeline route is in the public interest, and that it did so after months of consideration.</font></font></p><p><font style="font-weight: normal;" size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><br /></font></font></p><p><font style="font-weight: normal;" size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">“We find there is sufficient evidence to support the PSC’s determination that the (alternative route) is in the public interest,” Justice Jeffrey Funke wrote for the court.</font></font></p><p><font style="font-weight: normal;" size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><br /></font></font></p><p><font style="font-weight: normal;" size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">If completed, the pipeline would carry oil from Canada through Montana, South Dakota and Nebraska, where it would connect to an existing pump station in Steele City, Nebraska. From there it would continue through Kansas, Oklahoma and Texas until it reaches Gulf coast refineries. Business groups and some unions support the project as a way to create jobs and reduce the risk of shipping oil by trains that can derail.</font></font></p><p><font style="font-weight: normal;" size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">===</font></font></p><p><font style="font-weight: normal;" size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">https://yyy.theguardian.com/environment/2019/nov/25/keystone-xl-protests-pipeline-activism-environment</font></font></p><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font style="font-weight: normal;" size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">===</font></font></div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font style="font-weight: normal;" size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">https://yyy.theguardian.com/us-news/2019/sep/23/revealed-how-the-fbi-targeted-environmental-activists-in-domestic-terror-investigations</font></font></div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font style="font-weight: normal;" size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><br /></font></font></div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><div><font style="font-weight: normal;" size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">no link guk</font></font></div><div><font style="font-weight: normal;" size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><b>Revealed: how the FBI targeted environmental activists in domestic terror investigations</b></font></font></div><div><font style="font-weight: normal;" size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><b>US news</b></font></font></div><div><font style="font-weight: normal;" size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><b>Protesters were characterized as a threat to national security in what one calls an attempt to criminalize their actions</b></font></font></div><div><font style="font-weight: normal;" size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><br /></font></font></div><div><font style="font-weight: normal;" size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Adam Federman</font></font></div><div><font style="font-weight: normal;" size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><br /></font></font></div><div><font style="font-weight: normal;" size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Tue 24 Sep 2019 01.00 EDTLast modified on Wed 25 Sep 2019 14.11 EDT</font></font></div><div><font style="font-weight: normal;" size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><br /></font></font></div><div><font style="font-weight: normal;" size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Helen Yost, a 62-year-old environmental educator, has been a committed activist for nearly a decade. She says she spends 60 to 80 hours a week as a community organizer for Wild Idaho Rising Tide. She’s been arrested twice for engaging in non-violent civil disobedience.</font></font></div><div><font style="font-weight: normal;" size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><br /></font></font></div><div><font style="font-weight: normal;" size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Yost may not fit the profile of a domestic terrorist, but in 2014 the FBI classified her as a potential threat to national security. According to hundreds of pages of FBI files obtained by the Guardian through a Freedom of Information Act (Foia) lawsuit, and interviews with activists, Yost and more than a dozen other people campaigning against fossil fuel extraction in North America have been identified in domestic terrorism-related investigations.</font></font></div><div><font style="font-weight: normal;" size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><br /></font></font></div><div><font style="font-weight: normal;" size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">The investigations, which targeted individual activists and some environmental organizations, were opened in 2013-2014, at the height of opposition to the Keystone XL Pipeline and the expansion of fossil fuel production in North America.</font></font></div><div><font style="font-weight: normal;" size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><br /></font></font></div><div><font style="font-weight: normal;" size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">From an FBI communication on Helen Yost, dated 24 July 2014.</font></font></div><div><font style="font-weight: normal;" size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">&nbsp;From an FBI communication on Helen Yost, dated 24 July 2014.</font></font></div><div><font style="font-weight: normal;" size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">The new Foia documents reveal the bureau’s motivation for investigating a broad cross-section of the environmental movement and its characterization of non-violent protesters as a potential threat to national security.</font></font></div><div><font style="font-weight: normal;" size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><br /></font></font></div><div><font style="font-weight: normal;" size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">In 2010, the DoJ’s inspector general criticized the FBI for using non-violent civil disobedience as grounds to open domestic terrorism investigations. US citizens swept up in such investigations can be placed on terrorism watchlists and subjected to surveillance and restrictions on international travel. The designation can also lead local law enforcement to take a more confrontational approach when engaging with non-violent activists.</font></font></div><div><font style="font-weight: normal;" size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><br /></font></font></div><div><font style="font-weight: normal;" size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><br /></font></font></div><div><font style="font-weight: normal;" size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">The Resistance Now: Sign up for weekly news updates about the movement</font></font></div><div><font style="font-weight: normal;" size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">&nbsp;Read more</font></font></div><div><font style="font-weight: normal;" size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">The FBI’s 2013-2014 investigation of Keystone XL activists in Houston violated internal agency guidelines designed to prevent the bureau from infringing on constitutionally protected activities. The investigations opened in 2013-2014 were closed after the FBI concluded that the individuals and organizations had not engaged in criminal activity and did not a pose a threat to national security.</font></font></div><div><font style="font-weight: normal;" size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><br /></font></font></div><div><font style="font-weight: normal;" size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">In 2015, the Obama administration rejected the Keystone XL pipeline project, which required state department approval because it would cross international borders, handing the environmental movement a major victory. More large-scale protests followed, including the standoff over the Dakota Access pipeline, which temporarily delayed the project.</font></font></div><div><font style="font-weight: normal;" size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><br /></font></font></div><div><font style="font-weight: normal;" size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">But those decisions have been reversed in recent years. Donald Trump has approved construction of the Keystone XL and Dakota Access pipelines, and his administration has also advocated for stiffer penalties against activists who engage in non-violent direct action targeting fossil fuel infrastructure. Meanwhile, in the wake of the Standing Rock protests, seven states have passed legislation making it a crime to trespass on property containing critical infrastructure.</font></font></div><div><font style="font-weight: normal;" size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><br /></font></font></div><div><font style="font-weight: normal;" size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">In its July 2014 file on Yost, the FBI cited federal anti-terrorism legislation prohibiting “attacks and other violence against railroad carriers” as the primary justification for opening the investigation. Violation of the law can lead to up to 20 years in prison. Activists who engage in non-violent civil disobedience and are charged with minor offenses such as trespassing are typically released within 48 hours.</font></font></div><div><font style="font-weight: normal;" size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><br /></font></font></div><div><font style="font-weight: normal;" size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">The FBI characterized Yost as being driven by a “desire to stop fossil fuels which, in her political view, are destroying parts of the US, specifically Montana, Idaho and Washington”. In addition, the FBI discussed the case with the US attorney’s office in Idaho, local law enforcement, and BNSF Railway, which operates the main rail line delivering coal and oil to export terminals in the Pacific north-west.</font></font></div><div><font style="font-weight: normal;" size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><br /></font></font></div><div><font style="font-weight: normal;" size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">FBI communication on Helen Yost</font></font></div><div><font style="font-weight: normal;" size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">&nbsp;From an FBI communication on Helen Yost, dated 24 July 2014.</font></font></div><div><font style="font-weight: normal;" size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">According to the FBI file, the bureau opened the investigation based on information that Yost “was organizing and planning on conducting illegal activities against railroad companies from Montana into Idaho and Washington”.</font></font></div><div><font style="font-weight: normal;" size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><br /></font></font></div><div><font style="font-weight: normal;" size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Yost said Wild Idaho Rising Tide (WIRT) never organized direct action protests to disrupt oil train traffic passing in the region. The heavily redacted Yost investigation concludes that “no potential criminal violations or priority threats to national security warranting further investigation were identified”.</font></font></div><div><font style="font-weight: normal;" size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><br /></font></font></div><div><font style="font-weight: normal;" size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">WIRT did participate in a series of community-led events and workshops in July and August 2014 opposing the transport of oil and coal by rail. “Investigators may have conflated several community events to assume such fictitious allegations,” Yost said in an email.</font></font></div><div><font style="font-weight: normal;" size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><br /></font></font></div><div><font style="font-weight: normal;" size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">For several years, WIRT, founded in 2011, had been publicizing its actions on the organization’s Facebook page. Much of its activity had focused on stopping the passage of huge trucks known as megaloads, which transport processing equipment to tar sands oil fields in Canada and weigh hundreds of thousands of pounds, along one of Idaho’s scenic byways.</font></font></div><div><font style="font-weight: normal;" size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><br /></font></font></div><div><font style="font-weight: normal;" size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">The campaign involved posting public records on the megaload routes, tracking their progress, and at times blockading their movement.</font></font></div><div><font style="font-weight: normal;" size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><br /></font></font></div><div><font style="font-weight: normal;" size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Yost was also active in protesting against the shipment of coal and oil by rail to export terminals in Seattle. In the summer of 2014, WIRT, along with several other environmental organizations and native groups across the Pacific north-west, sponsored a series of rallies and workshops in the region.</font></font></div><div><font style="font-weight: normal;" size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><br /></font></font></div><div><font style="font-weight: normal;" size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Those protests were peaceful – a handful of activists in Montana including the environmental writer Rick Bass were arrested for trespassing – and in the end the FBI concluded that Yost did not pose a threat to national security. Several months later the investigation was closed.</font></font></div><div><font style="font-weight: normal;" size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><br /></font></font></div><div><font style="font-weight: normal;" size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">However, in the file closing the case, it appears that Yost has been watchlisted, which is standard for named subjects of FBI domestic terrorism investigations, according to Mike German, a former FBI agent who is now a fellow with the Brennan Center for Justice. Being watchlisted can lead to heightened scrutiny from law enforcement and delays or additional screenings when traveling. Yost said she had not traveled overseas since the FBI investigation.</font></font></div><div><font style="font-weight: normal;" size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><br /></font></font></div><div><font style="font-weight: normal;" size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Yost, who was contacted by an FBI agent when the case was still active, said she was not surprised by the agency’s actions. Surveillance was a form of suppression, she said, and this was another attempt to criminalize the actions of “normal people” working to protect natural resources. But she remains undeterred.</font></font></div><div><font style="font-weight: normal;" size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><br /></font></font></div><div><font style="font-weight: normal;" size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">“Assume they know the color of your underwear every morning and get up and resist anyway,” Yost said.</font></font></div><div><font style="font-weight: normal;" size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><br /></font></font></div><div><font style="font-weight: normal;" size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Herb Goodwin, a 70-year-old activist, has a similar philosophy. “We’re all under surveillance,” Goodwin said. “If they want to look at your stuff, they’re going to.”...</font></font></div></div><div><font style="font-weight: normal;" size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">===</font></font></div><div><font style="font-weight: normal;" size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">an 1119</font></font></div><div><font style="font-weight: normal;" size="4" face="Times New Roman"><a href="https://www.alternet.org/2019/11/keystone-pipeline-springs-a-massive-leak-and-dumps-at-least-383000-gallons-of-oil-in-north-dakota/"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman" color="#000000">https://www.alternet.org/2019/11/keystone-pipeline-springs-a-massive-leak-and-dumps-at-least-383000-gallons-of-oil-in-north-dakota/</font></a></font></div><div><font style="font-weight: normal;" size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><br /></font></font></div><div><font style="font-weight: normal;" size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman" /></font><div><font style="font-weight: normal;" size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">n o lnx</font></font></font></font></font></font></font></font></font></font></font></font></font></font></font></font></font></font></font></font></font></font></font></font></font></font></font></font></font></font></font></font></font></font></font></font></font></font></div><div><br /></div><div>Keystone pipeline springs a massive leak and dumps at least 383,000 gallons of oil in North Dakota</div><div><br /></div><div>Written by Jake Johnson / Common Dreams November 1, 2019</div><div>Environmentalists were outraged but not at all surprised to learn Thursday that the Keystone pipeline sprung yet another massive leak, this time spilling 383,000 gallons of crude oil in North Dakota.</div><div><br /></div><div>“I wish I could say I was shocked, but a major spill from the Keystone pipeline is exactly what multiple experts predicted would happen,” Greenpeace USA senior research specialist Tim Donaghy said in a statement. “In fact, this is the fourth significant spill from the Keystone pipeline in less than ten years of operation. History has shown us time and again that there is no safe way to transport fossil fuels, and pipelines are no exception.”</div><div><br /></div><div><b><br /></b></div><div><b>As 350.org founder Bill McKibben tweeted in response to the leak, “It happens over and over and over and over and over.”</b></div><div><br /></div><div>The latest Keystone spill was first detected Tuesday night by TC Energy, the pipeline’s owner, and the extent of the damage to the surrounding areas is not yet known to the public. According to Greenpeace, the leak “is already the eighth-largest pipeline oil spill of the last decade.”</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>Greenpeace USA</div><div>?</div><div>@greenpeaceusa</div><div>The Keystone pipeline just spilled AGAIN** — and is now the 8th largest pipeline oil spill in the past decade. ????</div><div><br /></div><div>**Brought to you by the corporation that wants to build the much larger #KXL pipeline and have it cut right through the Midwest... https://nyti.ms/2oxONNq&nbsp; #NoKXL</div><div><br /></div><div>92</div><div>11:15 AM - Oct 31, 2019</div><div>Twitter Ads info and privacy</div><div>127 people are talking about this</div><div>The Keystone pipeline just spilled AGAIN** — and is now the 8th largest pipeline oil spill in the past decade. ????</div><div><br /></div><div>**Brought to you by the corporation that wants to build the much larger #KXL pipeline and have it cut right through the Midwest… https://t.co/gHXxIC12Sw #NoKXL</div><div><br /></div><div>— Greenpeace USA (@greenpeaceusa) October 31, 2019</div><div><br /></div><div><b>Brent Nelson, emergency manager for Walsh County, North Dakota, told the local Grand Forks Herald that the cleanup process could take months.</b></div><div><br /></div><div>“The roads around the spill area have been closed to assist with the cleanup,” the Herald reported. “Walsh County Sheriff Ronald Jurgens asks the public to avoid the area so the cleanup process can proceed. On-site security will stop and fine any driver ignoring the closed road signs.”</div><div><br /></div><div>TC Energy, previously known as TransCanada, denied that the spill had any impact on drinking water, a claim that was met with skepticism.</div><div><br /></div><div>@RuthH_Hopkins</div><div>Keystone Pipeline leak spills oil in northeastern North Dakota&nbsp;</div><div><br /></div><div><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 102);">Corp says the oil hasn’t contaminated any drinking water & they’re cleaning it up but<b>&nbsp;anyone who drives to the site will be fined by their security so who knows what’s going on. #</b>NOKXL</span>&nbsp;https://www.grandforksherald.com/news/4746575-Keystone-Pipeline-leak-spills-oil-in-northeastern-North-Dakota …</div><div><br /></div><div>Keystone Pipeline leak spills oil in northeastern North Dakota</div><div><br /></div><div>Corp says the oil hasn’t contaminated any drinking water & they’re cleaning it up but anyone who drives to the site will be fined by their security so who knows what’s going on. #NOKXL https://t.co/7H6Dcz4bsm</div><div><br /></div><div>— Ruth Hopkins (@RuthH_Hopkins) October 31, 2019</div><div><br /></div><div>Catherine Collentine, associate director of Sierra Club’s Beyond Dirty Fuels initiative, said “this is not the first time this pipeline has spilled toxic tar sands, and it won’t be the last.”</div><div><br /></div><div>“We’ve always said it’s not a question of whether a pipeline will spill, but when,” said Collentine, “and once again TC Energy has made our case for us.”</div><div><br /></div><div><b>Keystone’s leak in North Dakota was detected just hours after the U.S. State Department held a public hearing in Billings, Montana to solicit comments on the department’s new analysis (pdf) of the potential environmental impact of the Keystone XL project.</b></div><div><br /></div><div><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 102);">The Trump administration has worked hard to approve and accelerate the project over the protests and legal challenges of indigenous rights organizations and green groups</span>.</div><div><br /></div><div>Joye Braun, frontline community organizer with the&nbsp;<b>Indigenous Environmental Network,</b>&nbsp;said the State Department meeting on Keystone XL “seemed more like an industry showcase rather than public comment hearing.”</div><div><br /></div><div>“We stand firm in opposing this project as the latest spill is further evidence of just how dangerous pipelines are,” said Braun.</div><div><br /></div></div><div><font style="font-weight: normal;" size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">==</font></font></div><p><font style="font-weight: normal;" size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">==</font></font></p><p><font style="font-weight: normal;" size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">omfg</font></font></p><p><font style="font-weight: normal;" size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">no lnx vid</font></font></p><p><font style="font-weight: normal;" size="4" face="Times New Roman"><a href="https://www.indianz.com/News/2019/04/04/native-sun-news-today-trump-once-again-p.asp"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman" color="#000000">https://www.indianz.com/News/2019/04/04/native-sun-news-today-trump-once-again-p.asp</font></a></font></p><p><font style="font-weight: normal;" size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><b>Native Sun News Today: Trump once again pushes Keystone XL Pipeline on Indian Country</b></font></font></p><p><font style="font-weight: normal;" size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><b>Thursday, April 4, 2019&nbsp;&nbsp;</b></font></font></p><p><font style="font-weight: normal;" size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Holding on tight as Trump boosts KXL Pipeline</font></font></p><p><font style="font-weight: normal;" size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">By Talli Nauman</font></font></p><p><font style="font-weight: normal;" size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Native Sun News Today Health & Environment Editor</font></font></p><p><font style="font-weight: normal;" size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">nativesunnews.today</font></font></p><p><font style="font-weight: normal;" size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 102);" size="4" face="Times New Roman">MISSION - As the Rosebud Sioux Tribe celebrated the fifth anniversary March 29 of founding its spirit camp to protect nature from the proposed Keystone XL Pipeline, U.S. President Donald Trump advanced the Canadian tar-sands crude-oil slurry project by revoking its stalled State Department permit and issuing a fast-track executive proclamation.</font></font></p><p><font style="font-weight: normal;" size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">“Today we celebrate the day now recognized as a Rosebud Sioux Tribe Official Holiday and we continue the original prayer as we remain steadfast, Shielding the People - Oyate Wahancanka Woecun,” the Rosebud Spirit Camp announced, inviting the public here to a feast and dance “to give thanks for the continued success of the original prayer.”</font></font></p><p><font style="font-weight: normal;" size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 102);" size="4" face="Times New Roman">Just hours later, Trump signed a memorandum declaring: “By virtue of the authority vested in me as President of the United States of America, I hereby grant permission … to TransCanada Keystone Pipeline, L.P. to construct, connect, operate, and maintain pipeline facilities at the international border of the United States and Canada at Phillips County, Montana, for the import of oil from Canada to the United States.”</font></font></p><p><font style="font-weight: normal;" size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><b>If unopposed, the order would allow construction to go forward despite a federal court suspension of the State Department Presidential Permit, requiring further study before approval.</b></font></font></p><p><font style="font-weight: normal;" size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">indianz.com</font></font></p><p><font style="font-weight: normal;" size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">@indianz</font></font></p><p><font style="font-weight: normal;" size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">President Trump is attempting to circumvent the judiciary by approving the Keystone XL Pipeline without a full environmental review of concerns raised by Indian Country. #NoKXL statement from the Indigenous Environmental Network:</font></font></p><p><font style="font-weight: normal;" size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">The Indigenous Environmental Network responded by calling the order “an attempt by the President to bypass federal environmental laws.</font></font></p><p><font style="font-weight: normal;" size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">“In defense of the sacred and the protection of indigenous peoples, we will continue to fight this pipeline, even if that means further legal action against the office of the President of the United States,” the Bemidji-based non-profit alliance said in a written statement.</font></font></p><p><font style="font-weight: normal;" size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 102);" size="4" face="Times New Roman">Trump’s document professes to be an instrument that “supersedes” the State Department’s Presidential Permit issued March 23, 2017. However, the earlier permit applied to the full length of the segment of the pipeline that remains to be built through unceded 1868 Ft. Laramie Treaty territory in Montana, South Dakota, and Nebraska.</font></font></p><p><font style="font-weight: normal;" size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">If completed, the Keystone XL Pipeline would carry diluted bitumen, or dilbit, from the tar-sands mines of the Athabascan homelands in Alberta to the Texas Gulf Coast refineries and export terminals.</font></font></p><p><font style="font-weight: normal;" size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">The memorandum only covers construction at “border facilities,” consisting of a 36-inch diameter pipeline extending from Canada “to and including the first mainline shut-off valve in the United States,” located approximately 1.2 miles from the international boundary.</font></font></p><p><font style="font-weight: normal;" size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Oyate Wahacanka Woecun: #NoKXL #NoDAPL #WeAreProtectors</font></font></p><p><font style="font-weight: normal;" size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 102);" size="4" face="Times New Roman">The announcement came as tribal governments and ranchers along the route were struggling to survive monumental spring storm runoff that is creating mud plains and stranding residents for weeks.</font></font></p><p><font style="font-weight: normal;" size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 102);" size="4" face="Times New Roman">“In the face of historic flooding in Nebraska and South Dakota, the Trump Administration issues another proclamation attempting to shove a risky tar-sands pipeline down the throats of farmers and ranchers currently facing devastation,” said Jane Kleeb, Bold Nebraska founder.</font></font></p><p><font style="font-weight: normal;" size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><b>The past Administration had denied the Presidential Permit to build into the United States and Trump overturned that with the flourish of a pen during his first week in office, as promised on the campaign trail.</b></font></font></p><p><font style="font-weight: normal;" size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">“Instead of helping the heartland, Trump is driving a stake through the hearts of family farmers and ranchers and tribal nations who are trying to protect the land and water from a foreign oil pipeline,” she said in a written statement.</font></font></p><p><font style="font-weight: normal;" size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 102);" size="4" face="Times New Roman">The White House action followed the announcement one day earlier of a lawsuit against the state of South Dakota for Gov. Kristi Noem’s recently approved Riot Busting Act, so-called after she coined the phrase “riot busting” in drafting the measure she said was aimed at avoiding costs to the government for conflicts the Keystone XL project is anticipated to engender.</font></font></p><p><font style="font-weight: normal;" size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 102);" size="4" face="Times New Roman">The act says that “anyone that contributes to a protest, whether through monetary donations, donations of supplies, or even through organizing a page on social media, can be held liable, and have civil and criminal penalties for supporting a protest that the state deems violent,” plaintiffs claimed.</font></font></p><p><font style="font-weight: normal;" size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 102);" size="4" face="Times New Roman">“Individuals or organizations that support a protest don’t even need to be on the ground or physically present at the protest to be held liable,” plaintiffs added. Also under the law, TransCanada Corp. could use money obtained from protesters and organizations to promote pipeline construction,” they alleged.</font></font></p><p><font style="font-weight: normal;" size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">“Gov. Kristi Noem's legislation is yet another way to promote Big Oil interests and prevent dissent by making protesters subject to legal action,” said Kim Pate, vice-president of NDN Collective. Cherokee and Choctaw, Pate is an attorney with 25 years of experience in civil rights litigation.</font></font></p><p><font style="font-weight: normal;" size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">“Protests and other forms of dissent are protected speech under the First Amendment of the Constitution. If we don't fight this now, what's next? Silencing all speech to placate and enable corporate interests at all costs?” she asked. “Not on our watch.”</font></font></p><p><font style="font-weight: normal;" size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman" /></font></p><p><font style="font-weight: normal;" size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Joining her organization in the lawsuit prepared by the ACLU are the Indigenous Environmental Network, the Sierra Club, and Dakota Rural Action, as well as Oglala Lakota’s Dallas Goldtooth of the Indigenous Environmental Network, and Nick Tilsen, president and CEO of the NDN Collective.</font></font></font></font></font></font></p><p><font style="font-weight: normal;" size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">==</font></font></font></font></p><p><font style="font-weight: normal;" size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><a href="https://foe.org/keystone-xl-pipeline-influence-scandal/"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman" color="#000000">https://foe.org/keystone-xl-pipeline-influence-scandal/</font></a></font></font></font></font></font></p><p><font style="font-weight: normal;" size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">...O<span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">verview</span></font></font></font></font></font></p><p style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px; margin: 0px 0px 25px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font style="font-weight: normal;" size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">The State Department has the lead authority to determine whether to approve the Keystone XL pipeline by conducting and environmental impact assessment. The law requires the State Department to act impartially and undertake an independent, rigorous, science-based analysis of the controversial pipeline’s risks. Unfortunately, it has become clear that the&nbsp;<b>State Department’s review is deeply, irreparably flawed.</b></font></font></font></font></p><p style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px; margin: 0px 0px 25px;"><font style="font-weight: normal;" size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">First of all, the firm hired by the State Department to conduct the pipeline’s environmental review,</span><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 102);">&nbsp;Environmental Resources Management, has financial ties with TransCanada (the company seeking to build the pipeline). According to&nbsp;<i style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px;"><a href="http://www.motherjones.com/politics/2013/03/keystone-xl-contractor-ties-transcanada-state-department" style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px; text-decoration-line: none; transition: color 0.3s ease-in-out 0s;">Mother Jones</a>,&nbsp;</i>State Department employees clumsily edited the firm’s Conflict of Interest filings in order to hide ERM consultants’ previous work for TransCanada.&nbsp;</span><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">Moreover,&nbsp;</span><i style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px;"><a href="http://insideclimatenews.org/news/20130306/keystone-xl-eis-state-department-transcanada-oil-tar-sands-industry-ensys-energy-koch-brothers-exxonmobil-bp-obama" style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px; background-color: transparent; text-decoration-line: none; transition: color 0.3s ease-in-out 0s;">Inside Climate</a>&nbsp;</i><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">has reported that ERM subcontracted crucial parts of its report to consulting firms with deep ties to oil and pipeline companies. As a result, this environmental review downplays the climate impacts of the pipeline. The EPA, like Friends of the Earth, has criticized the review for its inaccurate assessment of the oil sands crude market, understatement of climate impacts from tar sands extraction, and dismissal of the impact on communities along the pipeline route, including in the vicinity of the Texas refineries.</span></font></font></font></font></p><p style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px; margin: 0px 0px 25px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font style="font-weight: normal;" size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><b>Secondly, TransCanada and the Canadian province of Alberta have hired a web of former Obama and Kerry officials and campaigners to lobby for the pipeline.</b>&nbsp;<i style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px;"><a href="http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/91300bf0-c80e-11e2-be27-00144feab7de.html#axzz2WCjhN4GQ" style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px; background-color: transparent; text-decoration-line: none; transition: color 0.3s ease-in-out 0s;">The Financial Times</a></i>&nbsp;has found that Alberta made a point to hire former Obama officials and Kerry staff in order to win approval from the State Department instead of focusing on Congress like most lobby groups. TransCanada and Alberta’s lobbyists have been trying to convince the administration that the pipeline will create jobs and pose no threats to the environment, in the hopes that they can get the pipeline approved.</font></font></p><p style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px; margin: 0px 0px 25px;"><font style="font-weight: normal;" size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">Friends of the Earth’s recent&nbsp;</span><a href="https://foe.org/news/news-releases/2013-04-friends-of-the-earth-files-kxl-foia-request" style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px; text-decoration-line: none; transition: color 0.3s ease-in-out 0s;">Freedom of Information Act request&nbsp;</a><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">to the State Department identifies more than two dozen of these lobbyists, lawyers and consultants helping to push the pipeline. Heading the list is&nbsp;</span><b style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">Anita Dunn</b><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">, a former White House communications director and senior advisor to the president’s re-election campaign and the former communications director for the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee under then-Senator Kerry. Dunn is now a principal with the lobbying firm SDKnickerbocker, which represents TransCanada.&nbsp;</span><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 102);">Other pipeline lobbyists include three former U.S. ambassadors to Canada, David Wilkins, Gordon Giffin and Jim Blanchard and three former members of John Kerry’s presidential campaign team, Brandon Pollak, Graham Shalgian and David Castagnetti.</span></font></font></font></font></p><p style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px; margin: 0px 0px 25px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font style="font-weight: normal;" size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">This is not the first time that the State Department has let TransCanada call the shots. Previously, the State Department hired the consulting firm CardnoEntrix, even though the firm listed TransCanada as a major client (a fact which should have&nbsp;<a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2011/10/08/science/earth/08pipeline.html?_r=3&hpw&" style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px; background-color: transparent; text-decoration-line: none; transition: color 0.3s ease-in-out 0s;">disqualified&nbsp;</a>it under the National Environmental Policy Act).&nbsp;Not surprisingly, CardnoEntrix’s review downplayed the climate impacts and potential risks of the pipeline. A&nbsp;<a href="https://foe.org/news/archives/keystone-xl-pipeline-influence-scandal" style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px; background-color: transparent; text-decoration-line: none; transition: color 0.3s ease-in-out 0s;">Freedom of Information Act request</a>&nbsp;by Friends of the Earth uncovered&nbsp;<a href="http://www.desmogblog.com/hillary-clinton-keystone-xl-lobbyists" style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px; background-color: transparent; text-decoration-line: none; transition: color 0.3s ease-in-out 0s;">close ties</a>&nbsp;between State Department officials and TransCanada and multiple e-mails showed State Department employees&nbsp;<a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2011/10/04/science/earth/04pipeline.html?pagewanted=all" style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px; background-color: transparent; text-decoration-line: none; transition: color 0.3s ease-in-out 0s;">coaching</a>&nbsp;TransCanada lobbyist (and former Hillary Clinton campaign official) Paul Elliott in his efforts to build support for the pipeline.</font></font></p><p style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px; margin: 0px 0px 25px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font style="font-weight: normal;" size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">In his 2008 campaign, President Obama&nbsp;<a href="http://change.gov/agenda/ethics_agenda/" style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px; background-color: transparent; text-decoration-line: none; transition: color 0.3s ease-in-out 0s;">promised</a>&nbsp;to tell lobbyists that “their days of setting the agenda are over.” Unfortunately, his State Department has failed to live up to this promise. The evidence is in: the State Department is again running a sham process, rigged in favor of dirty oil. It is up to President Obama to make things right.</font></font></p><h3 style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px; margin: 0px 0px 0.5em; text-transform: capitalize; line-height: 43pt; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font style="font-weight: normal;" size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Key Concerns</font></font></h3><div><font style="font-weight: normal;" size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">...</font></font></div><p><font style="font-weight: normal;" size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">====</font></font></p><p><font style="font-weight: normal;" size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">icn 619</font></font></p><p open="Open" sans="Sans" sans-serif="sans-serif" font-size="font-size" px="px" background-color="background-color" rgb="rgb" style="box-sizing: inherit; margin: 0px 0px 1.5em; padding: 0px;"><font style="font-weight: normal;" size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">A federal appeals court on Thursday threw out a lower court decision to halt construction of the Keystone XL pipeline. But several major obstacles remain to the controversial project's progress, ensuring that the much-delayed Keystone XL will likely not be built soon.</font></font></p><p open="Open" sans="Sans" sans-serif="sans-serif" font-size="font-size" px="px" background-color="background-color" rgb="rgb" style="box-sizing: inherit; margin: 0px 0px 1.5em; padding: 0px;"><font style="font-weight: normal;" size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">The Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals decision hands a victory, at least for now, to the Trump administration and tar sands oil interests that have sought to jump-start construction of the northern leg of the pipeline from Alberta to Nebraska.</font></font></p><p open="Open" sans="Sans" sans-serif="sans-serif" font-size="font-size" px="px" background-color="background-color" rgb="rgb" style="box-sizing: inherit; margin: 0px 0px 1.5em; padding: 0px;"><font style="font-weight: normal;" size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">President Barack Obama had decided in 2015 that&nbsp;<a href="https://insideclimatenews.org/topic/keystone-xl" style="box-sizing: inherit; text-decoration-line: none; font-weight: bold;">Keystone XL</a>&nbsp;should not be built,&nbsp;<a href="https://insideclimatenews.org/news/06112015/keystone-xl-pipeline-obama-transcanada-climate-change" style="box-sizing: inherit; text-decoration-line: none; font-weight: bold;">saying</a>&nbsp;it wouldn't serve the U.S. national interest. But in one of his first acts in the White House, President&nbsp;<a href="https://insideclimatenews.org/tags/donald-trump" style="box-sizing: inherit; text-decoration-line: none; font-weight: bold;">Donald Trump</a>&nbsp;signed an executive order reversing that decision and directing the State Department to issue a construction permit. The issue has been litigated ever since.</font></font></p><p><font style="font-weight: normal;" size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">==</font></font></p><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font style="font-weight: normal;" size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">==</font></font></div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font style="font-weight: normal;" size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><br /></font></font></div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font style="font-weight: normal;" size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">also LNG export</font></font></div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font style="font-weight: normal;" size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><br /></font></font></div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font style="font-weight: normal;" size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><a href="https://insideclimatenews.org/news/11042019/trump-pipeline-executive-order-environmental-review-keystone-xl-clean-water-act-states-rights" style="text-decoration-line: none; font-weight: bold; outline: none;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman" color="#000000">https://insideclimatenews.org/news/11042019/trump-pipeline-executive-order-environmental-review-keystone-xl-clean-water-act-states-rights</font></a></font></font></font></div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font style="font-weight: normal;" size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><br /></font></font></div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><div class="content" style="box-sizing: inherit;"><div class="field field-name-body field-type-text-with-summary field-label-hidden" style="box-sizing: inherit;"><div class="field-items" style="box-sizing: inherit;"><div class="field-item even" property="content:encoded" style="box-sizing: inherit;"><p dir="ltr" style="margin: 0px 0px 1.5em; box-sizing: inherit; padding: 0px;"><font style="font-weight: normal;" size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><b><span id="docs-internal-guid-0cb374aa-7fff-e36d-df29-2490e8ef1f52" style="box-sizing: inherit;">&nbsp;Trump signed a pair of executive orders Wednesday that aim to speed approval and construction of fossil fuel projects, including the long-delayed Keystone XL pipeline, by limiting environmental reviews.&nbsp;</span>While the measures are part of a broader effort to use his executive authority to push through oil, gas and coal development, they also mark a new attempt to shield the president's actions from review by the courts.</b></font></font></font></font></p><p dir="ltr" style="margin: 0px 0px 1.5em; box-sizing: inherit; padding: 0px;"><font style="font-weight: normal;" size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><span id="docs-internal-guid-0cb374aa-7fff-e36d-df29-2490e8ef1f52" style="box-sizing: inherit;"><b>One of the orders appears to target the Keystone XL pipeline in particular,</b>&nbsp;declaring that the decision to permit infrastructure crossing international borders "shall be made solely by the President" rather than the State Department, to which previous administrations had delegated the authority. Trump&nbsp;</span><a href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/presidential-actions/presidential-permit/" style="text-decoration-line: none; font-weight: bold; outline: none; box-sizing: inherit; background-color: transparent;">issued exactly such a permit</a>&nbsp;in March for Keystone XL, and both the permit and the new order appear to be attempts to sidestep a legal challenge and allow the project to proceed.</font></font></p><p dir="ltr" style="margin: 0px 0px 1.5em; box-sizing: inherit; padding: 0px;"><font style="font-weight: normal;" size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Critically, having the president issue the permit directly, rather than going through the State Department, could make it more difficult for environmental and indigenous groups to challenge cross-border permits under the National Environmental Protection Act, which subjects major federal agency actions to careful review.</font></font></p><p dir="ltr" style="margin: 0px 0px 1.5em; box-sizing: inherit; padding: 0px;"><font style="font-weight: normal;" size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><b>The second order signed Wednesday aims to limit the ability of states to review and reject pipelines and other projects under a section of the Clean Water Act</b>. States have used that law to slow or block several pipeline projects, as well as proposed terminals to export coal and natural gas. The order also directs the Transportation Department to update regulations for exporting liquified natural gas, an increasingly important product for the energy industry.</font></font></p><p dir="ltr" style="margin: 0px 0px 1.5em; box-sizing: inherit; padding: 0px;"><font style="font-weight: normal;" size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Trump's orders drew wide condemnation from environmental groups.</font></font></p><p dir="ltr" style="margin: 0px 0px 1.5em; box-sizing: inherit; padding: 0px;"><font style="font-weight: normal;" size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">"States must be able to protect communities from the polluting corporations that threaten them and their waterways," said Michael Brune, executive director of the Sierra Club, in a statement. "The Sierra Club will fight these executive orders with every tool at our disposal."</font></font></p><p dir="ltr" style="margin: 0px 0px 1.5em; box-sizing: inherit; padding: 0px;"><font style="font-weight: normal;" size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Rep. Frank Pallone, Jr., chairman of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, vowed to "fight this tooth and nail."</font></font></p><p dir="ltr" style="margin: 0px 0px 1.5em; box-sizing: inherit; padding: 0px;"><font style="font-weight: normal;" size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">The Western Governors' Association, whose members include the Republican governors of the nation's top energy-producing states, also questioned the move to limit states' authority. It issued a statement saying the governors "have concerns" about the order but are ready to work with federal officials on the new guidelines.</font></font></p><h3 dir="ltr" style="box-sizing: inherit; margin: 0px 0px 0.5em; padding: 0px; font-weight: normal; line-height: 1.333;"><font style="font-weight: normal;" size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Clearing the Way for Keystone XL</font></font></h3><div><font style="font-weight: normal;" size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">...</font></font></div></div></div></div></div></div><p><font style="font-weight: normal;" size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">==</font></font></p><p><font style="font-weight: normal;" size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">mich gov block?</font></font></p><p><font style="font-weight: normal;" size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><a href="https://thinkprogress.org/trump-keystone-xl-environment-climate-change-lobbyists-presidential-permit-477d7da51882/">https://thinkprogress.org/trump-keystone-xl-environment-climate-change-lobbyists-presidential-permit-477d7da51882/</a></font></font></font></font></p><p><font style="font-weight: normal;" size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><br /></font></font></p><p style="box-sizing: inherit; margin: 0px 0px 2.1875rem; line-height: 2.2rem; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font style="font-weight: normal;" size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><b>Trump handed a victory to a major North American energy company on Friday afternoon with a new presidential permit allowing the controversial Keystone XL pipeline to go forward. Many say the move is an effort to sidestep judiciary and environmental review and is likely to face legal challenges.</b></font></font></font></font></p><p style="box-sizing: inherit; margin: 0px 0px 2.1875rem; line-height: 2.2rem; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font style="font-weight: normal;" size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Pipeline company TransCanada Corp. is authorized to “construct, connect, operate and maintain” pipeline facilities running between the United States and Canada, per the permit issued on March 29. It additionally allows the maintenance of a pipeline facility in Phillips County, Montana.</font></font></p><p style="box-sizing: inherit; margin: 0px 0px 2.1875rem; line-height: 2.2rem;"><font style="font-weight: normal;" size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><b style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">The presidential permit revokes and replaces&nbsp;<a href="https://www.state.gov/r/pa/prs/ps/2017/03/269074.htm" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" style="box-sizing: inherit; text-decoration-line: none; word-break: break-word; border-bottom: 1px solid rgb(144, 141, 255);">a previous presidential permit</a>&nbsp;granted by Trump in March 2017.</b>&nbsp;<span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 102);">In November 2018, a Montana judge invalidated that permit and it is currently being appealed, while a December lawsuit and subsequent injunction largely halted pre-construction activities on the pipeline. The Trump<b>administration was, as a result of the November legal action, ordered to conduct a new environmental review of the pipeline — something the new presidential permit apparently seeks to sidestep.</b></span></font></font></font></font></p><p style="box-sizing: inherit; margin: 0px 0px 2.1875rem; line-height: 2.2rem; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font style="font-weight: normal;" size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">“This permit supersedes the Presidential permit issued to the permittee, dated March 23, 2017,” the new permit notes. Some think that logic stems from the Justice Department’s previous argument that the permit isn’t subject to environmental review by the State Department if it is signed by the president himself.</font></font></p><p style="box-sizing: inherit; margin: 0px 0px 2.1875rem; line-height: 2.2rem;"><font style="font-weight: normal;" size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 102);" size="4" face="Times New Roman">The new permit notably removes a section from its older version that referenced&nbsp;<a href="https://keystonepipeline-xl.state.gov/documents/organization/221135.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" style="box-sizing: inherit; text-decoration-line: none; word-break: break-word; border-bottom: 1px solid rgb(144, 141, 255);">a 2014 environmental impact statement</a>&nbsp;assessing Keystone XL’s environmental consequences. That document includes references to climate change and environmental justice, along with threatened and endangered species. The word “environment” appears only once in the new presidential permit issued Friday, referencing environmental contamination. The word “climate” does not appear at all.</font></font></font></font></p><div class="related-content__wrapper" style="box-sizing: inherit; padding: 0px; margin: 0px 0px 2rem; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font style="font-weight: normal;" size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><a href="https://thinkprogress.org/judge-blocks-keystone-xl-trump-1a741f47a9d6/" style="box-sizing: inherit; text-decoration-line: none; word-break: break-word; border: none; display: flex;" /></font></font><div class="related-content__image" style="box-sizing: inherit; align-self: flex-start; margin: 0px 1rem 0px 0px; width: 171px;"><font style="font-weight: normal;" size="4" face="Times New Roman"><a href="https://thinkprogress.org/judge-blocks-keystone-xl-trump-1a741f47a9d6/" style="box-sizing: inherit; text-decoration-line: none; word-break: break-word; border: none; display: flex;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman" /></a><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><a href="https://thinkprogress.org/judge-blocks-keystone-xl-trump-1a741f47a9d6/" style="box-sizing: inherit; text-decoration-line: none; word-break: break-word; border: none; display: flex;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman" /></a><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><a href="https://thinkprogress.org/judge-blocks-keystone-xl-trump-1a741f47a9d6/" style="box-sizing: inherit; text-decoration-line: none; word-break: break-word; border: none; display: flex;" /><a href="https://thinkprogress.org/judge-blocks-keystone-xl-trump-1a741f47a9d6/" style="box-sizing: inherit; text-decoration-line: none; word-break: break-word; border: none; display: flex;" /><a href="https://thinkprogress.org/judge-blocks-keystone-xl-trump-1a741f47a9d6/" style="box-sizing: inherit; text-decoration-line: none; word-break: break-word; border: none; display: flex;" /><a href="https://thinkprogress.org/judge-blocks-keystone-xl-trump-1a741f47a9d6/" style="box-sizing: inherit; text-decoration-line: none; word-break: break-word; border: none; display: flex;" /><a href="https://thinkprogress.org/judge-blocks-keystone-xl-trump-1a741f47a9d6/" style="box-sizing: inherit; text-decoration-line: none; word-break: break-word; border: none; display: flex;" /><a href="https://thinkprogress.org/judge-blocks-keystone-xl-trump-1a741f47a9d6/" style="box-sizing: inherit; text-decoration-line: none; word-break: break-word; border: none; display: flex;" /><a href="https://thinkprogress.org/judge-blocks-keystone-xl-trump-1a741f47a9d6/" style="box-sizing: inherit; text-decoration-line: none; word-break: break-word; border: none; display: flex;" /><a href="https://thinkprogress.org/judge-blocks-keystone-xl-trump-1a741f47a9d6/" style="box-sizing: inherit; text-decoration-line: none; word-break: break-word; border: none; display: flex;" /><a href="https://thinkprogress.org/judge-blocks-keystone-xl-trump-1a741f47a9d6/" style="box-sizing: inherit; text-decoration-line: none; word-break: break-word; border: none; display: flex;" /><a href="https://thinkprogress.org/judge-blocks-keystone-xl-trump-1a741f47a9d6/" style="box-sizing: inherit; text-decoration-line: none; word-break: break-word; border: none; display: flex;" /><a href="https://thinkprogress.org/judge-blocks-keystone-xl-trump-1a741f47a9d6/" style="box-sizing: inherit; text-decoration-line: none; word-break: break-word; border: none; display: flex;" /><a href="https://thinkprogress.org/judge-blocks-keystone-xl-trump-1a741f47a9d6/" style="box-sizing: inherit; text-decoration-line: none; word-break: break-word; border: none; display: flex;" /><a href="https://thinkprogress.org/judge-blocks-keystone-xl-trump-1a741f47a9d6/" style="box-sizing: inherit; text-decoration-line: none; word-break: break-word; border: none; display: flex;" /><a href="https://thinkprogress.org/judge-blocks-keystone-xl-trump-1a741f47a9d6/" style="box-sizing: inherit; text-decoration-line: none; word-break: break-word; border: none; display: flex;" /><a href="https://thinkprogress.org/judge-blocks-keystone-xl-trump-1a741f47a9d6/" style="box-sizing: inherit; text-decoration-line: none; word-break: break-word; border: none; display: flex;" /><a href="https://thinkprogress.org/judge-blocks-keystone-xl-trump-1a741f47a9d6/" style="box-sizing: inherit; text-decoration-line: none; word-break: break-word; border: none; display: flex;" /><a href="https://thinkprogress.org/judge-blocks-keystone-xl-trump-1a741f47a9d6/" style="box-sizing: inherit; text-decoration-line: none; word-break: break-word; border: none; display: flex;" /><a href="https://thinkprogress.org/judge-blocks-keystone-xl-trump-1a741f47a9d6/" style="box-sizing: inherit; text-decoration-line: none; word-break: break-word; border: none; display: flex;" /><a href="https://thinkprogress.org/judge-blocks-keystone-xl-trump-1a741f47a9d6/" style="box-sizing: inherit; text-decoration-line: none; word-break: break-word; border: none; display: flex;"><figure class="post__figure post__figure--format-thumbnail" style="box-sizing: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; max-width: 100%;"><div class="post__thumbnail" style="box-sizing: inherit; overflow: hidden; position: relative;"><picture id="picture-1100805" class="wp-image-1100805 size-full " data-id="1100805" style="box-sizing: inherit;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><source srcset="https://i2.wp.com/thinkprogress.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/GettyImages-633938612.jpg?w=1920&crop=0%2C0px%2C100%2C1490px&ssl=1" media="(min-width: 1920px)" style="box-sizing: inherit;"><source srcset="https://i2.wp.com/thinkprogress.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/GettyImages-633938612.jpg?w=1920&crop=0%2C0px%2C100%2C1490px&ssl=1" media="(min-width: 1024px) and (max-width: 1920px)" style="box-sizing: inherit;"><source srcset="https://i2.wp.com/thinkprogress.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/GettyImages-633938612.jpg?w=1024&crop=0%2C0px%2C100%2C795px&ssl=1" media="(min-width: 768px) and (max-width: 1024px)" style="box-sizing: inherit;"><source srcset="https://i2.wp.com/thinkprogress.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/GettyImages-633938612.jpg?w=1024&crop=0%2C0px%2C100%2C795px&ssl=1" media="(min-width: 512px) and (max-width: 1024px)" style="box-sizing: inherit;"><source srcset="https://i2.wp.com/thinkprogress.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/GettyImages-633938612.jpg?w=768&crop=0%2C0px%2C100%2C596px&ssl=1" media="(min-width: 512px) and (max-width: 768px)" style="box-sizing: inherit;"><source srcset="https://i2.wp.com/thinkprogress.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/GettyImages-633938612.jpg?w=512&crop=0%2C0px%2C100%2C397px&ssl=1" media="(max-width: 512px)" style="box-sizing: inherit;"><source srcset="https://i2.wp.com/thinkprogress.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/GettyImages-633938612.jpg?w=768&crop=0%2C0px%2C100%2C596px&ssl=1" media="(max-width: 768px)" style="box-sizing: inherit;"><source srcset="https://i2.wp.com/thinkprogress.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/GettyImages-633938612.jpg?w=4288&crop=0%2C0px%2C100%2C3328px&ssl=1" media="all" style="box-sizing: inherit;"><br /></source></source></source></source></source></source></source></source></font></picture></div></figure></a></font></font></font></font></font></font></font></font></font></font></font></font></font></font></font></font></font></font></font></font></font></font></div><div class="related-content__body" style="box-sizing: inherit; width: 513px;"><h3 class="related-content__title" style="box-sizing: inherit; line-height: 2rem; margin: 0px;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Judge deals blow to Trump administration over Keystone XL pipeline, citing climate change</font></h3></div></div><p style="box-sizing: inherit; margin: 0px 0px 2.1875rem; line-height: 2.2rem; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font style="font-weight: normal;" size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><b>“What’s especially appalling about Trump’s move is that many parts of the proposed Keystone XL pipeline route in Nebraska are literally underwater right now with devastating floods impacting the Midwest, and instead of offering support to the communities who will face more of these kinds of disasters as the climate crisis worsens,</b>&nbsp;Trump is offering a Canadian fossil fuel company another chance to build a gigantic fossil fuel project that would only unlock more climate pollution while putting already suffering communities further at risk,” said Greenpeace USA campaigner Rachel Butler to ThinkProgress in an email.</font></font></p><p style="box-sizing: inherit; margin: 0px 0px 2.1875rem; line-height: 2.2rem; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font style="font-weight: normal;" size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Keystone XL has been a raging source of controversy for years, due largely to the public health and environmental implications posed by the pipeline. President Barack Obama handed pipeline opponents a victory when he backed away from the project in 2015 amid heated pushback. But Trump has prioritized the project — it was among the first actions Trump made after taking office and he has worked repeatedly to ensure that the pipeline comes to fruition, despite legal setbacks.</font></font></p><p style="box-sizing: inherit; margin: 0px 0px 2.1875rem; line-height: 2.2rem; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font style="font-weight: normal;" size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Meanwhile, lobbyists have also been hard at work pushing for the pipeline’s construction. TransCanada spent around $200,000 each quarter of 2018 lobbying on issues including Keystone XL, according to disclosures.&nbsp;<a href="https://soprweb.senate.gov/index.cfm?event=processSearchCriteria" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" style="box-sizing: inherit; text-decoration-line: none; word-break: break-word; border-bottom: 1px solid rgb(144, 141, 255);">Documents also show</a>&nbsp;the all-Republican D.C.-based lobbying firm CGCN Group spent $90,000 each quarter representing TransCanada last year and specifically targeting environmental reviews.</font></font></p><p style="box-sizing: inherit; margin: 0px 0px 2.1875rem; line-height: 2.2rem; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font style="font-weight: normal;" size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><b>The U.S. Chamber of Commerce has also lobbied on the Keystone XL environmental assessment specifically</b>. On Friday, the organization&nbsp;<a href="https://www.uschamber.com/press-release/statement-presidential-permit-keystone-xl-pipeline" style="box-sizing: inherit; text-decoration-line: none; word-break: break-word; border-bottom: 1px solid rgb(144, 141, 255);">celebrated</a>&nbsp;the presidential permit almost immediately. “Keystone XL is in our economic and energy security interests, and review after review have found that it can be built and operated in an environmentally responsible way,” the statement read.</font></font></p><p style="box-sizing: inherit; margin: 0px 0px 2.1875rem; line-height: 2.2rem; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font style="font-weight: normal;" size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">The permit announcement appears to have caught stakeholders and environmental advocates largely off-guard. The State Department, which is conducting the new environmental review of the pipeline, appeared surprised by the news. Environmental groups similarly expressed shock to ThinkProgress, but underscored that the move is likely to face immediate legal challenges.</font></font></p><p style="box-sizing: inherit; margin: 0px 0px 2.1875rem; line-height: 2.2rem; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font style="font-weight: normal;" size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">“The courts have repeatedly rejected Trump’s attempts to get this pipeline built, so now he’s shamefully attempting to bypass our bedrock environmental laws for the benefit of a foreign pipeline company,”<b>&nbsp;Sierra Club</b>&nbsp;Executive Director Michal Brune told ThinkProgress. “We will continue to pursue every available avenue to ensure that this pipeline is never built.”</font></font></p><p><font style="font-weight: normal;" size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">==</font></font></p><p><font style="font-weight: normal;" size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">A federal judge in Montana has temporarily halted the construction of the controversial Keystone XL pipeline Thursday. The Keystone XL pipeline would carry oil from Canada’s tar sands region in Alberta to refineries as far away as the Gulf of Mexico. The court’s decision will require the Trump administration to review more thoroughly the potential negative impacts of the pipeline on the surrounding environment and climate change. President Obama halted the construction of the pipeline in 2015, following mass public protests, but Trump reversed the order shortly after he came into office. Environmental and indigenous groups hailed the decision Thursday. Sierra Club attorney Doug Hayes said in a statement, “The Trump administration tried to force this dirty pipeline project on the American people, but they can’t ignore the threats it would pose to our clean water, our climate, and our communities.” It’s unclear whether the Trump administration will appeal the decision.&nbsp;</span><a href="https://www.democracynow.org/topics/keystone_xl" style="box-sizing: border-box; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); border: 0px; vertical-align: top;">Click here for our complete coverage on the Keystone XL pipeline</a><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">.</span></font></font></font></font></p><p><font style="font-weight: normal;" size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><a href="https://www.democracynow.org/2018/11/9/headlines/judge_halts_construction_of_keystone_xl_pipeline">https://www.democracynow.org/2018/11/9/headlines/judge_halts_construction_of_keystone_xl_pipeline</a></font></font></font></font></p><div><font style="font-weight: normal;" size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">===</font></font></div><div><font style="font-weight: normal;" size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">https://YYY.theguardian.com/environment/2018/sep/20/keystone-pipeline-protest-activism-crackdown-standing-rock</font></font></div><div><font style="font-weight: normal;" size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><br /></font></font></div><div><font style="font-weight: normal;" size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">will parrish and sam---</font></font></div><div><font style="font-weight: normal;" size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">no lnx</font></font></div><div><font style="font-weight: normal;" size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><b>"Treating protest as terrorism': US plans crackdown on Keystone XL activists</b></font></font></font></font></div><div><font style="font-weight: normal;" size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Documents suggest an aggressive response to possible protests against the oil pipeline amid fears of another Standing Rock</font></font></div><div><font style="font-weight: normal;" size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><br /></font></font></div><div><font style="font-weight: normal;" size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Will Parrish and Sam Levin</font></font></div><div><font style="font-weight: normal;" size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><br /></font></font></div><div><font style="font-weight: normal;" size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Thu 20 Sep 2018 04.00 EDT Last modified on Thu 20 Sep 2018 11.39 EDT</font></font></div><div><font style="font-weight: normal;" size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><br /></font></font></div><div><font style="font-weight: normal;" size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><br /></font></font></div><div><font style="font-weight: normal;" size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">&nbsp;Protests at Standing Rock during the resistance to the Dakota Access pipeline. Photograph: Rex/Shutterstock]</font></font></div><div><font style="font-weight: normal;" size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><br /></font></font></div><div><font style="font-weight: normal;" size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Angeline Cheek is preparing for disaster. The indigenous organizer from the Fort Peck reservation in Montana fears that the proposed Keystone XL pipeline could break and spill, destroy her tribe’s water, and desecrate sacred Native American sites.</font></font></div><div><font style="font-weight: normal;" size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><br /></font></font></div><div><font style="font-weight: normal;" size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">But environmental catastrophe is not the most immediate threat.</font></font></div><div><font style="font-weight: normal;" size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><br /></font></font></div><div><font style="font-weight: normal;" size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><b>The government has characterized pipeline opponents like her as “extremists” and violent criminals and warned of potential “terrorism”, according to recently released records.</b></font></font></font></font></div><div><font style="font-weight: normal;" size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><br /></font></font></div><div><font style="font-weight: normal;" size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><br /></font></font></div><div><font style="font-weight: normal;" size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">[Life on the Keystone XL route: where opponents fear the ‘black snake’</font></font></div><div><font style="font-weight: normal;" size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">&nbsp;Read more]</font></font></div><div><font style="font-weight: normal;" size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><br /></font></font></div><div><font style="font-weight: normal;" size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 102);" size="4" face="Times New Roman">The documents suggested that police were organizing to launch an aggressive response to possible Keystone protests, echoing the actions against the Standing Rock movement in North Dakota. There, officers engaged in intense surveillance and faced widespread accusations of excessive force and brutality.</font></font></font></font></div><div><font style="font-weight: normal;" size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 102);" size="4" face="Times New Roman"><br /></font></font></font></font></div><div><font style="font-weight: normal;" size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 102);" size="4" face="Times New Roman">“We have to stay one step ahead at all times,” said Cheek, a Hunkpapa and Oglala Lakota activist and teacher. “History is repeating itself.”</font></font></font></font></div><div><font style="font-weight: normal;" size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><br /></font></font></div><div><font style="font-weight: normal;" size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><b>The proposed TransCanada project would carry a daily load of 830,000 barrels of oil over 1,204 miles – from Alberta, Canada to Montana, South Dakota and Nebraska, linking to the existing Keystone pipeline and Texas refineries.&nbsp;</b>The path of the project, which was revived by Donald Trump last year, would cross dozens of rivers and streams and run near a number of Native American reservations, sparking legal challenges and a judge’s recent order for a full environmental review.</font></font></div><div><font style="font-weight: normal;" size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><br /></font></font></div><div><font style="font-weight: normal;" size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">If the pipeline gets final approvals and construction advances in the coming months, some are anticipating massive demonstrations similar to the fight against the Dakota Access pipeline (Dapl). That conflict galvanized a global movement, but also led to FBI monitoring and the prolonged prosecution of hundreds of activists.</font></font></div><div><font style="font-weight: normal;" size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><br /></font></font></div><div><font style="font-weight: normal;" size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Documents obtained by the ACLU of Montana and reviewed by the Guardian have renewed concerns from civil rights advocates about the government’s treatment of indigenous activists known as water protectors.</font></font></div><div><font style="font-weight: normal;" size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><br /></font></font></div><div><font style="font-weight: normal;" size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">&nbsp;Treating protest as terrorism is highly problematic</font></font></div><div><font style="font-weight: normal;" size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Mike German, former FBI agent</font></font></div><div><font style="font-weight: normal;" size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><br /></font></font></div><div><font style="font-weight: normal;" size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 102);" size="4" face="Times New Roman">Notably, one record revealed that<b>&nbsp;authorities hosted a recent “anti-terrorism” training session in Montana. The Department of Homeland Security (DHS)</b>&nbsp;and the<b>Federal Emergency Management Agency</b>&nbsp;also organized a “field force operations” training to teach “mass-arrest procedures”, “riot-control formations” and other “crowd-control methods”.</font></font></font></font></div><div><font style="font-weight: normal;" size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 102);" size="4" face="Times New Roman"><br /></font></font></font></font></div><div><font style="font-weight: normal;" size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 102);" size="4" face="Times New Roman">A US justice department intelligence specialist told the Guardian the terrorism training was an annual presentation not specific to Keystone. But the ACLU noted that its records request was specifically about the pipeline protests, suggesting that authorities considered the session relevant to Keystone preparation.</font></font></font></font></div><div><font style="font-weight: normal;" size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 102);" size="4" face="Times New Roman"><br /></font></font></font></font></div><div><font style="font-weight: normal;" size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 102);" size="4" face="Times New Roman">The repeated mass arrests at Standing Rock led to a litany of charges, but hundreds were eventually dismissed due to lack of evidence. Police deployed water cannons, teargas grenades, bean bag rounds and a wide array of weapons in North Dakota.</font></font></font></font></div><div><font style="font-weight: normal;" size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><br /></font></font></div><div><font style="font-weight: normal;" size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">“Many of our residents were in Standing Rock, and they saw the level of violence that could be visited on us,” said Remi Bald Eagle, the intergovernmental affairs coordinator of the Cheyenne River Sioux tribe, which is located along the Keystone route. “There’s a level of anxiety and fear because we don’t know what’s going to happen.”</font></font></div><div><font style="font-weight: normal;" size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><br /></font></font></div><div><font style="font-weight: normal;" size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">&nbsp;A depot used to store pipes for the planned Keystone XL oil pipeline in North Dakota.</font></font></div><div><font style="font-weight: normal;" size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Facebook Twitter Pinterest&nbsp; A depot used to store pipes for the planned Keystone XL oil pipeline in North Dakota. Photograph: Andrew Cullen/Reuters</font></font></div><div><font style="font-weight: normal;" size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><br /></font></font></div><div><font style="font-weight: normal;" size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">The Resistance Now: Sign up for weekly news updates about the movement</font></font></div><div><font style="font-weight: normal;" size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">&nbsp;Read more]</font></font></div><div><font style="font-weight: normal;" size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><br /></font></font></div><div><font style="font-weight: normal;" size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><b>The ACLU of Montana, which filed a lawsuit this month against the government seeking Keystone records, earlier obtained a DHS report that said pipeline protesters were engaged in “criminal disruptions and violent incidents”. The report included two past cases of alleged “environmental rights extremists” committing violence.</b></font></font></font></font></div><div><font style="font-weight: normal;" size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><br /></font></font></div><div><font style="font-weight: normal;" size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 102);" size="4" face="Times New Roman">But the events in question – a 2012 bombing and a 2015 shootout with police – had no clear links to any environmental protests, said Mike German, a former FBI agent and fellow with the Brennan Center for Justice.</font></font></font></font></div><div><font style="font-weight: normal;" size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><br /></font></font></div><div><font style="font-weight: normal;" size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">“Treating protest as terrorism is highly problematic,” said German, noting that the US government has long labeled activism as “terrorism”, once claiming that filing public records requests was an “extremist” tactic. “It’s an effective way of suppressing protest activity and creating an enormous burden for people who want to go out and express their concerns.”</font></font></div><div><font style="font-weight: normal;" size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><br /></font></font></div><div><font style="font-weight: normal;" size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">The “terrorist” and “extremist” labels can be used to justify brutality and a militarized operation, said Andrea Carter, an attorney with the Water Protector Legal Collective, a group that has represented Standing Rock defendants.</font></font></div><div><font style="font-weight: normal;" size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><b><br /></b></font></font></font></font></div><div><font style="font-weight: normal;" size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><b>&nbsp;They are instant experts on quashing the indigenous insurgency. It’s very, very concerning</b></font></font></font></font></div><div><font style="font-weight: normal;" size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Rachel Lederman, civil rights lawyer</font></font></div><div><font style="font-weight: normal;" size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><br /></font></font></div><div><font style="font-weight: normal;" size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 102);" size="4" face="Times New Roman">“It’s a really egregious tactic,” she said, noting that the labels also lay the groundwork for prosecutors to turn low-level misdemeanor cases into federal felony trials. “A lot of it has to do with public relations.”</font></font></font></font></div><div><font style="font-weight: normal;" size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><br /></font></font></div><div><font style="font-weight: normal;" size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 102);" size="4" face="Times New Roman">The Montana documents have also shone a light on the coordination between governments across state lines, raising questions about how extensively law enforcement was devoting resources to Keystone protests before they had materialized. An email from the Montana fish, wildlife and parks department from earlier this year said state officials had conducted “extensive conversations with North Dakota to learn what worked and what didn’t work” when responding to Dapl demonstrations.</font></font></font></font></div><div><font style="font-weight: normal;" size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><br /></font></font></div><div><font style="font-weight: normal;" size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><b>Montana authorities have done further training sessions on harnessing social media and have begun monitoring posts of anti-pipeline activists</b>, a sheriff said at one meeting, according to a local news report.</font></font></div><div><font style="font-weight: normal;" size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><br /></font></font></div><div><font style="font-weight: normal;" size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><b>The records also highlighted the existing relationships between law enforcement and TransCanada<span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 102);">.</span></b><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 102);">&nbsp;A county sheriff included a TransCanada executive on communications about one law enforcement training. In August 2017, the Montana Petroleum Association, a trade group, also hosted a panel on “environmental activism” in the state, featuring three law enforcement officers alongside TransCanada’s senior security adviser<b>. = FASCISM</b></span></font></font></font></font></div><div><font style="font-weight: normal;" size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><br /></font></font></div><div><font style="font-weight: normal;" size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Rachel Lederman, a civil rights lawyer representing Standing Rock activists in a civil case, said it was alarming to see that law enforcement from North Dakota was giving advice about future pipeline protests: “They are instant experts on quashing the indigenous insurgency. It’s very, very concerning, because what happened at Standing Rock was just a wholesale violation of civil rights.”</font></font></div><div><font style="font-weight: normal;" size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><br /></font></font></div><div><font style="font-weight: normal;" size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">John Barnes, a Montana justice department spokesman, defended the preparation efforts, saying in an email to the Guardian that authorities were committed to protecting “the first amendment rights of everyone while also protecting private property and public safety”. He added: “In North Dakota, bad actors associated with the Dakota Access pipeline protests maliciously targeted public officials and law-enforcement personnel online, and so it is important that people be prepared here.”</font></font></div><div><font style="font-weight: normal;" size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><br /></font></font></div><div><font style="font-weight: normal;" size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">&nbsp;A protests against the Keystone XL pipeline in Washington.</font></font></div><div><font style="font-weight: normal;" size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Facebook Twitter Pinterest&nbsp; A protests against the Keystone XL pipeline in Washington. Photograph: Gary Cameron/Reuters</font></font></div><div><font style="font-weight: normal;" size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Some activists said the law enforcement tactics would not deter them from Keystone opposition efforts – whether in court or on the ground.</font></font></div><div><font style="font-weight: normal;" size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><br /></font></font></div><div><font style="font-weight: normal;" size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">“We’ve got a lot against us. We’re the underdog,” said Lance Four Star, the Fort Peck Assiniboine council chairman, who recounted a recent incident of harassment and heckling by a pro-pipeline, pro-Trump group while the tribe was doing a ceremony. “I may never see the results of my efforts in my lifetime, but hopefully our grandchildren will. What we’re protecting now is this water we inherited.”</font></font></div><div><font style="font-weight: normal;" size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><br /></font></font></div><div><font style="font-weight: normal;" size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><b>Peck said she was also concerned about a potential increase in violence against indigenous women, stemming from the “man camps” where oil workers live.&nbsp;</b>But the Montana wildlife department appeared to minimize this concern in one of the records, saying, “Although man-camps bring a certain degree of law enforcement challenges, the primary enforcement focus is protest activity.”</font></font></div><div><font style="font-weight: normal;" size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><br /></font></font></div><div><font style="font-weight: normal;" size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 102);" size="4" face="Times New Roman">Organizers have discussed a “variety of strategies” to oppose construction, including “prayer camps” similar to Standing Rock, said Cheyenne River Sioux tribal member Joye Braun, who organized against Dapl and has been involved in Keystone efforts.&nbsp;</font></font></font></font></div><div><font style="font-weight: normal;" size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 102);" size="4" face="Times New Roman"><br /></font></font></font></font></div><div><font style="font-weight: normal;" size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 102);" size="4" face="Times New Roman">“Clearly, they’re scared of the power of our movement,” she said, adding that she accepted the reality that she may be under surveillance when she travels the pipeline route to meet activists. “We haven’t gone anywhere, and we’re just building momentum.”</font></font></font></font></div><div><font style="font-weight: normal;" size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 102);" size="4" face="Times New Roman"><br /></font></font></font></font></div><div><font style="font-weight: normal;" size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 102);" size="4" face="Times New Roman">Native Americans know the risks are immense. But the “terrorism” label would not intimidate them, said Leoyla Cowboy, the wife of Little Feather, who was recently sentenced to three years in federal prison for “civil disorder” at Standing Rock.</font></font></font></font></div><div><font style="font-weight: normal;" size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 102);" size="4" face="Times New Roman"><br /></font></font></font></font></div><div><font style="font-weight: normal;" size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 102);" size="4" face="Times New Roman">“As indigenous people, it’s embedded in our DNA. It’s our obligation to stand up.”</font></font></font></font></div><div><font style="font-weight: normal;" size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">no pix</font></font></div><div><font style="font-weight: normal;" size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">==</font></font></div><p><font style="font-weight: normal;" size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">==</font></font></p><p><font style="font-weight: normal;" size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><a href="https://insideclimatenews.org/news/07092018/protester-surveillance-anti-terrorism-training-keystone-xl-pipeline-aclu-lawsuit-federal-law-enforcement">https://insideclimatenews.org/news/07092018/protester-surveillance-anti-terrorism-training-keystone-xl-pipeline-aclu-lawsuit-federal-law-enforcement</a></font></font></font></font></p><div class="content" style="box-sizing: inherit;"><div class="field field-name-body field-type-text-with-summary field-label-hidden" style="box-sizing: inherit;"><div class="field-items" style="box-sizing: inherit;"><div class="field-item even" property="content:encoded" style="box-sizing: inherit;"><p style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); box-sizing: inherit; margin: 0px 0px 1.5em; padding: 0px;"><font style="font-weight: normal;" size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><span style="box-sizing: inherit;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><b>This story follows&nbsp;<a href="https://insideclimatenews.org/news/22082018/pipeline-protest-laws-felony-free-speech-arrests-first-amendment-oklahoma-iowa-louisiana" style="box-sizing: inherit; background-color: transparent; text-decoration-line: none;">an in-depth ICN report</a>&nbsp;on efforts to pass laws in 31 states to crack down on protests.</b></font></span></font></font></font></p><p style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); box-sizing: inherit; margin: 0px 0px 1.5em; padding: 0px;"><font style="font-weight: normal;" size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">The Keystone XL pipeline is expected to draw protests from indigenous and environmental activists when construction begins, and many activists are worried law enforcement agencies may be planning surveillance and a militarized response.&nbsp;<b>Now, the American Civil Liberties Union is accusing federal agencies of trying to hide the extent of these preparations, which the group says are clearly underway.</b></font></font></font></font></p><p style="box-sizing: inherit; margin: 0px 0px 1.5em; padding: 0px;"><font style="font-weight: normal;" size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 102);" size="4" face="Times New Roman">The ACLU and its Montana affiliate&nbsp;<a href="https://www.aclu.org/legal-document/aclu-v-dod-complaint-0" style="box-sizing: inherit; text-decoration-line: none; font-weight: bold;">sued several federal agencies</a>&nbsp;this week, including the Departments of Justice, Defense and Homeland Security, saying the agencies are withholding documents that discuss planning for the expected protests and any coordination among state and local authorities and private security contractors.</font></font></font></font></p><p style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); box-sizing: inherit; margin: 0px 0px 1.5em; padding: 0px;"><font style="font-weight: normal;" size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Fears about the law enforcement response follow the 2016 armed crackdown on people protesting the Dakota Access Pipeline, where authorities used&nbsp;<a href="https://theintercept.com/2016/11/21/medics-describe-how-police-sprayed-standing-rock-demonstrators-with-tear-gas-and-water-cannons/" style="box-sizing: inherit; background-color: transparent; text-decoration-line: none; font-weight: bold;">tear gas</a>&nbsp;and turned&nbsp;<a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/morning-mix/wp/2016/11/21/police-citing-ongoing-riot-use-water-cannons-on-dakota-access-protesters-in-freezing-weather" style="box-sizing: inherit; background-color: transparent; text-decoration-line: none; font-weight: bold;">water cannons</a>&nbsp;on protesters in freezing temperatures. Since then,&nbsp;<a href="https://insideclimatenews.org/news/22082018/pipeline-protest-laws-felony-free-speech-arrests-first-amendment-oklahoma-iowa-louisiana" style="box-sizing: inherit; background-color: transparent; text-decoration-line: none; font-weight: bold;">dozens of bills and executive orders</a>&nbsp;have been introduced in at least 31 states to clamp down on protests. Activists say the bills are part of a concerted campaign by energy companies and their allies in government to suppress these protests by increasing criminal penalties for minor violations and in some cases trying to use anti-terrorism laws against activists.</font></font></p><p style="box-sizing: inherit; margin: 0px 0px 1.5em; padding: 0px;"><font style="font-weight: normal;" size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 102);">The ACLU says documents it obtained from state agencies in Montana suggest law enforcement agencies have begun extensive trainings in preparation for the&nbsp;<a href="https://insideclimatenews.org/news/13072018/keystone-xl-pipeline-native-american-resistance-oil-spill-cheyenne-river-sioux-dakota-access-transcanada" style="box-sizing: inherit; text-decoration-line: none; font-weight: bold;">Keystone XL project</a>, and that federal agencies are involved.&nbsp; The records raise concerns that law enforcement agencies are preparing to stifle any protests even before they've begun</span><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">, said Alex Rate, legal director of the ACLU in Montana.</span></font></font></font></font></p><p style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); box-sizing: inherit; margin: 0px 0px 1.5em; padding: 0px;"><font style="font-weight: normal;" size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">"What we're concerned about is the surveillance and crackdown on peaceful protesters," Rate said. The records suggest law enforcement officers were given anti-terrorism and social media trainings in preparation for anticipated construction of Keystone XL and any related protests. "I think it would come as news to many people that the government is doing this to prepare for environmental protests about legitimate issues," he said.</font></font></p><p style="box-sizing: inherit; margin: 0px 0px 1.5em; padding: 0px;"><font style="font-weight: normal;" size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">The group submitted public records requests to six federal offices and agencies in January, but received only a small number of records in response so far. Some agencies have said they have no records matching the request, while others have yet to respond.&nbsp;</span><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 102);">The Army Corps of Engineers provided some records but withheld others, saying they were exempt from disclosure because they would interfere with a law enforcement proceeding, among other reasons.</span></font></font></font></font></p><h3 style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); box-sizing: inherit; margin: 0px 0px 0.5em; padding: 0px; font-weight: normal; line-height: 1.333;"><font style="font-weight: normal;" size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Montana Official: We're Just Doing Our Jobs</font></font></h3><p style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); box-sizing: inherit; margin: 0px 0px 1.5em; padding: 0px;"><font style="font-weight: normal;" size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Documents that have been released suggest federal and state agencies have created an interagency team and have been conducting trainings for local law enforcement on how to handle the protests.&nbsp;<a href="https://www.aclu.org/other/foia-document-government-email-about-anti-terrorism-training-ahead-keystone-xl-pipeline" style="box-sizing: inherit; background-color: transparent; text-decoration-line: none; font-weight: bold;">One email</a>&nbsp;from an&nbsp;<b>intelligence specialist in the U.S. Attorney's Office in Montana to a state official said the office would be hosting an anti-terrorism training event in August.</b></font></font></font></font></p><p style="box-sizing: inherit; margin: 0px 0px 1.5em; padding: 0px;"><font style="font-weight: normal;" size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 102);" size="4" face="Times New Roman">A&nbsp;<a href="https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/4829859-EXHIBIT-3-to-Supplemental-Request.html" style="box-sizing: inherit; text-decoration-line: none; font-weight: bold;">January email</a>&nbsp;from David Loewen, head of the law enforcement division of Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks, said the state's Division of Criminal Investigations had been in touch with officials in North Dakota "to learn what worked and what didn't" at Standing Rock during the Dakota Access Pipeline protests. The email noted that while "man-camps" to house workers would come along with pipeline construction and bring law enforcement challenges, "the primary enforcement focus is protest activity."</font></font></font></font></p><p style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); box-sizing: inherit; margin: 0px 0px 1.5em; padding: 0px;"><font style="font-weight: normal;" size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">In an interview, Loewen said the ACLU's concerns about law enforcement agencies suppressing protests were "a bit silly."</font></font></p><p style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); box-sizing: inherit; margin: 0px 0px 1.5em; padding: 0px;"><font style="font-weight: normal;" size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">"Our job is to prepare and train, that's what law enforcement does all the time," he said. "If we have a protest coming, chances are things are going to be peaceful and fine and dandy. But on the outside chance that they're not, we want to be prepared."</font></font></p><p style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); box-sizing: inherit; margin: 0px 0px 1.5em; padding: 0px;"><font style="font-weight: normal;" size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Leif Johnson,&nbsp;assistant U.S. attorney in Montana, confirmed the anti-terrorism training was held in August and said it was unrelated to Keystone XL.&nbsp;Burke Honzel, head of preparedness for Montana Disaster & Emergency Services, said his staff attended&nbsp;the&nbsp;training and that it&nbsp;<b>"did not discuss Keystone XL or protests and was geared towards overseas terrorism tactics."</b></font></font></font></font></p><h3 style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); box-sizing: inherit; margin: 0px 0px 0.5em; padding: 0px; font-weight: normal; line-height: 1.333;"><font style="font-weight: normal;" size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">First Amendment Rights and Protester Arrests</font></font></h3><p style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); box-sizing: inherit; margin: 0px 0px 1.5em; padding: 0px;"><font style="font-weight: normal;" size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Environmental and indigenous activists have describe harsh treatment by law enforcement and security officers in Louisiana, where at least 13 people have been arrested under a new law since it went into effect on Aug. 1, including four activists who were detained on Tuesday.</font></font></p><p style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); box-sizing: inherit; margin: 0px 0px 1.5em; padding: 0px;"><font style="font-weight: normal;" size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">The law created a felony charge with up to five years in prison for anyone who trespasses on a pipeline easement, and&nbsp;<a href="https://insideclimatenews.org/news/24082018/pipeline-protests-new-louisiana-law-activist-arrests-oil-bayou-bridge-energy-transfer-partners" style="box-sizing: inherit; background-color: transparent; text-decoration-line: none; font-weight: bold;">many of the arrests</a>&nbsp;came under questionable circumstances. Activists posted photos and video of the most recent arrests on Facebook, including&nbsp;<a href="https://www.facebook.com/LeauEstLaVie/videos/462077807637601/" style="box-sizing: inherit; background-color: transparent; text-decoration-line: none; font-weight: bold;">a video showing two uniformed officers</a>&nbsp;assisting a man who was not in uniform and who is holding a protester against the ground, his arm across her throat, while putting her hands in cuffs behind her back.</font></font></p><p style="box-sizing: inherit; margin: 0px 0px 1.5em; padding: 0px;"><font style="font-weight: normal;" size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 102);" size="4" face="Times New Roman">The records obtained by the ACLU in Montana echo others in Oklahoma, Louisiana, Virginia and other states that have shown law enforcement agencies focusing anti-terrorism resources on environmental activists and, in some cases,&nbsp;<b>cooperating with private security companies employed by pipeline companies to surveil and arrest protesters.</b></font></font></font></font></p><p style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); box-sizing: inherit; margin: 0px 0px 1.5em; padding: 0px;"><font style="font-weight: normal;" size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">In a&nbsp;<a href="https://www.aclu.org/blog/free-speech/rights-protesters/government-planning-surveil-keystone-xl-protesters?redirect=blog/government-planning-surveil-keystone-xl-protesters" style="box-sizing: inherit; background-color: transparent; text-decoration-line: none; font-weight: bold;">blog post</a>&nbsp;announcing the organization's lawsuit, Jacob Hutt of the ACLU said the organization hopes to determine from the documents its requested how and whether federal agencies are "thwarting, surveilling, and otherwise engaging with indigenous and environmental activists" opposed to Keystone XL.</font></font></p><p style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); box-sizing: inherit; margin: 0px 0px 1.5em; padding: 0px;"><font style="font-weight: normal;" size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">"The First Amendment protects political speech from the threat of undue government scrutiny, and the extent of such scrutiny is currently unknown," he wrote. "If the government is planning to prevent or monitor indigenous and environmental protests, the activists involved have a right to know about it."</font></font></p></div></div></div></div><div class="tagged-with" style="box-sizing: inherit; text-transform: uppercase; margin-bottom: 1em; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font style="font-weight: normal;" size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><label style="box-sizing: inherit; display: block; line-height: 1.2;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">PUBLISHED UNDER:</font></label></font></font></font><div class="field field-name-field-topics field-type-taxonomy-term-reference field-label-hidden" style="box-sizing: inherit;"><font style="font-weight: normal;" size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman" /></font></font><div class="field-items" style="box-sizing: inherit;"><font style="font-weight: normal;" size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman" /></font></font></font></font></font></font></font></font></font></font></font></font></font></font></font></font></font></font></font></font></font></font></font></font></font></font></font></font></font></font></font></font></font></font></font></font><div class="field-item even" style="box-sizing: inherit; display: inline-block; padding-right: 0.5em;"><font style="font-weight: normal;" size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><a href="https://insideclimatenews.org/topics/activism" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="" style="box-sizing: inherit; background-color: transparent; text-decoration-line: none;">ACTIVISM</a></font></font></font></font></font></font></font></font></font></font></font></font></font></font></font></font></font></font></font></font></font></font></font></font></font></font></font></font></font></font></font></font></font></font></font></font></font></font></font></font></font></font></font></font></font></font></font></font></font></font></font></font></font></font></font></font></font></font></font></font></font></font></font></font></font></font></font></font></font></font></font></font></font></font></font></font></font></font></font></font></font></font></font></font></font></font></font></font></font></font></font></font></font></font></font></font></font></div>&nbsp;<div class="field-item odd" style="box-sizing: inherit; display: inline-block; padding-right: 0.5em;"><a href="https://insideclimatenews.org/topics/oil-spillspipelines" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="" style="box-sizing: inherit; background-color: transparent; text-decoration-line: none;">OIL SPILLS/PIPELINES</a></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-tags field-type-taxonomy-term-reference field-label-hidden" style="box-sizing: inherit;"><div class="field-items" style="box-sizing: inherit;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman" /><div class="field-item even" style="box-sizing: inherit; display: inline-block; padding-right: 0.5em;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><a href="https://insideclimatenews.org/tags/dakota-access-pipeline" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="" style="box-sizing: inherit; background-color: transparent; text-decoration-line: none;">DAKOTA ACCESS PIPELINE</a></font></font></font></font></font></font></font></font></font></font></font></font></font></font></font></font></font></font></font></font></font></font></font></font></font></font></font></font></font></font></font></font></font></font></font></font></font></font></font></font></font></font></font></font></font></font></font></font></font></font></font></font></font></font></font></font></font></font></font></font></font></div>&nbsp;<div class="field-item odd" style="box-sizing: inherit; display: inline-block; padding-right: 0.5em;"><a href="https://insideclimatenews.org/topic/keystone-xl" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="" style="box-sizing: inherit; background-color: transparent; text-decoration-line: none;">KEYSTONE XL</a></div></div></div></div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font style="font-weight: normal;" size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">===</font></font></div><p><font style="font-weight: normal;" size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">===</font></font></p><h1 class="widget__headline h1" style="margin: 10px 0px 0px 10px; padding: 0px; cursor: pointer; overflow-wrap: break-word; line-height: 22px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font style="font-weight: normal;" size="4" face="Times New Roman"><a class="widget__headline-text custom-post-headline" href="https://www.ecowatch.com/keystone-xl-pipeline-environmental-review-2596431586.html" style="text-decoration-line: none; word-break: break-word; overflow-wrap: break-word; padding: 0px; margin: 0px; line-height: 31px;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman" color="#000000">Judge Orders Full Environmental Review of Keystone XL in Nebraska</font></a></font></h1><div class="body js-expandable clearfix js-listicle-body js-update-url" data-elid="2596431586" data-authors="Lorraine Chow" data-headline="Judge Orders Full Environmental Review of Keystone XL in Nebraska" style="margin: 10px; line-height: 24px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><div class="body-description"><div class="widget__brief"><p style="margin: 10px 0px;"><font style="font-weight: normal;" size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/tag/transcanada" style="text-decoration-line: none; overflow-wrap: break-word;">TransCanada</a>'s long-gestating&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/tag/keystone-xl" target="_blank" style="text-decoration-line: none; overflow-wrap: break-word;">Keystone XL (KXL)</a>&nbsp;tar sands&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/tag/pipelines" style="text-decoration-line: none; overflow-wrap: break-word;">pipeline</a>&nbsp;was dealt another setback after a federal judge in Montana ruled Wednesday that the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/tag/trump" style="text-decoration-line: none; overflow-wrap: break-word;">Trump</a>&nbsp;State Department must conduct a robust environmental review of the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/keystone-xl-vote-2511009516.html" style="text-decoration-line: none; overflow-wrap: break-word;">alternative pipeline</a><a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/tag/pipelines" style="text-decoration-line: none; overflow-wrap: break-word;">&nbsp;route through Nebraska.</a></font></font></p><p style="margin: 10px 0px;"><font style="font-weight: normal;" size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">U.S. District Court Judge Brian Morris sided with environmentalists, landowners and tribal plaintiffs in their challenge to the Trump administration. Pipeline opponents&nbsp;<a href="https://www.sierraclub.org/press-releases/2018/07/trump-administration-attempts-shortcut-get-keystone-xl-built" target="_blank" style="text-decoration-line: none; overflow-wrap: break-word;">argued</a>&nbsp;that the State Department's approval of the KXL was based on an outdated Environmental Impact Statement from 2014 of the original route, and accused the administration of trying to&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/trump-state-dept-keystone-xl-pipeline-2591451415.html" target="_blank" style="text-decoration-line: none; overflow-wrap: break-word;">short-cut the permitting process</a>.</font></font></p><p style="margin: 10px 0px;"><font style="font-weight: normal;" size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">...</font></font></p></div></div></div><div><font style="font-weight: normal;" size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">===</font></font></div><p><font style="font-weight: normal;" size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">==</font></font></p><h1 class="widget__headline h1" style="margin: 10px 0px 0px 10px; padding: 0px; cursor: pointer; overflow-wrap: break-word; line-height: 22px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font style="font-weight: normal;" size="4" face="Times New Roman"><a class="widget__headline-text custom-post-headline" href="https://www.ecowatch.com/trump-state-dept-keystone-xl-pipeline-2591451415.html" style="text-decoration-line: none; word-break: break-word; outline: 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; padding: 0px; margin: 0px; line-height: 31px;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman" color="#000000">Trump State Dept. Attempts 'Shortcut' to Build KXL Pipeline, Groups Say</font></a></font></h1><div class="body js-expandable clearfix js-listicle-body js-update-url" data-elid="2591451415" data-authors="Lorraine Chow" data-headline="Trump State Dept. Attempts 'Shortcut' to Build KXL Pipeline, Groups Say" style="margin: 10px; line-height: 24px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><div class="body-description"><div class="widget__brief"><p style="margin: 10px 0px;"><font style="font-weight: normal;" size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Environmentalists spoke out against President&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/tag/donald-trump" style="text-decoration-line: none; overflow-wrap: break-word;">Donald Trump</a>'s State Department after it found "no significant environmental impacts" in its review of TransCanada's long-gestating&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/tag/keystone-xl" style="text-decoration-line: none; overflow-wrap: break-word;">Keystone XL (KXL)</a>&nbsp;pipeline.</font></font></p><p style="margin: 10px 0px;"><font style="font-weight: normal;" size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">The alternative route&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/keystone-xl-vote-2511009516.html" style="text-decoration-line: none; overflow-wrap: break-word;">approved by Nebraska regulators</a>&nbsp;in November would have "minor to moderate" impacts from its construction and operation, according to the 300-page&nbsp;<a href="https://keystonepipeline-xl.state.gov/dea/index.htm" target="_blank" title="Link to Assessment" style="text-decoration-line: none; overflow-wrap: break-word;">draft report</a>&nbsp;released Monday. It said the route would not have a major impact on the state's water resources, soils or wildlife. It may cause minor impacts on cultural resources such as Native American graves.</font></font></p></div></div></div><p><font style="font-weight: normal;" size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">===</font></font></p><p><font style="font-weight: normal;" size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><a href="https://insideclimatenews.org/news/13072018/keystone-xl-pipeline-native-american-resistance-oil-spill-cheyenne-river-sioux-dakota-access-transcanada">https://insideclimatenews.org/news/13072018/keystone-xl-pipeline-native-american-resistance-oil-spill-cheyenne-river-sioux-dakota-access-transcanada</a></font></font></p><p><font style="font-weight: normal;" size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">T<span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">he company building the long-contested Keystone XL oil pipeline notified the Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe in a letter this week that it will start stockpiling equipment along the pipeline's route this month in preparation for construction.</span></font></font></p><p style="box-sizing: inherit; margin: 0px 0px 1.5em; padding: 0px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font style="font-weight: normal;" size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Tribal Chairman Harold Frazier sent back a sharp, one-line&nbsp;<a href="https://twitter.com/CRSTChairman/status/1017544831566921728" style="box-sizing: inherit; background-color: transparent; text-decoration-line: none; font-weight: bold;">response</a>: "We will be waiting."</font></font></p><p style="box-sizing: inherit; margin: 0px 0px 1.5em; padding: 0px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font style="font-weight: normal;" size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">The Cheyenne River tribe has opposed the Keystone pipeline since it was first proposed in 2008, and it has seen how pipeline protests can play out.</font></font></p><p style="box-sizing: inherit; margin: 0px 0px 1.5em; padding: 0px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font style="font-weight: normal;" size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><span times="Times" new="New" roman="Roman" font-size="font-size" large="large" style="text-align: center;">Just to the north of the tribe's land in central South Dakota, protests against the Dakota Access pipeline drew international attention as thousands of demonstrators established semi-permanent camps starting in the summer of 2016 near where the pipeline would cross under the Missouri river just upstream from&nbsp;the Standing Rock Indian Reservation.</span><font style="text-align: center;"><input type="text" name="b_7c733794100bcc7e083a163f0_29c928ffb5" tabindex="-1" value="" style="box-sizing: inherit; line-height: 1rem; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; margin: 0px; width: 250px; max-width: 100%; border-width: 1px; border-style: solid; border-color: rgb(231, 231, 231); border-radius: 6px; padding: 0.75rem 1rem;" /></font></font></font></p><p style="box-sizing: inherit; margin: 0px 0px 1.5em; padding: 0px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font style="font-weight: normal;" size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">The Cheyenne River tribe helped fight that pipeline, and it is in a similar geographic situation now—its reservation is just downstream from where the Keystone XL pipeline would cross the Cheyenne River.</font></font></p><p style="box-sizing: inherit; margin: 0px 0px 1.5em; padding: 0px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font style="font-weight: normal;" size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Like Standing Rock, the tribe fears a tar sands oil spill from the pipeline could contaminate its waters....</font></font></p><p><font style="font-weight: normal;" size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">&nbsp;===</font></font></p><p><font style="font-weight: normal;" size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">ponca land back</font></font></p><p><font style="font-weight: normal;" size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/nebraska-farmers-keystone-xl-2578444895.html">https://www.ecowatch.com/nebraska-farmers-keystone-xl-2578444895.html</a></font></font></p><p><font style="font-weight: normal;" size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">==</font></font></p><p><font style="font-weight: normal;" size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">==</font></font></p><p><font style="font-weight: normal;" size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/keystone-xl-approval-2538558599.html">https://www.ecowatch.com/keystone-xl-approval-2538558599.html</a></font></font></p><div class="headline-container" style="margin-top: 10px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><h1 class="headline h1" style="margin: 10px; padding: 0px; position: relative; line-height: 31px;"><font style="font-weight: normal;" size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Inside the Trump Admin's Fight to Keep the Keystone XL Approval Process Secret</font></font></h1></div><div id="utm_campaign" style="margin-top: 10px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><p><font style="font-weight: normal;" size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><span class="js-scroll-trigger" data-target="body" data-triggers="render-rebelbar" data-toggle-class="with-floating-shares" data-loaded="true" style="margin-top: 10px;" /></font></font></p><div class="body js-expandable clearfix js-listicle-body js-update-url" data-elid="2538558599" data-authors="DeSmogBlog" data-headline="Inside the Trump Admin's Fight to Keep the Keystone XL Approval Process Secret" style="margin: 10px; line-height: 24px;"><div class="body-description"><p><font style="font-weight: normal;" size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">By Steve Horn</font></font></p><p><font style="font-weight: normal;" size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">At a&nbsp;<a href="https://www.desmogblog.com/sites/beta.desmogblog.com/files/Order%20on%20Confidentiality%20Order%20Hearing.pdf" target="_blank" style="text-decoration-line: none;">Feb. 21 hearing</a>, a U.S. District Court judge ruled that the Trump administration must either fork over documents showing how the U.S. Department of State reversed an earlier decision and ultimately came to approve the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.desmogblog.com/directory/vocabulary/5857" target="_blank" style="text-decoration-line: none;">Keystone XL pipeline</a>, or else provide a substantial legal reason for continuing to withhold them. The federal government has an&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/2b64dbbfd05d4674972c64b8ec4cfd4d/Judge-orders-gov't-review-of-Keystone-pipeline-documents" target="_blank" style="text-decoration-line: none;">order to deliver the goods</a>, one way or the other, by March 21.</font></font></p><p><font style="font-weight: normal;" size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">DeSmog has reviewed the court evidence from the environmental groups bringing the case, records which help illuminate their argument that the government is, in fact, withholding such documents. The judge will decide if those documents, legally, should be made public.</font></font></p><p><font style="font-weight: normal;" size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">The case, which&nbsp;<a href="https://www.desmogblog.com/sites/beta.desmogblog.com/files/IEN%20v.%20State%20Department%20Complaint.pdf" target="_blank" style="text-decoration-line: none;">began in March 2017</a>, pits the Indigenous Environmental Network and the North Coast River Alliance against the State Department, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the U.S. Department of interior and&nbsp;<a href="https://www.desmogblog.com/directory/vocabulary/5420" target="_blank" style="text-decoration-line: none;">TransCanada</a>, the owner of Keystone XL. During his first week in office,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.desmogblog.com/donald-trump" target="_blank" style="text-decoration-line: none;">Donald Trump</a>&nbsp;signed a&nbsp;<a href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/presidential-actions/presidential-memorandum-regarding-construction-keystone-xl-pipeline/" target="_blank" style="text-decoration-line: none;">memorandum</a>calling for the State Department to perform an expedited 60-day permit review of the pipeline. Two months later, the State Department gave Keystone XL the&nbsp;<a href="https://keystonepipeline-xl.state.gov/documents/organization/269323.pdf" target="_blank" style="text-decoration-line: none;">permit it needed</a>&nbsp;to cross the U.S.-Canada border.</font></font></p><p><font style="font-weight: normal;" size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Under the Obama administration, the Keystone XL pipeline, which would carry oil from Alberta's&nbsp;<a href="https://www.desmogblog.com/directory/vocabulary/2632" target="_blank" style="text-decoration-line: none;">tar sands</a>, underwent a years-long environmental review process which culminated in President Barack Obama&nbsp;<a href="https://www.desmogblog.com/2015/11/06/victory-obama-rejects-scandal-ridden-keystone-xl-tar-sands-pipeline" target="_blank" style="text-decoration-line: none;">nixing it in November 2015</a>. For the better part of the past decade, the pipeline has served as a central mobilizing force for the environmental movement.</font></font></p><p><font style="font-weight: normal;" size="4" face="Times New Roman"><strong><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Dispute Over Records</font></strong></font></p><p><font style="font-weight: normal;" size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">At the center of this case is a dispute over the administrative records of federal agencies, which in other lawsuits are routinely made public as part of the pre-trial process.</font></font></p><p><font style="font-weight: normal;" size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Generally, releasing such documents gives a snapshot of the full deliberative process behind federal agencies' decisions. DeSmog, in fact,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.desmogblog.com/2015/04/20/emails-state-department-secretly-approved-expansion-enbridge-keystone-xl-clone" target="_blank" style="text-decoration-line: none;">published a story on such documents</a>&nbsp;in 2015 related to a different tar sands pipeline project, which involved Enbridge's&nbsp;<a href="https://www.desmogblog.com/directory/vocabulary/12487" target="_blank" style="text-decoration-line: none;">Alberta Clipper</a>&nbsp;(also known as Line 67), part of a broader pipeline system DeSmog calls the "<a href="https://www.desmogblog.com/directory/vocabulary/17587" target="_blank" style="text-decoration-line: none;">Keystone XLClone</a>."</font></font></p><p><font style="font-weight: normal;" size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">In the TransCanada case, the State Department has argued for keeping these pre-trial records sealed while the plaintiffs, the environmental groups, have argued they should be made public. These documents, which might include emails and memos, would offer the plaintiffs and the general public an idea of how the Trump administration decided to approve the Keystone XL.</font></font></p><p><font style="font-weight: normal;" size="4" face="Times New Roman"><span style="text-align: center;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">The plaintiffs say that not all of those records have been turned over.</font></span></font></p><p><font style="font-weight: normal;" size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">"Federal Defendants have wrongly omitted an unknown number of emails and other internal communications considered by the agencies during their review of the Keystone XL pipeline," the plaintiffs in the case argued in court documents on Jan. 8.</font></font></p><p><font style="font-weight: normal;" size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">In an&nbsp;<a href="https://www.desmogblog.com/sites/beta.desmogblog.com/files/Declaration%20of%20Cecilia%20Segal%20.pdf" target="_blank" style="text-decoration-line: none;">affidavit exhibited</a>&nbsp;as part of that filing, Cecilia Segal, an attorney for one of the plaintiffs, cited a Dec. 19 phone call she had with the federal defendants, in which they said that agency emails and other records do not need to be disclosed as part of the case.</font></font></p><p><font style="font-weight: normal;" size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Another letter exhibited as part of the Jan. 8 filing,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.desmogblog.com/sites/beta.desmogblog.com/files/CBD%20Nov%2030%20Letter.pdf" target="_blank" style="text-decoration-line: none;">written on Nov. 30 by attorneys</a>&nbsp;for the Center for Biological Diversity, further complained that the documents already handed over were not adequately comprehensive or organized in a manner useful for the case. And many documents, they allege, seem to be missing entirely and without explanation.</font></font></p><p><font style="font-weight: normal;" size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">"We are concerned that both the State Department and Service have withheld records as privileged without identifying and certifying them on a privilege log," wrote the attorneys.</font></font></p><p><font style="font-weight: normal;" size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">"The State Department Administrative Record includes very few emails and inter-agency communications, even though such materials are typically included in administrative records that are compiled for litigation by federal agencies. Yet the State Department has provided no descriptions of these records, or even acknowledged the existence of these and other records that have been withheld in their entirety, let alone provided a log with basic details about what these records are, who generated them, and why the State Department is evidently hoping to shield them from judicial review."</font></font></p><p><font style="font-weight: normal;" size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">A&nbsp;<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Privilege_log" target="_blank" style="text-decoration-line: none;">privilege log</a>&nbsp;is a document, submitted to a judge and made part of the court record, which details both the nature of documents pertinent to a case and a legal rationale for keeping them out of the public court record.</font></font></p><p><font style="font-weight: normal;" size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">"Because they have refused to provide a privilege log, it is impossible for Plaintiffs and the Court to determine how extensive the withholdings are and whether they are appropriate," wrote the plaintiffs in their Jan. 8 filing. "Accordingly, the Court should order Federal Defendants to produce a privilege log that adequately describes the withheld materials, identifies the basis for their withholding, and substantiates any claimed privileges."</font></font></p><p><font style="font-weight: normal;" size="4" face="Times New Roman"><strong><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">'Fishing Expedition'</font></strong></font></p><p><font style="font-weight: normal;" size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">The State Department and TransCanada, for their part, have come to a different legal conclusion, saying that the documents in question are "deliberative" in nature and not part of any official administrative process. They argue that the plaintiffs are attempting to turn the administrative records&nbsp;<a href="https://www.desmogblog.com/sites/beta.desmogblog.com/files/State%20Department%20Response%20Letter%20to%20CBD.pdf" target="_blank" style="text-decoration-line: none;">into a Freedom of Information Act request</a>, positing that pre-decisional documents should not be included among those disclosed in the case.</font></font></p><p><font style="font-weight: normal;" size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">"The bare fact that predecisional, deliberative materials were generated during the decisionmaking processes, does not transform those materials into documents that were before the decisionmaker in any relevant sense and therefore part of the administrative record, any more than documents reflecting a trial court's predecisional deliberations, such as bench memos, other communications between judges and their staff, and drafts of decisions, are part of the trial record,"&nbsp;<a href="https://www.desmogblog.com/sites/beta.desmogblog.com/files/State%20Dept%20Motion%20vs.%20Lifting%20Confidentiality%20Order.pdf" target="_blank" style="text-decoration-line: none;">wrote Department of Justice attorneys</a>&nbsp;in a Jan. 22 court filing.</font></font></p><p><font style="font-weight: normal;" size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">They also argued in that filing that the plaintiffs are on a "fishing expedition" styled as a mission to "complete the record." Ultimately, it will be for Judge Brian Morris to decide which argument has more merit in the coming months.</font></font></p><p><font style="font-weight: normal;" size="4" face="Times New Roman"><strong><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">'Smoke and Mirrors'</font></strong></font></p><p><font style="font-weight: normal;" size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">At least one group believes the entire premise of the dispute amounts to a cause for celebration. The climate advocacy organization 350.org—which has long led the movement opposing Keystone XL—says it believes this development is a sign the pipeline may never be built. Along those lines, it showed excitement over the judge's decision in a press release:</font></font></p><p><font style="font-weight: normal;" size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">"The Trump administration's approval of the Keystone XL pipeline has been nothing but smoke and mirrors,"&nbsp;<a href="https://www.commondreams.org/newswire/2018/02/22/350org-judge-ordering-review-documents-related-trumps-keystone-xl-decision" target="_blank" style="text-decoration-line: none;">said 350.org Executive Director May Boeve</a>. "The truth is undeniable. Every shred of scientific evidence shows this pipeline is a threat to our climate, and to the lands, waters, and lives in its path."</font></font></p><p><font style="font-weight: normal;" size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><em>Reposted with permission from our media associate&nbsp;<a href="https://www.desmogblog.com/2018/02/22/judge-trump-documents-keystone-xl-decision" target="_blank" style="text-decoration-line: none;">DeSmogBlog</a>.</em><em /></font></font></p><div class="around-the-web"><div class="around-the-web__headline" style="font-weight: 700; text-transform: uppercase;"><font style="font-weight: normal;" size="4" face="Times New Roman"><em><em><em><em><em><em><em><em><em><em><em><em><em><em><em><em><em><em><em><em><em><em><em><em><em><em><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">RELATED ARTICLES AROUND THE WEB</font></em></em></em></em></em></em></em></em></em></em></em></em></em></em></em></em></em></em></em></em></em></em></em></em></em></em></font></div><ul class="around-the-web__list" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; list-style: none;"><li class="around-the-web__item"><font style="font-weight: normal;" size="4" face="Times New Roman"><em><em><em><a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/keystone-xl-leak-nebraska-2510255974.html" class="around-the-web__link" target="_blank" style="text-decoration-line: none; line-height: normal; display: inline-block; margin-top: 10px;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman" color="#000000">Massive Pipeline Leak Shows Why Nebraska Should Reject ... ›</font></a></em></em></em></font></li><li class="around-the-web__item"><font style="font-weight: normal;" size="4" face="Times New Roman"><em><em><em><a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/exxon-california-becerra-2537146030.html" class="around-the-web__link" target="_blank" style="text-decoration-line: none; line-height: normal; display: inline-block; margin-top: 10px;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman" color="#000000">Time's Up for California AG Becerra to Investigate #ExxonKnew and ... ›</font></a></em></em></em></font></li></ul></div></div></div><p><font style="font-weight: normal;" size="4" face="Times New Roman"><em><em><em><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">==</font></em></em></em></font></p><p><font style="font-weight: normal;" size="4" face="Times New Roman"><em><em><em><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><a href="http://www.slate.com/blogs/the_slatest/2017/01/24/trump_s_green_lighting_of_keystone_and_dapl_is_a_power_play_that_won_t_create.html">http://www.slate.com/blogs/the_slatest/2017/01/24/trump_s_green_lighting_of_keystone_and_dapl_is_a_power_play_that_won_t_create.html</a></font></em></em></em></font></p><p><font style="font-weight: normal;" size="4" face="Times New Roman"><em><em><em><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><b>On Tuesday, President Donald Trump signed executive orders that will allow the Keystone XL and Dakota Access Pipeline projects to move forward, as he&nbsp;<a href="https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2016/oct/26/donald-trump-dakota-access-pipeline-investment-energy-transfer-partners" target="_blank" style="text-decoration-line: none;">assured voters</a></b><b>&nbsp;he would do on the campaign trail. Both of these projects were halted by the Obama administration and have been widely criticized by activists.</b>As&nbsp;<a href="http://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-trump-pipeline-idUSKBN15820N" target="_blank" style="text-decoration-line: none; font-weight: bold;">Reuters</a><em>&nbsp;</em>reports:</font></em></em></em></font></p><div class="text-2 text parbase section"><blockquote style="margin: 0px 40px 0px 0px; border-left: 2px solid rgb(102, 0, 51); padding-left: 18px; line-height: 2; padding-top: 8px; padding-bottom: 8px;"><font style="font-weight: normal;" size="4" face="Times New Roman"><em><em><em><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">[A] restart of the projects would mark a defeat for Native American tribes affected by the $3.8 billion Dakota Access pipeline. Protesters had rallied for months against plans to route the $3.8 billion pipeline beneath a lake near the Standing Rock Sioux reservation, saying it threatened water resources and sacred Native American sites.</font></em></em></em></font></blockquote></div><div class="text-3 text parbase section"><blockquote style="margin: 0px 40px 0px 0px; border-left: 2px solid rgb(102, 0, 51); padding-left: 18px; line-height: 2; padding-top: 8px; padding-bottom: 8px;"><font style="font-weight: normal;" size="4" face="Times New Roman"><em><em><em><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Environmental activists broadly opposed the Keystone XL pipeline and campaigned against it for more than seven years.</font></em></em></em></font></blockquote></div><div class="text parbase text-4 section"><blockquote style="margin: 0px 40px 0px 0px; border-left: 2px solid rgb(102, 0, 51); padding-left: 18px; line-height: 2; padding-top: 8px; padding-bottom: 8px;"><font style="font-weight: normal;" size="4" face="Times New Roman"><em><em><em><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers in January said it would begin an environmental assessment that could delay the Dakota project further. It was not clear if Trump’s order supersedes that move.</font></em></em></em></font></blockquote></div><div class="text parbase text-5 section"><p style="line-height: 1.8; margin: 1em 0px;"><font style="font-weight: normal;" size="4" face="Times New Roman"><em><em><em><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">In November 2015, Trump said he would approve the Keystone XL pipeline on the condition that the United States government would receive 25 percent of the profits. He&nbsp;<a href="http://www.politico.com/story/2016/06/donald-trump-keystone-canada-energy-224204" target="_blank" style="text-decoration-line: none; font-weight: bold;">reiterated this proposal</a>&nbsp;in May.&nbsp;<a href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/2017/01/24/presidential-memorandum-regarding-construction-keystone-xl-pipeline" target="_blank" style="text-decoration-line: none; font-weight: bold;">Tuesday's executive order</a>, which invites Keystone developer TransCanada to resubmit its application for a construction permit from the State Department, includes no such stipulations.<br /><br /><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 102);">The Keystone XL project, which will take&nbsp;<a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2017/01/24/us/politics/keystone-dakota-pipeline-trump.html" target="_blank" style="text-decoration-line: none; font-weight: bold;">800,000 barrels of oil a day</a>&nbsp;from Canada to the Gulf Coast, was the subject of a&nbsp;<b>largely symbolic battle [?!}</b>&nbsp;waged by climate activists opposed to the continued development of fossil fuel infrastructure. It was torpedoed by President Obama in 2015, a month before the Paris Climate Summit. “America is now a global leader when it comes to taking serious action to fight climate change,” he said upon&nbsp;<a href="https://obamawhitehouse.archives.gov/the-press-office/2015/11/06/statement-president-keystone-xl-pipeline" target="_blank" style="text-decoration-line: none; font-weight: bold;">rejecting a permit</a>&nbsp;for the pipeline's construction. “And frankly, approving this project would have undercut that global leadership.”</span></font></em></em></em></font></p></div><div class="text text-6 parbase section"><p style="line-height: 1.8; margin: 1em 0px;"><font style="font-weight: normal;" size="4" face="Times New Roman"><em><em><em><font style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 102);" size="4" face="Times New Roman">Construction of the Dakota Access Pipeline, which will carry&nbsp;<a href="http://www.cnn.com/2016/09/07/us/dakota-access-pipeline-visual-guide/" target="_blank" style="text-decoration-line: none; font-weight: bold;">470,000 barrels per day</a>&nbsp;across the Dakotas into Iowa and Illinois was halted after the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers denied Energy Transfer Partners, the company behind the pipeline, permission to tunnel under a portion of land north of the Standing Rock Sioux reservation without further environmental impact assessments. Construction of the pipeline was close to completion before protests against it halted progress.</font></em></em></em></font></p></div><div class="text parbase text-7 section"><p style="line-height: 1.8; margin: 1em 0px;"><font style="font-weight: normal;" size="4" face="Times New Roman"><em><em><em><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Trump used to be invested in Energy Transfer Partners, the company developing the Dakota Access Pipeline, but he&nbsp;<a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/energy-environment/wp/2016/11/23/trump-dumped-his-stock-in-dakota-access-pipeline-owner-over-the-summer/?utm_term=.3335a3d97af9" target="_blank" style="text-decoration-line: none; font-weight: bold;">sold his $50,000 stake</a>&nbsp;last summer. Energy Transfer Partners CEO Kelcy Warren&nbsp;<a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/energy-environment/wp/2016/11/23/trump-dumped-his-stock-in-dakota-access-pipeline-owner-over-the-summer/?utm_term=.3335a3d97af9" target="_blank" style="text-decoration-line: none; font-weight: bold;">donated $100,000</a>&nbsp;to the Trump Victory Fund, a joint fundraising effort by the Trump campaign, the Republican National Committee, and state Republican parties.</font></em></em></em></font></p></div><div class="text parbase text-8 section"><p style="line-height: 1.8; margin: 1em 0px;"><font style="font-weight: normal;" size="4" face="Times New Roman"><em><em><em><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Despite Trump's framing of the pipelines as job creators, the economic benefits of both are minimal. In signing the order approving Keystone XL, Trump said the pipeline would create 28,000 jobs. In fact, a 2014 State Department report found that the pipeline would create&nbsp;<a href="http://www.politifact.com/punditfact/statements/2014/feb/10/van-jones/cnns-van-jones-says-keystone-pipeline-only-creates/" target="_blank" style="text-decoration-line: none; font-weight: bold;">35 permanent jobs</a>&nbsp;post-building, with a mix of 42,100 temporary and nonconstruction jobs created over the course of the pipeline’s construction. As Jonathan Thompson wrote in November, the economic impact of the Dakota Access Pipeline&nbsp;<a href="http://www.slate.com/articles/health_and_science/climate_desk/2016/11/the_dakota_access_pipeline_will_not_create_jobs_or_energy_independence.html" style="text-decoration-line: none; font-weight: bold;">will be similar</a>:</font></em></em></em></font></p></div><div class="text parbase text-9 section"><blockquote style="margin: 0px 40px 0px 0px; border-left: 2px solid rgb(102, 0, 51); padding-left: 18px; line-height: 2; padding-top: 8px; padding-bottom: 8px;"><font style="font-weight: normal;" size="4" face="Times New Roman"><em><em><em><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Construction on the pipeline is about 85 percent complete and it has, indeed, put people to work. Yet it is not clear&nbsp;<a href="http://mediad.publicbroadcasting.net/p/wium/files/Dakota_Access_Fact_Sheet.pdf" target="_blank" style="text-decoration-line: none;">how many</a>&nbsp;new jobs have been created since the jobs are spread out over 1,000 miles. Rural towns along the pipeline’s corridor have&nbsp;<a href="http://www.wkow.com/story/33492268/2016/10/26/cherokee-ia-gets-economic-boost-from-dakota-access-pipeline-construction" target="_blank" style="text-decoration-line: none;">reported</a>&nbsp;a boost in hotel and campground occupancy rates as the contractors move through. That, in turn, generates sales and lodging tax revenues for the local governments. The boost, however, won’t last. In a few months, when (and if) construction is complete, the workers and their spending money will depart. The finished pipeline will require just 40 permanent maintenance and operational jobs along its entire stretch.</font></em></em></em></font></blockquote></div><div class="text parbase text-10 section"><p style="line-height: 1.8; margin: 1em 0px;"><font style="font-weight: normal;" size="4" face="Times New Roman"><em><em><em><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Thompson also writes that the Dakota pipeline will not spur domestic production enough to measurably offset the 5.2 million barrels of oil the United States imports each day and will thus fail to bring America substantially closer to energy independence. Keystone XL's completion would similarly do little to insulate the United States from the volatility of global oil prices. And, of course, both projects reinforce American dependence on carbon-emitting fossil fuels.... "Times New Roman"><em><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><em><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><a href="http://inread-experience.teads.tv/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank" style="text-decoration-line: none !important; border: none !important; letter-spacing: 0.3px !important; background: none !important; padding: 0px !important; box-shadow: none !important;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman" color="#000000"><span class="teads-ui-components-credits-colored" style="display: inline !important; box-shadow: none !important; letter-spacing: 0.3px !important;" /></font></a></font></font></em></font></em></font></em></em></em></font></p></div><div class="teads-ui-components-credits" style="margin-bottom: 0px !important; padding: 1px 4px 1px 0px !important; height: 26px !important; line-height: 26px !important; letter-spacing: 0.3px !important;"><font style="font-weight: normal;" size="4" face="Times New Roman"><em><em><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><em><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><a href="http://teads.tv/inread-outstream/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank" style="text-decoration-line: none !important; border: none !important; letter-spacing: 0.3px !important; background: none !important; padding: 0px !important; box-shadow: none !important;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman" color="#000000"><span class="teads-ui-components-credits-colored" style="display: inline !important; box-shadow: none !important; letter-spacing: 0.3px !important;" /></font></a></font></font></em></font></em></em></font></div></div><div class="text-11 text parbase section" style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><p style="line-height: 1.8; margin: 1em 0px;"><font style="font-weight: normal;" size="4" face="Times New Roman"><em><em><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Trump's approval of the pipelines will mainly accomplish two things—deliver profits to their backers and deliver a base-satisfying blow to&nbsp;environmentalists and activists concerned over the pipelines' impacts on surrounding lands and carbon emissions. “If, for the first time, this nation can listen and hear us, they’ll understand that this is about climate change,” Standing Rock Sioux chairman David Archambault II&nbsp;<a href="http://www.slate.com/articles/health_and_science/cover_story/2016/12/standing_rock_epitomizes_the_conflict_between_short_term_and_long_term_priorities.html" style="text-decoration-line: none; font-weight: bold;">said in December</a>. “We all have to take a good look at ourselves and say, ‘Are we dependent on fossil fuels?’ If we say yes, we’re creating the demand for the Dakota Access Pipeline and for future pipelines." On Tuesday, Trump said yes.</font></em></em></font></p></div><div class="text-12 text parbase section" style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><p style="line-height: 1.8; margin: 1em 0px;"><font style="font-weight: normal;" size="4" face="Times New Roman"><em><em><em><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><strong><em><a href="http://www.slate.com/topics/d/dakota_access_pipeline.html" style="text-decoration-line: none;">Read more in Slate about the Dakota Access Pipeline.</a></em></strong></font></font></em></em></em></font></p></div><p><font style="font-weight: normal;" size="4" face="Times New Roman"><em><em><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">===</font></em></em></font></p><p><font style="font-weight: normal;" size="4" face="Times New Roman"><em><em><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">8/17</font></em></em></font></p><div><font style="font-weight: normal;" size="4" face="Times New Roman"><em><em><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><br /></font></em></em></font></div><div><font style="font-weight: normal;" size="4" face="Times New Roman"><em><em><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/keystone-xl-hearing-2469081732.html"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman" color="#000000">https://www.ecowatch.com/keystone-xl-hearing-2469081732.html</font></a></font></font></em></em></font></div><div><font style="font-weight: normal;" size="4" face="Times New Roman"><em><em><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><br /></font></em></em></font></div><div><p style="margin: 10px 0px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font style="font-weight: normal;" size="4" face="Times New Roman"><em><em><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">The Nebraska Public Service Commission (NPSC)—the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2017-08-04/keystone-xl-foes-duck-the-c-word-in-red-state-pipeline-battle" target="_blank" style="text-decoration-line: none; overflow-wrap: break-word;">Republican-dominated</a>&nbsp;state board deciding the fate of&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/tag/transcanada" style="text-decoration-line: none; overflow-wrap: break-word;">TransCanada's</a>&nbsp;long-delayed&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/tag/keystone-xl" style="text-decoration-line: none; overflow-wrap: break-word;">Keystone XL</a>&nbsp;pipeline—have barred experts and homeowners from testifying over potential spills or whether the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/tag/tar-sands" style="text-decoration-line: none; overflow-wrap: break-word;">tar sands</a>&nbsp;pipeline is&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/keystone-xl-trump-2295008676.html" style="text-decoration-line: none; overflow-wrap: break-word;">even necessary</a>&nbsp;during final hearings next week.</font></em></em></font></p><p style="margin: 10px 0px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font style="font-weight: normal;" size="4" face="Times New Roman"><em><em><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">The&nbsp;<a href="http://www.omaha.com/news/nebraska/judge-keystone-xl-opponents-can-t-testify-about-pipeline-s/article_e4777e6b-169a-5311-96be-680672aee366.html" target="_blank" style="text-decoration-line: none; overflow-wrap: break-word;">Omaha World-Herald</a>&nbsp;reports that former Lancaster County District Judge Karen Flowers, who was hired by NPSC to conduct the hearings, issued more than 30 rulings based on objections filed by TransCanada.</font></em></em></font></p><p style="margin: 10px 0px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font style="font-weight: normal;" size="4" face="Times New Roman"><em><em><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">She ruled that issues such as safety or if the U.S. even needs Canadian oil are out of the commission's scope of authority.&nbsp;</font></em></em></font></p><p style="margin: 10px 0px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font style="font-weight: normal;" size="4" face="Times New Roman"><em><em><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">"The (Nebraska Major Oil Pipeline) Siting Act specifically prohibits the commission from considering safety considerations, including the risk of spills and leaks," Flowers wrote in her ruling.&nbsp;<br /></font></em></em></font></p><p style="margin: 10px 0px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font style="font-weight: normal;" size="4" face="Times New Roman"><em><em><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Nebraska law requires the NPSC to approve a pipeline construction application if it is "in the public interest." The commission—made up of four Republicans and one Democrat—will&nbsp;<a href="http://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-pipeline-keystone-idUSKBN1AK16D?il=0" target="_blank" style="text-decoration-line: none; overflow-wrap: break-word;">mainly consider</a>&nbsp;issues that impact the local economy such as jobs and revenues.</font></em></em></font></p><p style="margin: 10px 0px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font style="font-weight: normal;" size="4" face="Times New Roman"><em><em><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Pipeline opponent&nbsp;<a href="http://priceofoil.org/" target="_blank" style="text-decoration-line: none; overflow-wrap: break-word;">Oil Change International</a>&nbsp;spoke out against the hearing officer's ruling, as it bars the testimony of 15 outside experts and more than 25 landowners.</font></em></em></font></p><p style="margin: 10px 0px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font style="font-weight: normal;" size="4" face="Times New Roman"><em><em><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">For instance, the decision barred the planned testimony of&nbsp;<a href="http://priceofoil.org/about/staff/" target="_blank" style="text-decoration-line: none; overflow-wrap: break-word;">Lorne Stockman</a>, senior research analyst at Oil Change International. Stockman's testimony, which was submitted ahead of the hearings and thus part of the official record, would have stressed how changing market conditions and realities in the tar sands industry negates the need for Keystone XL pipeline.</font></em></em></font></p><p style="margin: 10px 0px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font style="font-weight: normal;" size="4" face="Times New Roman"><em><em><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">"There is simply no need for the Keystone XL pipeline based on the current market conditions, which even TransCanada has&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/keystone-xl-solar-2467531989.html" style="text-decoration-line: none; overflow-wrap: break-word;">admitted</a>," he said, noting recent statements by TransCanada representatives who have cast doubt in finding sufficient shippers to fill the pipeline.</font></em></em></font></p><p style="margin: 10px 0px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font style="font-weight: normal;" size="4" face="Times New Roman"><em><em><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">"Those conditions," Lockman [sic, cf maine]continued, "include an end to growth in the tar sands sector and stagnant global oil demand, headwinds that look set to end the reckless proliferation of tar sands pipelines. Given all of the risks to Nebraskans inherent in the building and operation of this pipeline, the fact that there's no compelling need to build it should be a critical element of the commission's deliberations."</font></em></em></font></p><p style="margin: 10px 0px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font style="font-weight: normal;" size="4" face="Times New Roman"><em><em><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">"My testimony exposes that the Keystone XL pipeline is not only a disaster for our climate and communities, but also that TransCanada has no business case to it to be built in the first place. It's no wonder they don't want me to testify," Lockman concluded.&nbsp;<br /></font></em></em></font></p><p style="margin: 10px 0px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font style="font-weight: normal;" size="4" face="Times New Roman"><em><em><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><a href="http://boldnebraska.org/" target="_blank" style="text-decoration-line: none; overflow-wrap: break-word;">Bold Nebraska</a>&nbsp;founder&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/jane-kleeb-2468688230.html" style="text-decoration-line: none; overflow-wrap: break-word;">Jane Kleeb</a>, a prominent critic of the Keystone XL project, said legal action against the NPSC's decision to bar expert and landowner testimonies could be necessary.</font></em></em></font></p><p style="margin: 10px 0px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font style="font-weight: normal;" size="4" face="Times New Roman"><em><em><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">"They're headed for a very tough court fight," Kleeb told the World-Herald.</font></em></em></font></p><p style="margin: 10px 0px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font style="font-weight: normal;" size="4" face="Times New Roman"><em><em><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">A recent&nbsp;<a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2017-08-04/keystone-xl-foes-duck-the-c-word-in-red-state-pipeline-battle" target="_blank" style="text-decoration-line: none; overflow-wrap: break-word;">Bloomberg</a>&nbsp;report highlighted how during the hearings, Keystone opponents will focus on the issue of eminent domain, which Republicans traditionally oppose in favor of landowner property rights. Keystone proponents, meanwhile, will focus on job creation, which the GOP also supports.</font></em></em></font></p><div id="AdThrive_Content_2_desktop" class="adthrive-ad adthrive-dynamic adthrive-content" data-google-query-id="CKuP2LjsvdUCFVCNaQodwnkE1g" style="margin-top: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); overflow-x: visible !important;"><font style="font-weight: normal;" size="4" face="Times New Roman"><em><em><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><br /></font></em></em></font></div><p style="margin: 10px 0px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font style="font-weight: normal;" size="4" face="Times New Roman"><em><em><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">TransCanada's proposed pipeline would carry 830,000 barrels of tar sands oil from Canada into the U.S. daily.</font></em></em></font></p><p style="margin: 10px 0px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font style="font-weight: normal;" size="4" face="Times New Roman"><em><em><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><br /></font></em></em></font></p><p style="margin: 10px 0px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font style="font-weight: normal;" size="4" face="Times New Roman"><em><em><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">===</font></em></em></font></p></div><p><font style="font-weight: normal;" size="4" face="Times New Roman"><em><em><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">==</font></em></em></font></p><p><font style="font-weight: normal;" size="4" face="Times New Roman"><em><em><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">350 bill m&nbsp;<span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">Jane Kleeb with Bold Alliance, Wayne Frederick, Rosebud Sioux Tribe Council, Michael Brune from Sierra Club, Lindsey Allen from the Rainforest Action Network and Eriel Deranger from Indigenous Climate Action.</span><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">&nbsp;</span></font></font></font></em></em></font></p><p><font style="font-weight: normal;" size="4" face="Times New Roman"><em><em><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">==</font></em></em></font></p><p><font style="font-weight: normal;" size="4" face="Times New Roman"><em><em><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><a href="https://insideclimatenews.org/news/23032017/keystone-xl-pipeline-donald-trump-rex-tillerson-state-department-nebraska">https://insideclimatenews.org/news/23032017/keystone-xl-pipeline-donald-trump-rex-tillerson-state-department-nebraska</a></font></font></font></em></em></font></p><p dir="ltr" id="docs-internal-guid-5a6c47e6-000f-5f78-263a-dcc8520c7e87" open="Open" sans="Sans" sans-serif="sans-serif" font-size="font-size" px="px" background-color="background-color" rgb="rgb" style="box-sizing: inherit; margin: 0px 0px 1.5em; padding: 0px;"><font style="font-weight: normal;" size="4" face="Times New Roman"><em><em><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">The White House's approval of the&nbsp;<a href="https://insideclimatenews.org/topic/keystone-xl" target="_blank" style="box-sizing: inherit; text-decoration-line: none; font-weight: bold;">Keystone XL pipeline</a>&nbsp;Friday opens a fierce, new battle over a project that has become a front in the fight against&nbsp;<a href="https://insideclimatenews.org/topic/climate-change" target="_blank" style="box-sizing: inherit; text-decoration-line: none; font-weight: bold;">climate change</a>.</font></em></em></font></p><p dir="ltr" open="Open" sans="Sans" sans-serif="sans-serif" font-size="font-size" px="px" background-color="background-color" rgb="rgb" style="box-sizing: inherit; margin: 0px 0px 1.5em; padding: 0px;"><font style="font-weight: normal;" size="4" face="Times New Roman"><em><em><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">President&nbsp;<a href="https://insideclimatenews.org/tags/donald-trump" target="_blank" style="box-sizing: inherit; text-decoration-line: none; font-weight: bold;">Donald Trump</a>&nbsp;made reviving the 1,200-mile pipeline, which will transport heavy crude oil from tar sands mines in Canada to refineries on the Gulf Coast, a key plank of his fossil fuel-focused energy plan. He promised in January to reverse President Barack Obama's rejection of the TransCanada project, one of Obama's signature environmental decisions, within 60 days. The president just beat that&nbsp;<a href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/2017/01/24/presidential-memorandum-regarding-construction-keystone-xl-pipeline" style="box-sizing: inherit; text-decoration-line: none; font-weight: bold;">deadline</a>.</font></em></em></font></p><p dir="ltr" open="Open" sans="Sans" sans-serif="sans-serif" font-size="font-size" px="px" style="box-sizing: inherit; margin: 0px 0px 1.5em; padding: 0px;"><font style="font-weight: normal;" size="4" face="Times New Roman"><em><em><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">"It's going to be an incredible pipeline, the greatest technology known to man or woman," Trump said Friday in a signing of the project's presidential permit, flanked by&nbsp;</font></em></em></font></p><p dir="ltr" open="Open" sans="Sans" sans-serif="sans-serif" font-size="font-size" px="px" background-color="background-color" rgb="rgb" style="box-sizing: inherit; margin: 0px 0px 1.5em; padding: 0px;"><font style="font-weight: normal;" size="4" face="Times New Roman"><em><em><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">The Trump administration's hasty approval is expected be the basis for court challenges by environmentalists. Groups say they will argue the administration sidestepped the law by failing to conduct a new and thorough environmental analysis with public comment before making its decision. The approval, they say, was based on an Obama environmental review when oil prices were much higher than they are today.</font></em></em></font></p><p dir="ltr" open="Open" sans="Sans" sans-serif="sans-serif" font-size="font-size" px="px" background-color="background-color" rgb="rgb" style="box-sizing: inherit; margin: 0px 0px 1.5em; padding: 0px;"><font style="font-weight: normal;" size="4" face="Times New Roman"><em><em><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">"Whenever Congress or TransCanada or its lobbyists have tried to create shortcuts to expedite approval, it tended to backfire and cause the process to be longer," said Anthony Swift, director of the Natural Resources Defense Council's Canada project. "We're seeing that again with the [administration] making a decision on the basis of an incredibly outdated environmental review."</font></em></em></font></p><p dir="ltr" open="Open" sans="Sans" sans-serif="sans-serif" font-size="font-size" px="px" background-color="background-color" rgb="rgb" style="box-sizing: inherit; margin: 0px 0px 1.5em; padding: 0px;"><font style="font-weight: normal;" size="4" face="Times New Roman"><em><em><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Meanwhile in Nebraska, long ground zero of the opposition, landowners who do not want the pipeline near their property will argue their case before the state Public Service Commission in hearings this spring on whether the proposed route protects the public interest. Years of&nbsp; resistance there led TransCanada to move the 830,000-barrel-a-day pipeline out of the Nebraska Sandhills, a fragile ecosystem that overlies the Ogallala aquifer. Many wanted the project scrapped altogether.</font></em></em></font></p><p dir="ltr" open="Open" sans="Sans" sans-serif="sans-serif" font-size="font-size" px="px" background-color="background-color" rgb="rgb" style="box-sizing: inherit; margin: 0px 0px 1.5em; padding: 0px;"><font style="font-weight: normal;" size="4" face="Times New Roman"><em><em><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Protests are scheduled to take place on Friday in front of the White House as well as Trump International Hotel in New York. "This pipeline won't be built," the grassroots climate action group 350.org&nbsp;<a href="https://twitter.com/350/status/844978683064541184" target="_blank" style="box-sizing: inherit; text-decoration-line: none; font-weight: bold;">said on Twitter</a>. "People stopped it once & will again."</font></em></em></font></p><p dir="ltr" open="Open" sans="Sans" sans-serif="sans-serif" font-size="font-size" px="px" background-color="background-color" rgb="rgb" style="box-sizing: inherit; margin: 0px 0px 1.5em; padding: 0px;"><font style="font-weight: normal;" size="4" face="Times New Roman"><em><em><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">President Obama rejected the project in November 2015, largely on grounds that the carbon-heavy tar sands crude it would transport would contribute millions of tons of extra carbon dioxide to the atmosphere each year. "If we're going to prevent large parts of this earth from becoming not just inhospitable, but uninhabitable...we must act not later, not someday, but right here, right now," Obama said.</font></em></em></font></p><p dir="ltr" open="Open" sans="Sans" sans-serif="sans-serif" font-size="font-size" px="px" background-color="background-color" rgb="rgb" style="box-sizing: inherit; margin: 0px 0px 1.5em; padding: 0px;"><font style="font-weight: normal;" size="4" face="Times New Roman"><em><em><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">His administration also said blocking the project would send a powerful signal to the world of the U.S. commitment to the Paris climate treaty.</font></em></em></font></p><p dir="ltr" open="Open" sans="Sans" sans-serif="sans-serif" font-size="font-size" px="px" background-color="background-color" rgb="rgb" style="box-sizing: inherit; margin: 0px 0px 1.5em; padding: 0px;"><font style="font-weight: normal;" size="4" face="Times New Roman"><em><em><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">When asked if approval of the pipeline would undermine U.S. climate leadership, State Department spokesman Mark Toner said, "That's not fair. This administration is conducting a review of climate change policy, but our record on this issue speaks for itself. We have been a leader addressing climate change globally, regardless of this decisions that's made with respect to the Keystone application."</font></em></em></font></p><p dir="ltr" open="Open" sans="Sans" sans-serif="sans-serif" font-size="font-size" px="px" background-color="background-color" rgb="rgb" style="box-sizing: inherit; margin: 0px 0px 1.5em; padding: 0px;"><font style="font-weight: normal;" size="4" face="Times New Roman"><em><em><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Since arriving in Washington, the Trump administration has mounted a relentless campaign to defeat climate policies needed to meet the Paris treaty's goal of shifting rapidly away from fossil fuels. The Keystone XL is seen as a test of the nation's commitment to action.</font></em></em></font></p><p dir="ltr" open="Open" sans="Sans" sans-serif="sans-serif" font-size="font-size" px="px" background-color="background-color" rgb="rgb" style="box-sizing: inherit; margin: 0px 0px 1.5em; padding: 0px;"><font style="font-weight: normal;" size="4" face="Times New Roman"><em><em><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">...</font></em></em></font></p><p><font style="font-weight: normal;" size="4" face="Times New Roman"><em><em><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><a href="http://www.ecowatch.com/state-department-approve-kxl-2326597009.html">http://www.ecowatch.com/state-department-approve-kxl-2326597009.html</a></font></font></font></em></em></font></p><p><font style="font-weight: normal;" size="4" face="Times New Roman"><em><em><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">omg</font></em></em></font></p><p style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font style="font-weight: normal;" size="4" face="Times New Roman"><em><em><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><b>Nearly a decade after it first applied for a presidential permit, TransCanada is getting the green light from the Trump administration for its $8 billion&nbsp;<a href="http://www.ecowatch.com/tag/keystone-xl" target="_blank" style="text-decoration-line: none; overflow-wrap: break-word;">Keystone XL pipeline</a>.</b></font></font></em></em></font></p><p style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font style="font-weight: normal;" size="4" face="Times New Roman"><em><em><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><a href="http://www.politico.com/story/2017/03/state-department-to-approve-keystone-pipeline-permit-236414" target="_blank" style="text-decoration-line: none; overflow-wrap: break-word;">POLITICO</a>&nbsp;reported Thursday that the U.S. State Department's undersecretary for political affairs, Tom Shannon, will approve by Monday the cross-border permit needed for the project to proceed.</font></em></em></font></p><p style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font style="font-weight: normal;" size="4" face="Times New Roman"><em><em><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><a href="http://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-pipeline-keystone-idUSKBN16V1BR" target="_blank" style="text-decoration-line: none; overflow-wrap: break-word;">Reuters</a>&nbsp;reported an update Friday saying President Trump will announce the approval of the tar sands pipeline at the White House today with the CEO of TransCanada.</font></em></em></font></p><p style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font style="font-weight: normal;" size="4" face="Times New Roman"><em><em><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Sec. of State&nbsp;<a href="http://www.ecowatch.com/tag/rex-tillerson" style="text-decoration-line: none; overflow-wrap: break-word;">Rex Tillerson</a>, former&nbsp;<a href="http://www.ecowatch.com/tag/exxon" style="text-decoration-line: none; overflow-wrap: break-word;">ExxonMobil</a>&nbsp;CEO, recused himself from the Keystone decision since Exxon stands to profit from the pipeline.</font></em></em></font></p><p style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font style="font-weight: normal;" size="4" face="Times New Roman"><em><em><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">The Keystone XL was&nbsp;<a href="http://www.ecowatch.com/breaking-president-obama-rejects-keystone-xl-pipeline-1882117930.html" style="text-decoration-line: none; overflow-wrap: break-word;">blocked by President Obama</a>&nbsp;two years ago because the pipeline would "not serve the national interests" of the United States.&nbsp;<br /></font></em></em></font></p><p style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font style="font-weight: normal;" size="4" face="Times New Roman"><em><em><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">But the November election changed everything. On Jan. 24,&nbsp;<a href="http://www.ecowatch.com/trump-watch/" style="text-decoration-line: none; overflow-wrap: break-word;">President Trump</a>&nbsp;signed an&nbsp;<a href="http://www.ecowatch.com/trump-dakota-access-pipeline-2211697835.html" target="_blank" style="text-decoration-line: none; overflow-wrap: break-word;">executive order</a>&nbsp;that invited TransCanada to reapply for a presidential permit. The company did so two days later.</font></em></em></font></p><p style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font style="font-weight: normal;" size="4" face="Times New Roman"><em><em><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Environmental groups and grassroots citizens have long opposed the pipeline, painting it as a symbol of the threat of&nbsp;<a href="http://ecowatch.com/climate-change-news/" target="_blank" style="text-decoration-line: none; overflow-wrap: break-word;">climate change</a>.</font></em></em></font></p><p style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font style="font-weight: normal;" size="4" face="Times New Roman"><em><em><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Once complete, the 1,200-mile pipeline will carry Alberta tar sands to processing and export facilities in the southern U.S.<br /></font></em></em></font></p><p style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font style="font-weight: normal;" size="4" face="Times New Roman"><em><em><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">"Keystone carries Canada's oil through an unnecessary pipeline&nbsp;<a href="http://www.ecowatch.com/keystone-xl-trump-steel-2297095119.html" style="text-decoration-line: none; overflow-wrap: break-word;">likely made of foreign steel</a>, all while polluting our heartland, treading on the rights of Indigenous people and private landowners," said&nbsp;<a href="http://www.greenpeace.org/usa/" target="_blank" style="text-decoration-line: none; overflow-wrap: break-word;">Greenpeace USA</a>&nbsp;climate campaign specialist Diana Best in reaction to today's development.</font></em></em></font></p><p style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font style="font-weight: normal;" size="4" face="Times New Roman"><em><em><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">"It isn't what this country wants or needs. President Obama rejected the Keystone Pipeline because of public outcry," she said. "We cannot let the Trump administration undo the progress that people all over the country have made to ensure we avoid catastrophic climate change."</font></em></em></font></p><p><font style="font-weight: normal;" size="4" face="Times New Roman"><em><em><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">Best suggested that the president should shift his energy policy to prioritize</span><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">&nbsp;</span><a href="http://www.ecowatch.com/renewable-energy/" style="text-decoration-line: none; overflow-wrap: break-word;">renewables</a><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">&nbsp;</span><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">instead.</span></font></font></font></em></em></font></p><p style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font style="font-weight: normal;" size="4" face="Times New Roman"><em><em><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">"Instead of pushing bogus claims about the potential of pipelines to create jobs, Trump should focus his efforts on the clean energy sector, the key to America's future growth," Best said. "Trump's energy plan is more of the same—full of giveaways to his fossil fuel cronies at a time when renewable energy is surging ahead. Renewable energy is not only the future, but the only just economy for today. Keystone, the Dakota Access Pipeline, and fossil fuel infrastructure projects like them will only make billionaires richer and make the rest of us suffer."<br /></font></em></em></font></p><p style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font style="font-weight: normal;" size="4" face="Times New Roman"><em><em><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">"We will resist these projects with our allies across the country and across borders, and we will continue to build the future the world wants to see," she concluded.&nbsp;<br /></font></em></em></font></p><p><font style="font-weight: normal;" size="4" face="Times New Roman"><em><em><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Greenpeace is asking the State Department to provide documentation about the justification for Tillerson's recusal and any waivers obtained or requested.</font></em></em></font></p><p><font style="font-weight: normal;" size="4" face="Times New Roman"><em><em><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Although TransCanada might have secured the permit, POLITICO noted that the company still needs approval from the Nebraska Public Service Commission to build the pipeline through the state.<br /></font></em></em></font></p><p><font style="font-weight: normal;" size="4" face="Times New Roman"><em><em><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Additionally, Jane Kleeb, the president of&nbsp;<a href="http://boldalliance.org/" target="_blank" style="text-decoration-line: none; overflow-wrap: break-word;">Bold Alliance</a>&nbsp;and Nebraska Democrat Party chair told the publication that construction will likely be delayed from landowners in the state who are unhappy with TransCanada's use of eminent domain along the route.</font></em></em></font></p><p style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font style="font-weight: normal;" size="4" face="Times New Roman"><em><em><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">"Trump's decision will galvanize Americans, and further stiffen resistance to Trump's campaign to sacrifice our planet for Big Oil profits,"&nbsp;<a href="http://www.foe.org/" target="_blank" style="text-decoration-line: none; overflow-wrap: break-word;">Friends of the Earth</a>&nbsp;President Erich Pica said. "The fight over Keystone XL is not over."</font></em></em></font></p><p style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font style="font-weight: normal;" size="4" face="Times New Roman"><em><em><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Greenpeace USA Executive Director Annie Leonard agreed. "It takes money to build a pipeline, and the opposition movement to stop fossil fuel projects like Keystone will do everything it can to deprive TransCanada of any new funding for this ill-fated and unnecessary pipeline," Leonard said.</font></em></em></font></p><p style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font style="font-weight: normal;" size="4" face="Times New Roman"><em><em><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">"TransCanada may have a permit, but can they find the funding? Financial institutions should have learned by now that it's risky to hitch themselves to a project that already faces historic on-the-ground opposition from private landowners and Indigenous sovereign nations and could unlock a massive environmental, health and climate disaster. Keystone was stopped once before, and it will be stopped again."</font></em></em></font></p><p style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font style="font-weight: normal;" size="4" face="Times New Roman"><em><em><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><a href="http://www.sierraclub.org/" target="_blank" style="text-decoration-line: none; overflow-wrap: break-word;">Sierra Club</a>&nbsp;Executive Director Michael Brune shared the same sentiment. "This project has already been defeated, and it will be once again. The project faces a long fight ahead in the states, but the fact remains that the American people do not want more fossil fuels, we do not want our private and public lands destroyed by a pipeline carrying the dirtiest fuel around, and we do not want our future and our children's future to continue be threatened by climate change."</font></em></em></font></p><p><font style="font-weight: normal;" size="4" face="Times New Roman"><em><em><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">==</font></em></em></font></p><p><font style="font-weight: normal;" size="4" face="Times New Roman"><em><em><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><b>Putin's Ties to the Keystone XL Pipeline</b></font></font></font></em></em></font></p><p><font style="font-weight: normal;" size="4" face="Times New Roman"><em><em><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Feb. 14, 2017 01:32PM EST</font></em></em></font></p><p><font style="font-weight: normal;" size="4" face="Times New Roman"><em><em><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">&nbsp; DeSmogBlog</font></em></em></font></p><p><font style="font-weight: normal;" size="4" face="Times New Roman"><em><em><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">By Steve Horn and Itai Vardi</font></em></em></font></p><p><font style="font-weight: normal;" size="4" face="Times New Roman"><em><em><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><b><br /></b></font></font></font></em></em></font></p><p><font style="font-weight: normal;" size="4" face="Times New Roman"><em><em><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><b>Believe it or not, there's a key connection to Russia and its president, Vladimir Putin, in the fight over North America's controversial Keystone XL pipeline.</b></font></font></font></em></em></font></p><p><font style="font-weight: normal;" size="4" face="Times New Roman"><em><em><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">One of President Donald Trump's first actions in office was to sign an executive order on Jan. 24 expediting the approval of the Keystone XL. Owned by TransCanada, this tar sands oil pipeline was halted by former President Barack Obama in November 2015.<span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 102);">&nbsp;Trump signed another order on Jan. 24, calling for steel for U.S. pipelines to be made in the U.S. to the "maximum extent possible" and two days later TransCanada filed a new presidential permit application for Keystone XL with the U.S. Department of State.</span></font></font></font></em></em></font></p><p><font style="font-weight: normal;" size="4" face="Times New Roman"><em><em><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 102);" size="4" face="Times New Roman">Critics, such as John Kemp of Reuters, pounced on the caveat language in Trump's steel order and noted that it appears "designed to preserve lots of wiggle-room." In fact, a DeSmog investigation reveals that much of the steel for Keystone XL has already been manufactured and is sitting in a field in rural North Dakota.</font></font></font></em></em></font></p><p><font style="font-weight: normal;" size="4" face="Times New Roman"><em><em><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 102);" size="4" face="Times New Roman">DeSmog has uncovered that 40 percent of the steel created so far was manufactured in Canada by a subsidiary of Evraz, a company partly owned by Russian oligarch Roman Abramovich, who is a close ally of Putin and a Trump family friend. Evraz has also actively lobbied against provisions which would mandate that Keystone XL's steel be made in the U.S.</font></font></font></em></em></font></p><p><font style="font-weight: normal;" size="4" face="Times New Roman"><em><em><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Abramovich is described in the 2004 book Abramovich: The Billionaire from Nowhere by British journalists Dominic Midgley and Chris Hutchins as "one of the prime movers behind the establishment of the only political party that was prepared to offer its undiluted support to Putin when he fought his first presidential election in late 1999. When Putin needed a shadowy force to act against his enemies behind the scenes, it was Abramovich whom he could rely on to prove a willing co-conspirator."</font></em></em></font></p><p><font style="font-weight: normal;" size="4" face="Times New Roman"><em><em><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Evraz describes itself as "among the top steel producers in the world based on crude steel production of 14.3 million tonnes in 2015."</font></em></em></font></p><p><font style="font-weight: normal;" size="4" face="Times New Roman"><em><em><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">DeSmog's findings comes as Trump is under scrutiny from Congress, U.S. intelligence agencies and others for his personal and presidential campaign team's ties to Russia. The Office of the Director of National Intelligence concluded in January that Russian state-sponsored actors had hacked into the email databases of both the Democratic National Committee and presidential candidate Hillary Clinton's campaign in order to influence the election in favor of Trump.</font></em></em></font></p><p><font style="font-weight: normal;" size="4" face="Times New Roman"><em><em><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Meet Roman Abramovich</font></em></em></font></p><p><font style="font-weight: normal;" size="4" face="Times New Roman"><em><em><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><br /></font></em></em></font></p><p><font style="font-weight: normal;" size="4" face="Times New Roman"><em><em><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">After helping launch Putin's presidency in Russia, Abramovich also was instrumental in the vetting and picking of Putin's cabinet, according to Midgley and Hutchins in their book. They also reveal that Abramovich was instrumental in the creation of Putin's political party, Unity.</font></em></em></font></p><p><font style="font-weight: normal;" size="4" face="Times New Roman"><em><em><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><br /></font></em></em></font></p><p><font style="font-weight: normal;" size="4" face="Times New Roman"><em><em><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Abramovich bought a 41 percent stake in the steel producer Evraz in 2006. Prior to that, he owned a 72 percent stake in the Russian state-owned oil company Sibneft, which was eventually purchased for $13 billion by the state-owned company Gazprom and became known as Gazprom Neft.</font></em></em></font></p><p><font style="font-weight: normal;" size="4" face="Times New Roman"><em><em><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><br /></font></em></em></font></p><p><font style="font-weight: normal;" size="4" face="Times New Roman"><em><em><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Before this, however, Sibneft merged in 2003 with the company Yukos, then owned by Russian oligarch Mikhail Khodorkovsky, in an attempt to create what was envisioned as a competitor to the likes of ExxonMobil. Had it materialized, the resulting company, called Yukos-Sibneft, would have been at that point the fourth largest oil producer in the world.</font></em></em></font></p><p><font style="font-weight: normal;" size="4" face="Times New Roman"><em><em><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><br /></font></em></em></font></p><p><font style="font-weight: normal;" size="4" face="Times New Roman"><em><em><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Under pressure from Putin, however, and with what was reported as the helping hand of Abramovich, the deal was called off and Khodorkovsky ended up arrested and then jailed for eight years for alleged tax evasion and fraud. Abramovich's personal wealth doubled as a result of the later Sibneft-Gazprom merger.</font></em></em></font></p><p><font style="font-weight: normal;" size="4" face="Times New Roman"><em><em><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><br /></font></em></em></font></p><p><font style="font-weight: normal;" size="4" face="Times New Roman"><em><em><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">The Telegraph reported that Abramovich met with Putin before the Yukos-Sibneft deal was tossed to the curb.</font></em></em></font></p><p><font style="font-weight: normal;" size="4" face="Times New Roman"><em><em><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><br /></font></em></em></font></p><p><font style="font-weight: normal;" size="4" face="Times New Roman"><em><em><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">"The revelation of the meeting will fuel suggestions that the Kremlin is closely involved with the fate of the two companies," The Telegraph wrote at the time. "Many industry commentators saw [the] decision to halt the merger as a government-backed effort to further weaken Mikhail Khodorkovsky, the former chief executive of Yukos and its largest shareholder."</font></em></em></font></p><p><font style="font-weight: normal;" size="4" face="Times New Roman"><em><em><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><br /></font></em></em></font></p><p><font style="font-weight: normal;" size="4" face="Times New Roman"><em><em><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman" /></font></em></em></font></p><p><font style="font-weight: normal;" size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><em>Abramovich's influence would continue in the years ahead. The 2010 book The Crisis of Russian Democracy: The Dual State, Factionalism and the Medvedev Succession, written by Richard Sakwa, further describes Abramovich as someone "whose wealth in the Putin years increased at least tenfold and he remained one of Putin's closest confidants" while Putin carried out his first term as president.</em></font></font></font></font></font></font></font></font></font></font></font></font></font></font></font></font></font></font></font></font></font></font></font></font></font></p><p><font style="font-weight: normal;" size="4" face="Times New Roman"><em><em><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">==</font></em></em></font></p><p><font style="font-weight: normal;" size="4" face="Times New Roman"><em><em><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><a href="http://www.democracynow.org/2016/1/7/headlines/transcanada_files_15b_nafta_claim_against_us_over_keystone_xl">http://www.democracynow.org/2016/1/7/headlines/transcanada_files_15b_nafta_claim_against_us_over_keystone_xl</a></font></font></font></em></em></font></p><p><font style="font-weight: normal;" size="4" face="Times New Roman"><em><em><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.5px; line-height: 27px;">TransCanada Corporation has sued the U.S government over its rejection of the Keystone XL pipeline. On Wednesday, it filed a lawsuit in U.S. federal court alleging President Obama’s rejection of the pipeline exceeded his power under the U.S. Constitution. TransCanada also filed legal action under the North American Free Trade Agreement, or&nbsp;</span><span class="caps" style="letter-spacing: 0.5px; line-height: 27px;">NAFTA</span><span style="letter-spacing: 0.5px; line-height: 27px;">, claiming the pipeline permit denial was "arbitrary and unjustified." It’s seeking $15 billion as part of its&nbsp;</span><span class="caps" style="letter-spacing: 0.5px; line-height: 27px;">NAFTA</span><span style="letter-spacing: 0.5px; line-height: 27px;">&nbsp;claim. President Obama rejected the cross-border crude oil pipeline in November, after years of review and one of the most vocal grassroots campaigns this country has seen in decades. We’ll have more on this story after headlines.</span></font></font></font></em></em></font></p><p><font style="font-weight: normal;" size="4" face="Times New Roman"><em><em><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">also so dakota</font></em></em></font></p><p style="margin: 1em 0px; border: 0px; padding: 0px; line-height: 19.2px;"><font style="font-weight: normal;" size="4" face="Times New Roman"><em><em><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);" size="4" face="Times New Roman">=</font></font></font></em></em></font></p><p><font style="font-weight: normal;" size="4" face="Times New Roman"><em><em><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">==</font></em></em></font></p><p><font style="font-weight: normal;" size="4" face="Times New Roman"><em><em><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Breaking: TransCanada’s Hopes For “Zombie” Keystone XL Pipeline Revived As South Dakota Validates Expired Permit</font></em></em></font></p><p><font style="font-weight: normal;" size="4" face="Times New Roman"><em><em><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">The South Dakota Public Utility Commission (PUC) voted unanimously to keep TransCanada’s hopes for the Keystone XL pipeline alive by validating its permit certification that expired in 2014..</font></em></em></font></p><p><font style="font-weight: normal;" size="4" face="Times New Roman"><em><em><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">&nbsp;==</font></em></em></font></p><p><font style="font-weight: normal;" size="4" face="Times New Roman"><em><em><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">whoohoo&nbsp;<a href="http://www.alternet.org/news-amp-politics/obama-rejects-keystone-xl-pipeline-victory-environmental-activists">&nbsp;http://www.alternet.org/news-amp-politics/obama-rejects-keystone-xl-pipeline-victory-environmental-activists</a></font></font></font></em></em></font></p><p><font style="font-weight: normal;" size="4" face="Times New Roman"><em><em><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">==</font></em></em></font></p><p><font style="font-weight: normal;" size="4" face="Times New Roman"><em><em><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">==</font></em></em></font></p><p><font style="font-weight: normal;" size="4" face="Times New Roman"><em><em><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><a href="http://www.democracynow.org/2015/5/13/as_internal_docs_show_major_overreach"><font face="Times New Roman">http://www.democracynow.org/2015/5/13/as_internal_docs_show_major_overreach</font></a></font></font></em></em></font></p><h1 class="pageTitle" itemprop="name" style="margin: 0px 0px 15px 20px; padding: 0px; direction: ltr; line-height: 28px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font style="font-weight: normal;" size="4" face="Times New Roman"><em><em><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">As Internal Docs Show Major Overreach, Why Is&nbsp;<span class="caps">FBI</span>&nbsp;Spying on Opponents of Keystone XL Pipeline?</font></em></em></font></h1><div><div id="content-item-summary" itemprop="description" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; direction: ltr; clear: right; line-height: 1.5em; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><p style="margin: 0px 0px 1em; padding: 0px; direction: ltr;"><font style="font-weight: normal;" size="4" face="Times New Roman"><em><em><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">A new report confirms for the first time that the&nbsp;<span class="caps">FBI</span>&nbsp;spied on activists in Texas who tried to stop the construction of the Keystone XL pipeline. Documents from the&nbsp;<span class="caps">FBI</span>&nbsp;reveal it failed to get approval before it cultivated informants and opened its investigation, which was run from its Houston field office. The files document "substantial non-compliance" with Department of Justice rules. The Tar Sands Blockade mentioned in that report was one of the main groups targeted by the&nbsp;<span class="caps">FBI</span>. Agents in Houston office also told TransCanada they would share "pertinent intelligence regarding any threats" to the company in advance of protests. We are joined by Adam Federman, contributing editor to Earth Island Journal and co-author of the new investigation published by The Guardian, "Revealed:&nbsp;<span class="caps">FBI</span>&nbsp;violated its own rules while spying on Keystone XL opponents." In February, he also revealed how the&nbsp;<span class="caps">FBI</span>&nbsp;has recently pursued environmental activists in Texas, Pennsylvania, Oregon, Washington and Idaho for "little more than taking photographs of oil and gas industry installations."</font></em></em></font></p></div><div id="story-body" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; direction: ltr; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><div id="transcript" class="collapsed" style="margin: 15px 0px 0px; padding: 0px; direction: ltr; clear: right; line-height: 1.5em;"><h2 class="section-header" style="margin: 0px 0px 10px; padding: 5px 10px 5px 0px; direction: ltr; line-height: normal; overflow: auto; font-stretch: normal; text-transform: uppercase; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-size: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial;"><font style="font-weight: normal;" size="4" face="Times New Roman"><em><em><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">TRANSCRIPT</font></em></em></font></h2><div id="story-rush-transcript" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; direction: ltr; font-style: italic;"><p style="margin: 0px 0px 1em; padding: 0px; direction: ltr;"><font style="font-weight: normal;" size="4" face="Times New Roman"><em><em><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">This is a rush transcript. Copy may not be in its final form.</font></em></em></font></p></div><p style="margin: 0px 0px 1em; padding: 0px; direction: ltr;"><font style="font-weight: normal;" size="4" face="Times New Roman"><em><em><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><strong><span class="caps">JUAN</span>&nbsp;GONZÁLEZ:</strong>&nbsp;A new&nbsp;<a href="http://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2015/may/12/revealed-fbi-spied-keystone-xl-opponents" style="text-decoration-line: none; outline: 0px;">report</a>&nbsp;confirms for the first time that the&nbsp;<span class="caps">FBI</span>&nbsp;spied on activists in Texas who tried to stop the construction of the Keystone XL pipeline. The report is based on&nbsp;<span class="caps">FBI</span>&nbsp;documents obtained by&nbsp;<em>The Guardian</em>&nbsp;and the&nbsp;<em>Earth Island Journal</em>. The documents also reveal that the&nbsp;<span class="caps">FBI</span>&nbsp;failed to get approval before it cultivated informants and opened its investigation, which was run from its Houston field office. The files document, quote, "substantial non-compliance" with Department of Justice rules. Much of the FBI’s surveillance took place between November of 2012 and June 2014.</font></em></em></font></p><p style="margin: 0px 0px 1em; padding: 0px; direction: ltr;"><font style="font-weight: normal;" size="4" face="Times New Roman"><em><em><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><strong><span class="caps">AMY</span>&nbsp;<span class="caps">GOODMAN</span>:</strong>&nbsp;The Tar Sands Blockade mentioned in the report was one of the main groups targeted by the&nbsp;<span class="caps">FBI</span>. Agents in Houston also told TransCanada they would share, quote, "pertinent intelligence regarding any threats" to the company in advance of protests.</font></em></em></font></p><p style="margin: 0px 0px 1em; padding: 0px; direction: ltr;"><font style="font-weight: normal;" size="4" face="Times New Roman"><em><em><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">For more, we are joined by Adam Federman, contributing editor to&nbsp;<em>Earth Island Journal</em>, co-author of this new&nbsp;<a href="http://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2015/may/12/revealed-fbi-spied-keystone-xl-opponents" style="text-decoration-line: none; outline: 0px;">investigation</a>&nbsp;that was published by&nbsp;<em>The Guardian</em>. It’s headlined "Revealed:&nbsp;<span class="caps">FBI</span>&nbsp;Violated Its Own Rules While Spying on Keystone XL Opponents." In February, he also revealed how the&nbsp;<span class="caps">FBI</span>&nbsp;has recently pursued environmental activists in Texas, Pennsylvania, Oregon, Washington and Idaho for, quote, "little more than taking photographs of oil and gas industry installations."</font></em></em></font></p><p style="margin: 0px 0px 1em; padding: 0px; direction: ltr;"><font style="font-weight: normal;" size="4" face="Times New Roman"><em><em><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Adam Federman, thank you so much for joining us from Burlington, Vermont. Talk about this most recent exposé. How do you know the&nbsp;<span class="caps">FBI</span>&nbsp;was spying on those who are opposed to the Keystone XL?</font></em></em></font></p></div></div><p><font style="font-weight: normal;" size="4" face="Times New Roman"><em><em><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">==</font></em></em></font></p><p><font style="font-weight: normal;" size="4" face="Times New Roman"><em><em><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">XL map</font></em></em></font></p><p><font style="font-weight: normal;" size="4" face="Times New Roman"><em><em><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><a href="http://ecowatch.com/2015/03/05/koch-brothers-connection-keystone-xl/">http://ecowatch.com/2015/03/05/koch-brothers-connection-keystone-xl/</a></font></font></em></em></font></p><p><font style="font-weight: normal;" size="4" face="Times New Roman"><em><em><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">&nbsp;</font></em></em></font></p><p><font style="font-weight: normal;" size="4" face="Times New Roman"><em><em><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">==</font></em></em></font></p><font style="font-weight: normal;" size="4" face="Times New Roman"><em><em><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman" /></font></em></em></font><p><font style="font-weight: normal;" size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><em><em><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">ICN on Mayflower&nbsp;<a href="http://insideclimatenews.org/news/20130716/exxons-secrecy-over-ruptured-pipeline-could-mask-national-dangers">http://insideclimatenews.org/news/20130716/exxons-secrecy-over-ruptured-pipeline-could-mask-national-dangers</a></font></font></em></em></font></font></font></font></font></p><p><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">==</font></font></p><p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 20px; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.6; text-rendering: optimizelegibility; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Another week, another instance comes to light of governments targeting peaceful environmental activists.&nbsp;<a href="http://static.guim.co.uk/ni/1424799125861/south-africa-ssa-foreign-in.pdf" style="box-sizing: border-box; text-decoration-line: none; line-height: inherit; background: transparent;">This latest document leak</a>&nbsp;finds that South Korea asked for an assessment from South Africa of whether Greenpeace International Executive Director Kumi Naidoo constituted a “security threat against the president of South Africa during the G20 summit to be held in South Korea.”</font></font></p><p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 20px; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.6; text-rendering: optimizelegibility; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">The cables are part of a leaked cache from South Africa’s spy agency that shows efforts by a number of countries to keep close tabs on dissenters. The request was made in the run-up to the 2010 summit, and listed Naidoo alongside two other “dangerous persons” who were later arrested during a terrorist raid in Pakistan. In an otherwise unamusing document, Naidoo’s first name is amusingly misspelled “Kimi.”</font></font></p><p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 20px; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.6; text-rendering: optimizelegibility; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Another document in the cache alluded to some sort of cooperative effort between the CIA and intelligence agencies in the U.K., Australia, and South Africa “to provide the CIA with a deeper understanding of the potential for ramping up renewable and clean energy in key parts of the world and a better understanding of the collection capabilities and interests on renewables in the UK, South Africa and Australia.” From&nbsp;<a href="http://www.theguardian.com/environment/2015/feb/24/spy-cables-greenpeace-kumi-naidoo-targeted-security-threat-g20-seoul" style="box-sizing: border-box; text-decoration-line: none; line-height: inherit; background: transparent;"><i style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: inherit;">The Guardian</i></a>:</font></font></p><blockquote style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 1.25rem; padding: 0.5625rem 1.25rem 0px 1.1875rem; border-left: 1px solid rgb(221, 221, 221); line-height: 1.6; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 20px; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.6; text-rendering: optimizelegibility;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">The reasons for the CIA’s interest are not clear. It may see climate change as a potential source of conflict and want to explore possible consequences. Some see a potentially more sinister motivation.</font></font></p><p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 20px; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.6; text-rendering: optimizelegibility;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">A senior US climate scientist, Alan Robock, based at Rutgers University in New Jersey, expressed concern this month that the CIA and other intelligence agencies were funding climate change research to learn if new technologies could be used as potential weapons.</font></font></p></blockquote><p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 20px; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.6; text-rendering: optimizelegibility; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">The document casting Naidoo as a potential terroristic threat puts South Korea among a host of governments recently discovered to be targeting Greenpeace. The Indian government&nbsp;<a href="http://grist.org/climate-energy/india-invites-obama-over-but-wants-350-org-and-sierra-club-to-stay-home/" style="box-sizing: border-box; text-decoration-line: none; line-height: inherit; background: transparent;">cracked down on the group</a>, as well as other international environmental NGOs, ahead of Obama’s&nbsp;<a href="http://grist.org/climate-energy/india-and-u-s-agree-on-some-energy-deals-but-no-emission-cuts/" style="box-sizing: border-box; text-decoration-line: none; line-height: inherit; background: transparent;">recent visit</a>&nbsp;to the country, and the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, irked by the group’s anti-Keystone activism,&nbsp;<a href="http://grist.org/news/mounties-claim-anti-oil-activists-are-a-threat-to-canada/" style="box-sizing: border-box; text-decoration-line: none; line-height: inherit; background: transparent;">named Greenpeace</a>&nbsp;alongside the Sierra Club and Tides Canada in a leaked document outlining potentially violent threats to Canadian infrastructure.</font></font></p><p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 20px; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.6; text-rendering: optimizelegibility; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Environmental activists have also faced some heat in the States recently. Grist’s own&nbsp;<a href="http://grist.org/climate-energy/the-fbi-is-targeting-tar-sands-activists-should-that-worry-you/" style="box-sizing: border-box; text-decoration-line: none; line-height: inherit; background: transparent;">Heather Smith wrote last month</a>&nbsp;that FBI agents have been paying visits to anti-Keystone activists, asking for information while also saying that there’s no investigation underway.&nbsp;<a href="http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2015-02-24/on-terror-alert-inside-big-oil-s-fight-to-build-keystone" style="box-sizing: border-box; text-decoration-line: none; line-height: inherit; background: transparent;">Bloomberg reported</a>&nbsp;this week that the intelligence behind those FBI visits could be coming from TransCanada, the company that wants to build the Keystone XL pipeline. Reporter Isaac Arnsdorf writes that local authorities along the pipeline’s route had been warned that homegrown extremists were targeting the project:</font></font></p><blockquote style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 1.25rem; padding: 0.5625rem 1.25rem 0px 1.1875rem; border-left: 1px solid rgb(221, 221, 221); line-height: 1.6; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 20px; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.6; text-rendering: optimizelegibility;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">That risk assessment, laid out in documents obtained through open-records requests, wasn’t provided by law enforcement. It was provided by TransCanada Corp., the Calgary-based company that has waged a long campaign to sell America on Keystone XL and the Canadian crude it would carry. President Barack Obama vetoed Congress’s approval of extending the pipeline, but the fight is far from over.</font></font></p><p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 20px; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.6; text-rendering: optimizelegibility;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Few understand the threats facing corporations better than corporations, and few could argue with putting safety first. Yet the alarms TransCanada raised in Nebraska … were part of a broad campaign for Keystone XL, the documents suggest. Time and again, in private e-mails and closed-door meetings with federal, state and local law enforcement, the Canadian company characterized peaceful opponents engaged in constitutionally protected protest as dangerous radicals or worse. …</font></font></p><p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 20px; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.6; text-rendering: optimizelegibility;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">TransCanada representatives have met with law-enforcement officers in at least two states. Hundreds of pages of meeting logs, police e-mails and other documents obtained by Bloomberg suggest TransCanada provided intelligence on protesters’ activities and, at times, helped guide law enforcement’s response.</font></font></p></blockquote><p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 20px; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.6; text-rendering: optimizelegibility; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Kumi “Kimi” Naidoo, for his part, said he wasn’t particularly surprised that spy agencies were keeping tabs on him. “Sadly, the assumption that we make, especially after the Edward Snowden leaks and the Wikileaks information came out, is that we are heavily monitored and under constant surveillance,”&nbsp;<a href="http://www.aljazeera.com/news/2015/02/spy-cables-greenpeace-intelligence-targets-150224115107221.html" style="box-sizing: border-box; text-decoration-line: none; line-height: inherit; background: transparent;">he told Al Jazeera</a>. “But it’s one thing assuming that it’s happening; it’s a little numbing and chilling to have it confirmed.”</font></font></p><p><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">==</font></font></p><p><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">T?en Democratic senators have voted with Republicans to allow the progress of a bill to extend the Keystone oil pipeline, placing more political pressure on the White House to reconsider its proposed veto of the legislation.</font></font></p><p><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><br /></font></font></p><p><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">The procedural motion was passed by 63 votes to 32, comfortably clearing the three-fifths majority needed to avoid a filibuster and falling just short of the two-thirds majority that would be needed to overcome a presidential veto when it comes to a final vote.</font></font></p><p><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><br /></font></font></p><p><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">But some of the Democrats, who were also joined by Maine independent Angus King, may switch votes in future to avoid embarrassing Barack Obama who has said he is opposed to Congress interfering in a long-running administration review of the pipeline extension.</font></font></p><p><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><br /></font></font></p><p><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><br /></font></font></p><p><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Keystone has become a symbolic battlefield for the administration’s climate change policy, with critics insisting that it will encourage the exploitation ofheavily-polluting Canadian tar sands and supporters claiming it will createthousands of jobs.</font></font></p><p><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><br /></font></font></p><p><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">The bill will now see various amendments added over the coming weeks, a process which could ultimately decide on its level of support among Democrats.</font></font></p><p><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><br /></font></font></p><p><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">It was approved by the House of Representatives last week by 266-152 votes, a margin also short of the two-thirds majority in both chambers needed to overcome White House opposition.</font></font></p><p><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><br /></font></font></p><p><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">The Obama administration has stood by its decision to reject the bill, even though a Nebraska court decision in favour of the Keystone route removed one of its remaining objections.</font></font></p><p><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><br /></font></font></p><p><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">The Democrats who joined senator King in voting for cloture on the motion to proceed included: Michael Bennet of Colorado, Tom Carper of Delaware, Bob Casey of Pennsylvania, Joe Donnelly of Indiana, Heidi Heitkamp of North Dakota, Joe Manchin of West Virginia, Claire McCaskill of Missouri, Jon Tester of Montana, Tom Udall of New Mexico and Mark Warner of Virginia. King has said he would vote against final passage, and five senators have not voted at all yet.</font></font></p><p><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">==</font></font></p><p><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">&nbsp;</font></font></p><p><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">1/15</font></font></p><p><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">&nbsp;</font></font></p><p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 1em 0px; padding: 0px; line-height: 25.2px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">In a move that surprised exactly no one, the Republican-dominated U.S. House of Representatives voted today for the tenth time to approve the construction of the<span class="Apple-converted-space">&nbsp;</span><a href="http://ecowatch.com/news/energy-news/keystone-xl-pipeline-2/" style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration-line: none; transition: color 0.2s linear 0s; background: transparent;">Keystone XL pipeline</a>. Following a short floor discussion that reiterated all the familiar arguments pro and con, the House voted 266-153 in favor of the project</font></font></p><p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 1em 0px; padding: 0px; line-height: 25.2px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">&nbsp;</font></font></p><p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 1em 0px; padding: 0px; line-height: 25.2px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">The vote took place only four days after the current session opened,<span class="Apple-converted-space">&nbsp;</span><a href="http://ecowatch.com/2015/01/02/keystone-xl-center-stage-congress/" style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration-line: none; transition: color 0.2s linear 0s; background: transparent;">rejecting pleas</a><span class="Apple-converted-space">&nbsp;</span>from some Democrats to give the matter more consideration. But it’s not like the result was ever in doubt; with an enhanced Republican majority in the House, it passed by an even bigger margin that in the previous votes.</font></font></p><p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 1em 0px; padding: 0px; line-height: 25.2px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">“The only folks who think the first major act of Congress should be to force approval of the Keystone XL<span class="Apple-converted-space">&nbsp;</span><a href="http://ecowatch.com/news/energy-news/oil-tar-sands/" style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration-line: none; transition: color 0.2s linear 0s; background: transparent;">tar sands</a><span class="Apple-converted-space">&nbsp;</span>pipeline are those in the pocket of oil and gas billionaires,”<span class="Apple-converted-space">&nbsp;</span><a href="http://content.sierraclub.org/press-releases/2015/01/sierra-club-statement-house-vote-keystone-xl" style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration-line: none; transition: color 0.2s linear 0s; background: transparent;">said</a><span class="Apple-converted-space">&nbsp;</span>Sierra Club executive director<span class="Apple-converted-space">&nbsp;</span><a href="http://ecowatch.com/author/mbrune/" style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration-line: none; transition: color 0.2s linear 0s; background: transparent;">Michael Brune</a>. “That explains why 266 members of the House voted to try and do just that. Big polluters are getting the Congress they paid for, and they are now trying to make everyone else pay the price.”</font></font></p><p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 1em 0px; padding: 0px; line-height: 25.2px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">On the Senate side, the Energy and Natural Resources Committee approved the pipeline by a vote of 13-9 and passed it on to the full Senate for a vote. Senator majority leader Mitch McConnell, who has said repeatedly that<span class="Apple-converted-space">&nbsp;</span><a href="http://ecowatch.com/2015/01/06/keystone-xl-vote-friday-house/" style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration-line: none; transition: color 0.2s linear 0s; background: transparent;">approving the pipeline would be his first priority</a><span class="Apple-converted-space">&nbsp;</span>in the new Congress, said that a cloture vote will take place Monday night. With 60 sponsors, the bill will easily clear that hurdle and go on for a guaranteed-to-pass vote, following its<span class="Apple-converted-space">&nbsp;</span><a href="http://ecowatch.com/2014/11/13/keystone-xl-senate-vote-landrieu/" style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration-line: none; transition: color 0.2s linear 0s; background: transparent;">failure to pass</a>&nbsp;the Senate in November by one vote. It will then be the first item that the new Congress sends to President Obama to sign, which he’s indicated lately that he would<span class="Apple-converted-space">&nbsp;</span><a href="http://ecowatch.com/2015/01/06/obama-veto-keystone-xl-pipeline/" style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration-line: none; transition: color 0.2s linear 0s; background: transparent;">veto the bill</a>.</font></font></p><p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 1em 0px; padding: 0px; line-height: 25.2px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Stirring up the rhetoric on the already heated issue, the Nebraska Supreme Court this morning<a href="http://ecowatch.com/2015/01/09/nebraska-supreme-court-keystone-xl/" style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration-line: none; transition: color 0.2s linear 0s; background: transparent;">failed to find in favor</a><span class="Apple-converted-space">&nbsp;</span>of local landowners trying to block the state from implementing the route chosen by TransCanada, the company building the pipeline. Obama has given as one of his reasons—pipeline supporters’ coordinated talking point today is that this was an “excuse” rather than an actual reason—that the Nebraska court case was pending. But it was<span class="Apple-converted-space">&nbsp;</span><a href="http://ecowatch.com/2014/12/09/obama-colbert-keystone-xl/" style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration-line: none; transition: color 0.2s linear 0s; background: transparent;">far from the only reason</a><span class="Apple-converted-space">&nbsp;</span>he’s offered in recent weeks. The State Department review of the project is still pending and concerns about its environmental impacts remain.</font></font></p><p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 1em 0px; padding: 0px; line-height: 25.2px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">“We take risk to our lands, the American people face threats to their health, and TransCanada gets to reap the rewards,” said Arizona Congressman Raul Grijalva, co-chair of the Congressional Progressive Caucus. “That’s not a winning formula for our country or the economy.”</font></font></p><p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 1em 0px; padding: 0px; line-height: 25.2px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">And despite the Nebraska ruling, it appears Obama is still not inclined to let the Keystone XL project proceed.</font></font></p><p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 1em 0px; padding: 0px; line-height: 25.2px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">“Regardless of the Nebraska ruling today, the House bill still conflicts with longstanding executive branch procedures,”<span class="Apple-converted-space">&nbsp;</span><a href="http://thehill.com/blogs/floor-action/house/229039-house-passes-bill-to-approve-keystone-pipeline" target="_blank" style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration-line: none; transition: color 0.2s linear 0s; background: transparent;">said White House spokesman</a><span class="Apple-converted-space">&nbsp;</span>Eric Schultz. “If presented to the president, he will veto the bill.”</font></font></p><p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 1em 0px; padding: 0px; line-height: 25.2px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">While an additional three Democrats are said to support the bill in addition to its 60 sponsors, the Senate would need 67 votes to override the President’s veto.</font></font></p><p><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">&nbsp;</font></font></p><p><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">==</font></font></p><p><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">possible 2x:&nbsp;</font></font></p><p><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">may 2012</font></font></p><h1 class="title" style="font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0px; letter-spacing: -1px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Koch Brothers' Political Activism Protects Their 50-Year Stake in Canadian Heavy Oils</font></font></h1><p><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">... icn:&nbsp;<span style="line-height: 22.5px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><b>These sources reveal that Koch Industries has touched virtually every aspect of the tar sands industry since the company established a toehold in Canada more than 50 years ago.&nbsp;</b>It has been involved in mining bitumen, the hydrocarbon resin found in the oil sands; in pipeline systems to collect and transport Canadian crude; in exporting the heavy oils to the U.S.; in refining the sulfurous, low-grade feedstock; and in the subsequent distribution and sale of a variety of finished products, from jet fuel to asphalt. The company has also created or collaborated with other companies that have become leading players in the development of Alberta's oil resources, and it remains deeply invested in western Canada’s oil patch.</span></font></font></p><p><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><span style="line-height: 22.5px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">...</font></span></font></p><p><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><span style="line-height: 22.5px;"><a href="http://insideclimatenews.org/news/20120510/koch-industries-brothers-tar-sands-bitumen-heavy-oil-flint-pipelines-refinery-alberta-canada">http://insideclimatenews.org/news/20120510/koch-industries-brothers-tar-sands-bitumen-heavy-oil-flint-pipelines-refinery-alberta-canada</a></span></font></font></p><p><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">==</font></font></p><p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 15px; padding: 0px; direction: ltr; line-height: 21px; text-rendering: optimizelegibility; border: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">WASHINGTON –- Senate supporters of the Keystone XL pipeline say they think they have enough votes to pass a bill that would force the approval of the controversial project. A group of 56 senators -- all 45 Republicans plus 11 Democrats –- introduced legislation on Thursday that would bypass the Obama administration and grant approval for the pipeline.</font></font></p><p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 15px; padding: 0px; direction: ltr; line-height: 21px; text-rendering: optimizelegibility; border: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Sens. John Hoeven (R-N.D.) and Mary Landrieu (D-La.)&nbsp;<a href="http://big.assets.huffingtonpost.com/JAC14173.pdf" target="_hplink" sl-processed="1" style="box-sizing: border-box; text-decoration-line: none; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">introduced the bill on Thursday</a>. Democrats Heidi Heitkamp (D-N.D.), Mark Begich (D-Alaska), Mark Pryor (D-Ark.), Joe Manchin (<span class="skimlinks-unlinked" style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">D-W.Va</span>.), Joe Donnelly (D-Ind.), Claire McCaskill (D-Mo.), Mark Warner (D-Va.), Jon Tester (D-Mont.), John Walsh (D-Mont.), and Kay Hagan (D-N.C.) are cosponsoring it.</font></font></p><p><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">===</font></font></p><p><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><a href="http://insideclimatenews.org/news/20140415/keystone-advocates-inject-ukraine-pipeline-debate"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman" color="#000000">http://insideclimatenews.org/news/20140415/keystone-advocates-inject-ukraine-pipeline-debate</font></a></font></p><h1 class="title" style="font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0px; letter-spacing: -1px; line-height: normal; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Keystone Advocates Inject Ukraine Into Pipeline Debate</font></font></h1><div id="node-31505" class="node node-type-blog clear-block" style="padding-bottom: 1em; line-height: normal; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><div class="meta" style="background-image: url(" http="http" insideclimatenews.org="insideclimatenews.org" sites="sites" all="all" themes="themes" solve="solve" images="images" dot-bottom.png="dot-bottom.png" padding-bottom="padding-bottom" em="em" margin-bottom="margin-bottom" background-position="background-position" background-repeat="background-repeat" repeat-x="repeat-x"><h3 style="font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0.5em;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">ANALYSIS: Controversial project included in wish list of actions industry says would send more oil and gas to vulnerable Ukraine and Europe.</font></font></h3></div></div><p><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">&nbsp;</font></font></p><p><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">===</font></font></p><p><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">&nbsp;</font></font></p><p><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">letter:&nbsp;<span style="line-height: 17.6338px; background-color: rgb(242, 228, 202);">The following Senators joined Baucus, Hoeven and Tester's&nbsp;</span><span style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; background-color: rgb(242, 228, 202); line-height: 17.6338px;"><a href="http://www.baucus.senate.gov/11162012Baucus_HoevenLetterCallingonPresidentforKeystoneMeeting.pdf" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; background-color: transparent; text-decoration-line: none;">letter</a></span><span style="line-height: 17.6338px; background-color: rgb(242, 228, 202);">: Richard Lugar (R-Ind.), Republican Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.), Kent Conrad (D-N.D.), Kay Bailey Hutchison (R-Texas), Mary Landrieu (D-LA), Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska), Mark Pryor (D-Ark.), David Vitter (R-La.), Jim Webb (D-VA), Jon Tester (D-Mont.), John Barrasso (R-Wyo.), Mike Johanns (R-Neb.), Kay Hagan (D-N.C.), Mark Begich (D-Alaska), Joe Manchin (D-W.V.), Rob Portman (R-Ohio).</span></font></font></p><p><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">===</font></font></p><p><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><a href="http://www.prwatch.org/print/12402"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman" color="#000000">http://www.prwatch.org/print/12402</font></a></font></p><p><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">&nbsp;</font></font></p><p><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Posted by THE PRW STAFF [1] on February 28, 2014</font></font></p><p><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">&nbsp;</font></font></p><p><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><b><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Keystone PipeLIES Exposed: The Facts on Petroleum Politicians, Crude Money and Media Spin [2]</font></b></font></p><p><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</font></font></p><p><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">-- by Dave Saldana, Director, Writer, and Producer of "Keystone PipeLIES Exposed [3]," a new short film that is a production of the Center for Media and Democracy Investigative Fund. (An excerpt of this article is featured in the April issue of The Progressive [4].)</font></font></p><p><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">&nbsp;</font></font></p><p><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">U.S. Representative Joe Barton - Texas"TransCanada set out to build this pipeline five years ago, and they still haven't. That's saying something about the efforts of activists throughout the country, in spite of all of the money invested in seeing it happen," Natural Resources Defense Council analyst Anthony Swift says.</font></font></p><p><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">&nbsp;</font></font></p><p><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">"In the southern portion of the pipeline, we saw ranchers, we saw longtime Texas farmers joining with the climate justice activists from Tar Sands Blockade, working to block the tar sands," says Kevin Zeese, co-director of It's Our Economy [5]. "And they did a good job. They slowed it down and made it more difficult and more expensive. And they're effective; a big French investor pulled out [6] because it was getting too expensive."</font></font></p><p><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">&nbsp;</font></font></p><p><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">The effort that goes into street-level organizing is as much a matter of necessity as it is anything else. Facing one of the most profitable industries [7] in the world, KXL opponents know they can't compete in the Washington arena using the traditional weapons of choice: campaign contributions and lobbying budgets.</font></font></p><p><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">&nbsp;</font></font></p><p><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">"Our opposition is quite formidable," says Jason Kowalski of 350.org "The fossil fuel industry has made more money in the history of money in recent years. If we win, it's because of our bodies and our spirits and our courage and our numbers. We know we have the moral high ground, and that's how we are going win this thing."</font></font></p><p><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">&nbsp;</font></font></p><p><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">&nbsp;</font></font></p><p><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><b><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">The American Petroleum Institute Is the "Fourth Branch of Government"</font></b></font></p><p><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">&nbsp;</font></font></p><p><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Moral high ground and strength in numbers are going to have to when the day Keystone opponents, because there is no way -- no way -- that they could compete financially. In addition to the millions of dollars [8] TransCanada has spent lobbying [9] for the KXL project, the American Petroleum Institute (API) has spent millions more [10].</font></font></p><p><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">&nbsp;</font></font></p><p><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">That kind of spending carries a lot of clout.</font></font></p><p><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">&nbsp;</font></font></p><p><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">"You cannot move a piece of legislations through Congress in the year 2013 unless the American Petroleum Institute proposes it," says Public Citizen Energy Program director Tyson Slocum. "You cannot move legislation without their consent. They are a de facto fourth branch of government."</font></font></p><p><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">&nbsp;</font></font></p><p><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">"They are one of the most profitable industries in the world, and they're throwing that money into Washington, DC," says Kate Colarulli of the Sierra Club. "They're buying politicians. When we see politicians that vote the oil the agenda, we see 500 times as much contributions coming from oil companies than we see going to politicians who don't vote the oil agenda."</font></font></p><p><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">&nbsp;</font></font></p><p><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">For example, look to<b>&nbsp;South Carolina, where Republican Senator Tim Scott</b>, who sits on the Energy and Natural resources Committee, gave the GOP's weekly address and offered his full-throated support [11] to KXL. Of course, he also decried opponents of the pipeline for killing jobs in favor of the environment.</font></font></p><p><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">&nbsp;</font></font></p><p><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Why was a newly appointed [12] senator from South Carolina, a state not known for its thriving petroleum industry, stumping to build a foreign corporation's pipeline that doesn't come anywhere near his home state? Possibly because the oil and gas industry is among his largest sources [13] of campaign contributions.</font></font></p><p><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">&nbsp;</font></font></p><p><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">The $153,000 Scott has received from oil and gas contributors is a comparatively low take for a legislator willing to do the industry's bidding. In Washington, DC, a city where climate denial is something of a cottage industry, those who are willing to toe the corporate line can make out very well indeed.</font></font></p><p><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">&nbsp;</font></font></p><p><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">The list of climate deniers in Congress [14] is not a short one, but looking at the top achievers [15] in the field shows a strong correlation between vehemence and campaign cash, just as Colarulli describes.</font></font></p><p><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">&nbsp;</font></font></p><p><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><b>Take the grand poobah of climate deniers, Senator James Inhofe.</b>&nbsp;The Oklahoma Republican is widely recognized [16] as a leading light in benighted views on climate change, having authored a book [17] claiming that climate change is a vast global hoax. (As a measure of its credibility, consider that the<b>&nbsp;book's publisher is WorldNetDaily</b>&nbsp;[18], a media outlet known for its dogged attachment to Birtherism, Islamophobia, homophobia, and xenophobia.)</font></font></p><p><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">&nbsp;</font></font></p><p><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Not content to "debunk" mountains of peer-reviewed climate science, Inhofe also enjoys spreading unsubstantiated theories [19] on how the climate works.</font></font></p><p><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">&nbsp;</font></font></p><p><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Though this might be a chicken-and-egg matter -- does he say crazy things because he gets money, or does he get money because he says crazy things? -- it's well worth noting that Inhofe has pocketed more than $1.5 million [20] from the oil and gas industry in his congressional career.</font></font></p><p><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">&nbsp;</font></font></p><p><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Consider also<b>&nbsp;Senator Roger Wicker, the Mississippi Republican</b>&nbsp;who recently made headlines with his heartfelt plea for understanding. "I think it's time for some tolerance in the public discourse [21] regarding the many scientific viewpoints on climate change. Respect should be shown to those who have done the research and come to a different conclusion," he said.</font></font></p><p><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">&nbsp;</font></font></p><p><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">He was not speaking of the 97 percent of global climate scientists [22] who have sounded the alarm on the ongoing global crisis, whom his colleagues routinely deride as swindlers [23], incompetents [24], and one-government co-conspirators [25], but for the relentless minority whose delusional tenacity threatens the rest of us.</font></font></p><p><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">&nbsp;</font></font></p><p><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Witter's career haul from the oil and gas industry? Just shy of $650,000 [26].</font></font></p><p><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">&nbsp;</font></font></p><p><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><b>Senator John Barrasso (R-WY)</b>&nbsp;famously quipped [27] in a July 2013 hearing on climate change that President Obama and the Democrats "are willing to bet the economy today on an uncertain [prediction] about the future." Which is easy for him to say, considering he's gambling with $530,000 in oil-industry house money [28].</font></font></p><p><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">&nbsp;</font></font></p><p><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 242, 0);">Lest you believe that pay-for-play is a game for senators only,</span><b><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 242, 0);">&nbsp;U.S. Representative Joe Barton of Texas has 1.76 million reasons [29] to convince you otherwise.</span></b><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 242, 0);">&nbsp;A water carrier for the oil industry for the bulk of his 30 years in the House, Barton is remembered for apologizing to British Petroleum for the fines they would face for the Deepwater Horizon spill. He also claims that the Flood story [30] in the Bible is evidence that climate change is not caused by fossil fuels.</span></font></font></p><p><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">&nbsp;</font></font></p><p><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">See also&nbsp;<b>Representative Lee Terry of Nebraska,&nbsp;</b>who describes himself as "light green" and calls himself "a renewable Republican." But that doesn't mean he is willing to accept facts as they are on climate science. "Is it really 97 to 3?" Terry asked Esquire [31]. "I don't think so."</font></font></p><p><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">&nbsp;</font></font></p><p><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">While Terry has collected more than $330,000 [32] in oil industry cash, his constituents at Bold Nebraska celebrated his receipt of the "#1 Climate Denier Award [33]."</font></font></p><p><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">&nbsp;</font></font></p><p><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Terry isn't the only member of Congress whose position on KXL is at odds with his constituents. In South Dakota, Senator John Thune and Representative Kristi Noem, both Republicans, have been backing the project, which will run through thousands of acres a valuable ranch land. The ranchers they represent in Washington are disappointed that families in South Dakota may suffer to advance someone else's cause.</font></font></p><p><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">&nbsp;</font></font></p><p><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">"They want to push this agenda with these jobs and look good," rancher Dwayne Vig told the Rapid City Journal [34]. "But they are not ranchers. I know John [Thune] comes from a ranching family, but he's not a rancher."</font></font></p><p><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">&nbsp;</font></font></p><p><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">He's also not a scientist, but that doesn't stop soon from pushing a project that research indicates will result in catastrophic climate change.</font></font></p><p><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">&nbsp;</font></font></p><p><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">"It's dismaying to see that there are still so many members of the House of Representatives who actually denied that climate change is happening, and then even more who may say, 'oh it's happening, but we shouldn't do anything about it,'" says Tiernan Sittenfeld of the League of Conservation Voters. "That is in our view absolutely outrageous -- people out of touch with basic facts, with science, with reality."</font></font></p><p><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">&nbsp;</font></font></p><p><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">In fairness, one must point out that politicians don't merely parrot industry claims and spout junk-science rationalizations purely for the campaign cash it brings in. Some, like Iowa Representative Steve King, who gets little campaign money from Big Oil, do it just because it's a cheap sop to constituents [35] who might be persuaded that climate change could do them some good, in that "we'd probably raise a little more corn."</font></font></p><p><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">&nbsp;</font></font></p><p><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><b>Even those who are not "true believers" in climate denial find it best to remain agnostic, even in the face of staggeringly compelling evidence. To wit, New Jersey Governor Chris Christie (R)</b>, who saw his state's coast get pounded into rubble [36] by Superstorm Sandy [37] in 2012, has maintained steadfast refusal to acknowledge that climate change may have contributed to the destruction his constituents suffered. Although Christie rarely shies from controversy, he contends that human-caused climate change is "a scientific discussion and debate that I'm simply not engaged [38] in."</font></font></p><p><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">&nbsp;</font></font></p><p><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">(American politicians haven't cornered the market on head-in-the-sand climate obliviousness:&nbsp;<b>Canadian Natural Resources Minister Joe Oliver, the parliamentarian pushing the KXL project from the other side of the border, said NASA scientist Hansen's warning of "game over for the climate" was "nonsense [39]" and that Hansen "should be ashamed.")</b></font></font></p><p><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">&nbsp;</font></font></p><p><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">It's hard to ignore the fact that climate deniers in Congress uniformly come from one political party [40] (although support for KXL is more bipartisan [41]). It's troubling to recognize that many of them are on particularly powerful committees [42]. But it wasn't always this way.</font></font></p><p><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">&nbsp;</font></font></p><p><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">The Bipartisanship that Has Sailed</font></font></p><p><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">&nbsp;</font></font></p><p><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">For much of America's history with environmentalism, the Republican Party plays a very prominent role. Recall that president Abraham Lincoln signed the law that preserved Yosemite Valley [43] for public use; Pres. Theodore Roosevelt signed the Antiquities Act that would allow later presidents to protect natural resources [44] by declaring them national monuments; and it was Pres. Richard Nixon who created the Environmental Protection Agency [45] and signed the Clean Air Act.</font></font></p><p><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">&nbsp;</font></font></p><p><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">America's bipartisan concern for the environment has an even more recent history. Remember that former House Speakers Newt Gingrich (R-GA) and Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) sat together [46] in 2008 for a public service announcement on climate change, proclaiming that putting a stop to the crisis reached beyond party politics.</font></font></p><p><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">&nbsp;</font></font></p><p><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">It's telling that three years later, while in the midst of a run for the GOP presidential nomination,&nbsp;<b>Gingrich denounced the ad. He called it "the dumbest thing [47] I've done in the last four years."</b></font></font></p><p><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">&nbsp;</font></font></p><p><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">What was behind Gingrich's change of heart? Could it be his position was "misconstrued," as he suggested as he furiously backpedaled from the idea that climate change should not be a partisan issue?</font></font></p><p><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">&nbsp;</font></font></p><p><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">More likely, the Republican base veered sharply to the right, reflexively rejecting anything Democrats might support even though it could hurt them [48] long term. Perhaps also, others suggest, Republicans' close ties to corporations make them more likely to curry favor through favorable legislation.</font></font></p><p><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">&nbsp;</font></font></p><p><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><b><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">"We have seen some members of Congress who are likely to side with big oil over or to vote for various legislation to approve the Keystone XL pipeline," says Sittenfeld. "Clearly they're getting their contributions from the Koch brothers or Karl Rove or the Chamber [of Commerce], or they've had runs ads run on their behalf. ... We've seen corporate profits really influencing the decisions that get made."</font></b></font></p><p><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">&nbsp;</font></font></p><p><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><b><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Politicians Make for a Great Return on Investment</font></b></font></p><p><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">&nbsp;</font></font></p><p><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">From a purely economic standpoint, political contributions are an astonishingly good investment for oil companies.</font></font></p><p><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">&nbsp;</font></font></p><p><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><b>"One of the most profitable investments they make, one of the biggest returns they get on their money is the money that they pay into campaign contributions to politicians -- pay a few million dollars and they get back billions on those investments," says Oil Change International research director Lorne Stoc</b>kman.</font></font></p><p><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">&nbsp;</font></font></p><p><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">The Center for American Progress backs up Stockman's assertion. Its research finds that for every dollar the top five oil companies spent lobbying in Washington, they got back $30 in tax breaks [49]. That translates to a 3000-percent return on investment.</font></font></p><p><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">&nbsp;</font></font></p><p><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Of course, they don't limit their contributions to the federal level. If the pipeline is approved, state governments will have much to say about how it's routed, how construction will take place, and how landowners will be compensated when their property is seized. Many states are willing to pay for that privilege.</font></font></p><p><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">&nbsp;</font></font></p><p><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">"States offer property tax breaks for pipeline companies to build pipelines through their states. So we see very favorable property tax terms on the state level for these kind of projects," says Stockton.</font></font></p><p><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">&nbsp;</font></font></p><p><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Of Course ALEC Is Involved in the Keystone Cash</font></font></p><p><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Not willing to leave anything to chance, the oil industry is taking action to make sure state legislators see things their way. As the Center for Media and Democracy (which publishes PRWatch) reported, the&nbsp;<b>American Legislative Exchange Council [50] (ALEC) sent nine state legislators on an industry-paid field trip [51] to the Alberta tar sands in 2012.</b></font></font></p><p><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">&nbsp;</font></font></p><p><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><b>ALEC, which receives funding from TransCanada, the Koch brothers (whose Canadian subsidiary has tar sands investments [52]), and other fossil fuel corporations</b>, set up the event to put legislators in the same room as the industry lobbyists who paid for the lavish private-jet travel and fine dining. ALEC also prompted each of the nine legislators to send their corporate sponsors a thank you note, with a reminder of what the lobbyists had paid for the tour.</font></font></p><p><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">&nbsp;</font></font></p><p><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">CMD also uncovered emails between TransCanada's lobbyist and Ohio state Rep. John Adams in which the lobbyist provided Adams with a model bill in support of KXL [53], with Adams swiftly introduced in the legislature. The bill was co-sponsored by another participant in ALEC's Alberta field trip.</font></font></p><p><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">&nbsp;</font></font></p><p><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><b><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Politicians Prey on the Poor's Jobs Hopes</font></b></font></p><p><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">&nbsp;</font></font></p><p><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Big Oil's influence extends even to, and perhaps most powerfully in, local politics. Port Arthur, Texas, where the KXL pipeline is slated to terminate, is essentially a one-industry town. What few jobs there are, are in the refineries that dominate the city's landscape, or in the small businesses that serve them. And with one in five people unemployed, and one in four living in poverty, those with jobs are unwilling to put their livelihoods at risk. Activists say that includes elected officials.</font></font></p><p><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">&nbsp;</font></font></p><p><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Community organizer and environmental activist Hilton Kelley says what success his organization has had has come with little help from local politicians.</font></font></p><p><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">&nbsp;</font></font></p><p><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">"A lot of times local government stands as a stumbling block in the way of local activists that are pushing for clean air and clean water, because they get the biggest part of their tax base from these industries," he says. "Maybe one or two council members had the heart to stand up in city council in Port Arthur say something but they're soon ousted. They don't get reelected the following year."</font></font></p><p><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">&nbsp;</font></font></p><p><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Kelley recognizes that his independence from the refineries is a rare luxury in Port Arthur, and it allows him to take the lead. "I have no connections to the plants," he says, "therefore they can't really hurt me like they could someone who retired from the plant someone who has a kid who works at the plant."</font></font></p><p><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">&nbsp;</font></font></p><p><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">"They could possibly lose their job and all they'd tell them is, 'We don't need you anymore,' or, 'We cut that position.' But the reason they're letting them go is because their mother or dad was seen on TV protesting with me. I don't hold any animosity toward those who are really intimidated to stand with me, because I understand the dilemma."</font></font></p><p><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">&nbsp;</font></font></p><p><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><b><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">American Dreams Denied in American "Sacrifice Zones"</font></b></font></p><p><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">&nbsp;</font></font></p><p><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">That dilemma is often exploited by industries that use economic desperation in the communities they occupy. In exchange for a few jobs, the companies get to pollute. It's a phenomenon called "sacrifice zones [54]."</font></font></p><p><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">&nbsp;</font></font></p><p><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">"Oftentimes front-line communities, which tend to be low-income and minority communities, are left out of the conversation, ignored, and they bear the brunt," says Colarulli of the Sierra Club. "They're often called 'sacrifice zones' these places where people are living in [squalid] conditions. This is not the American dream. This is not the way we should have people living in America."</font></font></p><p><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">&nbsp;</font></font></p><p><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Of course none of this could happen without the media's acquiescence. We're not even talking about right-wing talkers like Rush Limbaugh, 2011 winner of Media Matters' "Climate Change Misinformer of the Year [55]" award who recently told his listeners that they cannot concurrently believe in God and climate change [56]. We're talking about the mainstream media that have given very little time to the issue of climate change and how KXL could impact it.</font></font></p><p><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">&nbsp;</font></font></p><p><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><b><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Where's the Media?</font></b></font></p><p><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><b><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">The mainstream media's failure to confront climate change is more a sin of omission then one of commission. The Daily Climate [57], an online publication that monitors news coverage of climate issues, has been tracking total coverage of climate change for the past several years. What they have found is shrinking coverage as the crisis has escalated.</font></b></font></p><p><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">&nbsp;</font></font></p><p><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><b><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Despite the devastation of Superstorm Sandy, a drought that wrought havoc [58] on more than half of the US, California's current epochal drought, and the fact that 2012 was the hottest year on record [59], total reporting on climate change dropped two percent [60] from 2011. And climate coverage in 2011 was 20 percent less [61] than in 2010, and just over half the amount of reportage in 2009, the year when the issue got the most attention in the mainstream media.</font></b></font></p><p><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">&nbsp;</font></font></p><p><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Last year, the New York Times, "the paper of record," and "All the news that's fit to print," shut down [62] its environmental reporting desk and its Green blog. Though the editors offered assurances that the paper would cover environmental issues with just as much vigor, reassigning the reporters and terminating two editorial positions makes that difficult to believe.</font></font></p><p><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">&nbsp;</font></font></p><p><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Evidence indicates skepticism about those promises is well founded. On August 5, the American Geophysical Union [63] and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration [64] each released major climate report. Neither garnered a mention [65] in the Gray Lady.</font></font></p><p><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">&nbsp;</font></font></p><p><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">The Times is not alone in cutting back on specialized environmental reporting. Inside Climate News, a Pulitzer Prize-winning online news outlet, reports that among the top five US newspapers by circulation, there are approximately a dozen reporters [66] on the environment beat.</font></font></p><p><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">&nbsp;</font></font></p><p><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">(To its credit, the recently launched and unjustly attacked [67] cable network<b><i>&nbsp;Al Jazeera America dedicated a half-hour of its inaugural day [68] to climate change,&nbsp;</i></b>which propelled it to the fore of media outlets paying attention to the issue, topping Fox News' and CNN's combined total [69] for the preceding four months.)</font></font></p><p><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">&nbsp;</font></font></p><p><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">When activist organizations can't get their issues covered in the mainstream media, they sometimes turn to the old-fashioned alternative: buying publicity. But for Green organizations, it appears that their money is not green enough to buy a seat at the table for the debate on KXL.</font></font></p><p><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">&nbsp;</font></font></p><p><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Think Progress reports that the NBC television station in Washington DC rejected an advertisement [70] by a group opposing KXL, despite the organization's assurance that its ad complied with all station policies. A station spokesman said it violated the policy against personal attacks.</font></font></p><p><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">&nbsp;</font></font></p><p><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">The group, NextGen Climate Action, [71] wanted the ad to run in conjunction with President Obama's August 2013 appearance on "The Tonight Show." It parodies [72] the specious and suspect claims made by TransCanada in its ads, such as the one that aired during the preceding Sunday's "Meet the Press" on the very same NBC station that rejected the parody.</font></font></p><p><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">&nbsp;</font></font></p><p><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><b><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">All the News That's Fit to Print, on One Side?</font></b></font></p><p><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">&nbsp;</font></font></p><p><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">The result in this case is a debate in which only one side gets to make its case.</font></font></p><p><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">&nbsp;</font></font></p><p><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">"If you have a large enough bank account you can create a multifaceted campaign that involves buying politicians, influence peddling, and writing the story of energy policy from your perspective," says Public Citizen's Slocum. "That is invaluable if you get to tell the story on your terms about climate change, if you don't have to have a rebuttal, and you don't have to have a fact check."</font></font></p><p><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">&nbsp;</font></font></p><p><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">TransCanada and the API have very large bank accounts. And they've been willing to open their checkbooks (to the tune of $153 million [73] leading up to the 2012 election, or nearly four times what clean-energy groups spent) to tell the story their way. According to their adversaries, that story has what Slocum politely calls "credibility problems." Others offer a more blunt assessment.</font></font></p><p><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">&nbsp;</font></font></p><p><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">"TransCanada has lied repeatedly throughout this process, and unfortunately, some of their lies have been printed," LCV's Sittenfeld says.</font></font></p><p><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">&nbsp;</font></font></p><p><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">(Nation of Change has compiled a lengthy, but not exhaustive, list of misleading and/or unethical conduct [74] on behalf of the KXL project.)</font></font></p><p><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">&nbsp;</font></font></p><p><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">NEXT: Tar Sands, corporate profits, and stopping "game over" for the climate.</font></font></p><p><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">&nbsp;</font></font></p><p><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">===</font></font></p><p><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">another BS report: icn 2/14?</font></font></p><p style="line-height: 1.5em; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">The analysis of greenhouse gas emissions presented by the State Department in its new environmental impact statement on the Keystone XL pipeline includes dozens of references to reports by&nbsp;<a href="http://www.jacobsconsultancy.com/" target="_blank" style="text-decoration-line: none; outline: none;">Jacobs Consultancy</a>, a group that is owned by a big tar sands developer and that was hired by the Alberta government—which strongly favors the project.</font></font></p><p style="line-height: 1.5em; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">In the end, the environmental review took into account much of the Jacobs group's work—though not quite as much as the Alberta government wanted. The<a href="http://keystonepipeline-xl.state.gov/finalseis/index.htm" target="_blank" style="text-decoration-line: none; outline: none;">State Department report</a>&nbsp;will play a crucial role in the Obama administration's decision about whether to approve the Canada-to-Texas tar sands pipeline.</font></font></p><p style="line-height: 1.5em; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">The Jacobs Consultancy is a subsidiary of&nbsp;<a href="http://www.jacobs.com/" target="_blank" style="text-decoration-line: none; outline: none;">Jacobs Engineering</a>, a giant natural resources development company with extensive operations in Alberta's tar sands fields. The engineering company has worked on dozens of major projects in the region over the years. Its most recent contract, with Canadian oil sands leader Suncor,&nbsp;<a href="http://www.jacobs.com/News.aspx?id=6720" target="_blank" style="text-decoration-line: none; outline: none;">was announced in January</a>.</font></font></p><p style="line-height: 1.5em; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">"The Alberta Oil Sands are a very important component of our business," the parent company said in late 2011, announcing seven new contracts in the region. "Jacobs has a strong history in the area, and we are pleased to support our clients in these initiatives."</font></font></p><p style="line-height: 1.5em; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Jacobs's deep involvement with the expansion of the tar sands extends beyond its engineering activity. Jacobs Consultancy has carried out influential studies assessing the oil sands' carbon footprint—research that has played a role in in the Obama administration's review of the Keystone XL.</font></font></p><p style="line-height: 1.5em; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Two of its widely cited reports were paid for by government agencies in Alberta that are devoted to oil sands expansion.</font></font></p><p style="line-height: 1.5em; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">One, done in 2009, was among a handful of studies chosen by the State Department in its Jan. 31 environmental impact statement to represent a range of estimates of the tar sands' greenhouse gas impact.</font></font></p><p style="line-height: 1.5em; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">As a rule, the Jacobs carbon footprint estimates of the tar sands oil that would move through the Keystone XL were considerably lower than alternative estimates produced by the U.S. National Energy Technology Laboratory, or NETL, which is part of the Energy Department and is independent of tar sands commercial interests.</font></font></p><p style="line-height: 1.5em; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Rather than choose a single figure, the State Department presented a range of estimates. Compared to other sources of oil, it said, annual incremental emissions of tar sands oil moving from Alberta to the Gulf Coast through the Keystone would fall between 1.3 million tons of carbon dioxide and 27.4 million tons.</font></font></p><p style="line-height: 1.5em; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">The 1.3 million figure came from Jacobs; the 27.4 million figure from NETL.</font></font></p><p style="line-height: 1.5em; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">A spokesman for Jacobs did not return a call.</font></font></p><p style="line-height: 1.5em; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">The research is significant because President Obama has said he will base his decision on whether the project will "significantly exacerbate" climate-changing pollution.</font></font></p><p style="line-height: 1.5em; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Alberta has made extensive use of the Jacobs data when its officials have lobbied governments and politicians against imposing strict limits on tar sands imports because of the fuel's heavy carbon footprint, including in California and in Europe.</font></font></p><p style="line-height: 1.5em; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><strong><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">The Jacobs Factor</font></strong></font></p><p style="line-height: 1.5em; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Jacobs may be an unfamiliar name to the public, but it is one of the best-known and often-cited sources by researchers studying the emissions of carbon dioxide from the tar sands and how they compare to other types of fuel. The<a href="http://www.fas.org/sgp/crs/misc/R42537.pdf" style="text-decoration-line: none; outline: none;">Congressional Research Service</a>, for example, cited the Jacobs studies in its own survey of the tar sands' carbon footprint, and they have figured in past environmental impact statements about other tar sands pipelines.</font></font></p><p style="line-height: 1.5em; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">When Alberta sent the State Department its official comments last year seeking tweaks to the Keystone draft environmental report, which was still under review, the name Jacobs occurred two dozen times, on six of the Canadian letter’s 19 pages.</font></font></p><p style="line-height: 1.5em; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Alberta's repeated invocations of the Jacobs group's expert opinions centered on the two influential studies the group wrote in recent years, one published in 2009 and the other in 2012. Both had to do with measuring the carbon footprint of Canada's tar sands crude oil.</font></font></p><p style="line-height: 1.5em; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">The 2009 study, in particular, has been widely cited since its publication in just about every report examining how much dirtier the tar sands fuel is than other fuels from anywhere in the world.</font></font></p><p style="line-height: 1.5em; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">In the State Department's final environmental impact statement, as in the draft, the Jacobs group's work is mentioned repeatedly in the same breath as work by the National Energy Technology Laboratory.</font></font></p><p style="line-height: 1.5em; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">But as Alberta's government sought to influence the conclusions in the lead-up to the crucial final State Department review, provincial officials wanted the contractors writing the agency's environmental study to pay more attention to the 2012 Jacobs study than the 2009 one.</font></font></p><p style="line-height: 1.5em; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">The 2012 study contained more recent data, the Canadians pointed out.</font></font></p><p style="line-height: 1.5em; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">It also presented a prettier picture of pollution from the tar sands as compared to pollution from other sources of oil.</font></font></p><p style="line-height: 1.5em; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Alberta's government also wanted the State Department in its final review to correct one citation of Jacobs in its bibliographic list of references. It had to do with who funded the 2012 study.</font></font></p><p style="line-height: 1.5em; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">The citation said the 2012 study, like the 2009 study, had been conducted for the Alberta Energy Research Institute, an arm of the provincial government sponsoring research on behalf of tar sands enterprises.</font></font></p><p style="line-height: 1.5em; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Not so, Alberta noted. Rather, the later work had been commissioned by the Alberta Petroleum Marketing Commission, the province's other arm—devoted to pushing tars sands as well.</font></font></p><p style="line-height: 1.5em; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Either way, Alberta had been paying for research to advance its strategic interest in producing more oil from the tar sands and shipping it to more new markets.</font></font></p><p style="line-height: 1.5em; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">That has been a traditional role for Jacobs. Often, its work has been cited—twisted, according to some pipeline opponents—by the governments of Alberta and Canada or by sympathetic research institutes to further the cause of expanding the tar sands and building new corridors for sending its oil abroad, such as the Keystone XL.</font></font></p><p style="line-height: 1.5em; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><strong><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Alberta Half Loses</font></strong></font></p><p style="line-height: 1.5em; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">In the end, the final environmental impact statement for the Keystone XL pipeline leaned more heavily on Jacobs's 2009 study than the 2012 one preferred by Alberta.</font></font></p><p style="line-height: 1.5em; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">The 2009 study was deemed more useful for dealing with the Keystone XL situation, as it compared Canadian crude oil to typical U.S. crudes. The 2012 study was more useful in Canada's fight to tear down the European Union's fuel quality directive, a law that would effectively discourage tar sands shipments to refineries in Europe if is carried out.</font></font></p><p style="line-height: 1.5em; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">"Because Jacobs Consultancy (2012) focuses on the European market, this analysis continued to use Jacobs Consultancy (2009)," the final State Department report explained in a footnote....</font></font></p><p><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">==</font></font></p><p><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><a href="http://desmogblog.com/2014/02/05/keystone-xl-northern-leg-fracked-oil-pipeline-tar-sands"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman" color="#000000">http://desmogblog.com/2014/02/05/keystone-xl-northern-leg-fracked-oil-pipeline-tar-sands</font></a></font></p><p style="line-height: normal; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">On January 31, President Barack Obama's U.S.<span class="Apple-converted-space">&nbsp;</span><a href="http://www.desmogblog.com/2014/01/31/keystone-xl-final-environmental-impact-statement-released-still-flawed">State Department released its Final Environmental Impact Statement</a><span class="Apple-converted-space">&nbsp;</span><span class="print-footnote">[1]</span><span class="Apple-converted-space">&nbsp;</span>(FEIS) for the northern leg of<span class="Apple-converted-space">&nbsp;</span><a href="http://desmogblog.com/directory/vocabulary/5420">TransCanada</a><span class="Apple-converted-space">&nbsp;</span><span class="print-footnote">[2]</span>'s proposed Keystone XL<span class="Apple-converted-space">&nbsp;</span><a href="http://www.desmogblog.com/directory/vocabulary/2632">tar sands</a><span class="Apple-converted-space">&nbsp;</span><span class="print-footnote">[3]</span><span class="Apple-converted-space">&nbsp;</span>pipeline.</font></font></p><p style="line-height: normal; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">The State Department's FEIS argues that the northern half of&nbsp;<a href="http://www.desmogblog.com/directory/vocabulary/5857">Keystone XL</a><span class="Apple-converted-space">&nbsp;</span><span class="print-footnote">[4]</span>, if built, "remains unlikely to significantly impact the rate of extraction in the oil sands, or the continued demand for heavy crude oil at refineries in the United States."</font></font></p><p style="line-height: normal; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">But flying under the media's radar so far, the State Department review also highlights the prospect that Keystone XL will not only carry tar sands, but also be tapped to carry up to 100,000 barrels per day of oil extracted via<span class="Apple-converted-space">&nbsp;</span><a href="http://www.desmogblog.com/fracking-the-future">hydraulic fracturing ("fracking")</a><span class="Apple-converted-space">&nbsp;</span><span class="print-footnote">[5]</span>&nbsp;from North Dakota's&nbsp;<a href="http://www.desmogblog.com/directory/vocabulary/7174">Bakken Shale</a><span class="Apple-converted-space">&nbsp;</span><span class="print-footnote">[6]</span><span class="Apple-converted-space">&nbsp;</span>basin.</font></font></p><p style="line-height: normal; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">"[Keystone XL] would have the capacity to deliver up to 830,000 bpd, of which 730,000 bpd of capacity has been set aside for [tar sands] and the remaining 100,000 bpd of capacity set aside for [Bakken] crude oil,"<span class="Apple-converted-space">&nbsp;</span><a href="http://s3.documentcloud.org/documents/1011311/keystone-report.pdf">the report details</a><span class="Apple-converted-space">&nbsp;</span><span class="print-footnote">[7]</span>.</font></font></p><p style="line-height: normal; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">"[TransCanada] has represented that it has firm commitments to transport approximately 555,000 bpd of [tar sands], as well as 65,000 bpd of crude oil from the Bakken."</font></font></p><p style="line-height: normal; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">&nbsp;</font></font></p><p style="line-height: normal; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">A smaller proposed<span class="Apple-converted-space">&nbsp;</span><a href="http://www.transcanada.com/bakken.html">project owned by TransCanada called the Bakken MarketLink pipeline</a><span class="Apple-converted-space">&nbsp;</span><span class="print-footnote">[8]</span>&nbsp;and<span class="Apple-converted-space">&nbsp;</span><a href="http://www.bizapedia.com/ok/KEYSTONE-MARKETLINK-LLC.html">incorporated as Keystone Marketlink LLC in February 2011</a><span class="Apple-converted-space">&nbsp;</span><span class="print-footnote">[9]</span>, would ship the fracked oil to Keystone XL's northern leg as an "on ramp."&nbsp;</font></font></p><p style="line-height: normal; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">"This project would include a 5-mile pipeline, pumps, meters, and storage tanks to supply Bakken crude oil to the proposed pipeline,"<span class="Apple-converted-space">&nbsp;</span><a href="http://s3.documentcloud.org/documents/1011311/keystone-report.pdf">explains the FEIS</a><span class="Apple-converted-space">&nbsp;</span><span class="print-footnote">[7]</span>.</font></font></p><h3 style="line-height: normal; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">For Bakken Fracked Oil, 'No' on KXL Means Rail</font></font></h3><p style="line-height: normal; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><a href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/wonkblog/wp/2013/04/24/if-keystone-xl-gets-blocked-can-trains-save-canadas-tar-sands/">Many doubt that rail could ever replace pipeline</a><span class="Apple-converted-space">&nbsp;</span><span class="print-footnote">[10]</span><span class="Apple-converted-space">&nbsp;</span>as a viable marketing mechanism for Alberta's tar sands. But few could argue the fact that rail reigns supreme for bringing Bakken fracked oil to market.&nbsp;</font></font></p><p style="line-height: normal; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">"Last November, rail shipped 71 percent — nearly 800,000 barrels of oil a day — of the Bakken’s oil, much of it on lines across Minnesota and Wisconsin, while pipelines shipped just 22 percent, according to estimates from the North Dakota Pipeline Authority,"<span class="Apple-converted-space">&nbsp;</span><a href="http://www.duluthnewstribune.com/event/article/id/290504/">explains the<span class="Apple-converted-space">&nbsp;</span><em>Duluth News Tribune</em></a><span class="Apple-converted-space">&nbsp;</span><span class="print-footnote">[11]</span>.</font></font></p><p style="line-height: normal; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">The State Department FEIS suggests that if Keystone XL were never completed, the oil industry will instead ship the Bakken crude via rail. Both Union Pacific and Burlington Northern Santa Fe (BNSF) are mentioned by name as the potential corporate beneficiaries.</font></font></p><p style="line-height: normal; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">"One new rail loading terminal would be needed in Epping [in ND] to ship Bakken crude oil,"<span class="Apple-converted-space">&nbsp;</span><a href="http://s3.documentcloud.org/documents/1011311/keystone-report.pdf">reads the FEIS</a><span class="Apple-converted-space">&nbsp;</span><span class="print-footnote">[7]</span>. "Sufficient off-loading rail facilities currently exist or are proposed in the Gulf Coast area such that no new terminals would need to be built under this scenario."</font></font></p><p style="line-height: normal; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">On December 30, 2013, a<span class="Apple-converted-space">&nbsp;</span><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UNR7XxhF7W0">BNSF freight rail train carrying Bakken fracked oil exploded in Casselton, ND</a><span class="Apple-converted-space">&nbsp;</span><span class="print-footnote">[12]</span>,&nbsp;<a href="http://www.startribune.com/business/239948631.html">spilling over 400,000 gallons of oil</a><span class="Apple-converted-space">&nbsp;</span><span class="print-footnote">[13]</span>. In July 2013, 47 people were killed in Lac-Mégantic, Quebec by another "bomb train" carrying Bakken crude. ...</font></font></p><p style="line-height: normal; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">&nbsp;</font></font></p><p><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">&nbsp;</font></font></p><p><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">===</font></font></p><p class="yiv2419943655MsoNormal" style="margin: 0px 0px 0.0001pt; padding: 0px; line-height: 15.6px; outline: none; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><u style="line-height: 1.2em; outline: none;"><span style="line-height: 1.2em; outline: none;">15. Koch brothers could make $100 billion profit from Keystone pipeline</span></u><br style="line-height: 1.2em; outline: none;" />&nbsp;</font></font></p><p class="yiv2419943655MsoNormal" style="margin: 0px 0px 0.0001pt; padding: 0px; line-height: 15.6px; outline: none; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><b style="line-height: 1.2em; outline: none;"><span style="line-height: 1.2em; outline: none;"><br /></span></b><span style="line-height: 1.2em; outline: none;">Approval of the Keystone XL pipeline could generate $100 billion in profits for billionaire brothers Charles and David Koch, according to a&nbsp;</span><a rel="nofollow" target="_blank" href="http://kochcash.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/Embargo_Report.pdf" style="line-height: 1.2em; outline: none;"><span style="line-height: 1.2em; outline: none;">report released Sunday</span></a><span style="line-height: 1.2em; outline: none;">, which revealed the extent to which the Kochs would benefit from the tar sands development the proposed pipeline would help spur.</span></font></font></p><p class="yiv2419943655MsoNormal" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; line-height: 15.6px; outline: none; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><span style="line-height: 1.2em; outline: none;">A progressive think tank called the&nbsp;</span><a rel="nofollow" target="_blank" href="http://www.ifg.org/" style="line-height: 1.2em; outline: none;"><span style="line-height: 1.2em; outline: none;">International Forum on Globalization</span></a><span style="line-height: 1.2em; outline: none;">&nbsp;completed&nbsp;</span><a rel="nofollow" target="_blank" href="http://kochcash.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/Embargo_Report.pdf" style="line-height: 1.2em; outline: none;"><span style="line-height: 1.2em; outline: none;">the study</span></a><span style="line-height: 1.2em; outline: none;">, which found that the Kochs and their privately-owned company, Koch Industries, hold up to 2 million acres of land in Alberta, Canada, the proposed starting point of the Keystone XL.</span></font></font></p><p class="yiv2419943655MsoNormal" style="margin: 0px 0px 0.0001pt; padding: 0px; line-height: 15.6px; outline: none; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><span style="line-height: 1.2em; outline: none;">Read the full story:&nbsp;</span><a rel="nofollow" target="_blank" href="http://americablog.com/2014/01/koch-brothers-make-100-billion-profit-keystone-pipeline.html" style="line-height: 1.2em; outline: none;"><span style="line-height: 1.2em; outline: none;">http://americablog.com/2014/01/koch-brothers-make-100-billion-profit-keystone-pipeline.html</span></a></font></font></p><p class="yiv2419943655MsoNormal" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; line-height: 15.6px; outline: none; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">&nbsp;</font></font></p><p><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">==</font></font></p><div class="print-content"><div id="node-912933" class="node node-story view-mode-print clearfix" about="/environment/koch-brothers-could-earn-100-billion-tar-sands-profit-if-keystone-xl-pipeline-approved" typeof="sioc:Item foaf:Document" style="position: relative;"><div class="byline environment"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><span class="field field-name-field-sources field-type-node-reference field-label-hidden"><span class="field-items"><span class="field-item even"><a href="http://www.dailykos.com/">Daily Kos</a>&nbsp;<span class="print-footnote">[1]</span></span></span></span>&nbsp;/&nbsp;<em>By</em>&nbsp;<em><a href="http://www.alternet.org/authors/meteor-blades">Meteor Blades</a>&nbsp;<span class="print-footnote">[2]</span></em></font></font></div><div class="headline"><h1 property="dc:title" datatype="" class="node-title"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Koch Brothers Could Earn $100 Billion in Tar Sands Profit if Keystone XL Pipeline Is Approved</font></font></h1></div><div class="the_body body_environment clearfix"><div class="story-date"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><em><span class="field field-name-field-date field-type-date field-label-hidden"><span class="field-items"><span class="field-item even"><span class="date-display-single" property="dc:date" datatype="xsd:dateTime" content="2013-10-21T10:30:00-07:00">October 21, 2013</span></span></span></span>&nbsp;</em>&nbsp;| &nbsp;</font></font></div><p><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Authors of a 40-page&nbsp;<a href="http://kochcash.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/Embargo_Report.pdf">report</a>&nbsp;<span class="print-footnote">[3]</span>&nbsp;by the liberal think-tank&nbsp;<a href="http://www.ifg.org/">International Forum on Globalization</a>&nbsp;<span class="print-footnote">[4]</span>&nbsp;have concluded that the billionaire duo, David and Charles Koch, stand to make as much as $100 billion in profits from their holdings in the tar sands of Alberta if President Obama approves the Keystone XL pipeline. Because it would cross the boundary between Canada and the United States, the pipeline, which would connect the tar sands to refineries on the Texas gulf coast, requires a presidential permit based on U.S. national interest. Given the mandates of the review process, a decision isn't likely until early 2014.</font></font></p><p><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Boiled down to the essentials of its executive summary, the IFG report—<a href="http://kochcash.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/Embargo_Report.pdf">Billionaires' Carbon Bomb: The Koch Brothers and the Keystone XL Pipeline</a>&nbsp;<span class="print-footnote">[3]</span>—states:</font></font></p><blockquote><p><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">By better connecting Canadian tar sands to U.S. refineries and their growing export markets, KXL will create a cash cow on steroids for the Kochs. KXL would worsen today's chances for controlling carbon by enormously expanding the Kochs' financial war chest thereby increasing their ability to influence U.S. carbon pollution policymaking and undermine urgent global climate cooperation.</font></font></p><p><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">IFG's special report reveals that Koch Industries' role in KXL includes:</font></font></p><p><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">2 million or more potential acres in Alberta with tar sands (and emissions) exceeding Exxon, Chevron and ConocoPhillips combined;</font></font></p><p><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">$53 million in Koch Cash for front groups and politicians who are pushing to fast-track KXL;</font></font></p><p><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">$100 billion in potential profits due to KXL, or 1 million times more than the average KXL worker's wage over the life of the pipeline.</font></font></p><p><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">The resulting rise in the pace and scale of Canadian crude oil consumption will make more money faster for the Kochs, who stand to personally profit from KXL more than any other individuals, even Exxon executives.</font></font></p></blockquote><p><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Approval of the pipeline, the report's authors add, would give the Kochs "more money to ramp up their already successful attacks against Americans' voting rights, labor rights, pollution controls, and other public interest protections."</font></font></p><p><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">The Kochs, with a combined net worth of $92 billion, have been the leaders in financial support for climate change denialist propaganda, surpassing even Exxon's massive support for such lies, as well as denying candidates and lobbying meant to spur lawmakers away from pollution controls.</font></font></p><p><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">The authors conclude:</font></font></p><blockquote><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">No single permit or pipeline will itself solve our Earth's deepening crisis of economic inequality and ecological collapse, but rejecting both can build awareness and popular pressure to reduce the role of private money polluting politics, the underlying problem obstructing our global economic transition from today's delusion of endless industrial growth to ecological sustainability and social justice.</font></font></blockquote><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">KGrandia&nbsp;has a diary up on the subject&nbsp;<a href="http://www.dailykos.com/story/2013/10/20/1249110/-New-Study-Koch-s-Could-Make-100-Billion-on-Keystone-XL-Pipeline-Deal">here</a>&nbsp;<span class="print-footnote">[5]</span>.</font></font></div><div class="big_story_tools_bottom_container"><div class="talk_box"><div class="story_tools_bottom"><div class="text-size"><div class="story_tools_email"><div class="story_tools_print"><div class="story_tools_share"><div class="story_tools_social_buttons"><div class="tags"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><em>See more stories tagged with:</em></font></font><div class="field field-name-field-tags field-type-taxonomy-term-reference field-label-hidden"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman" /><div class="field-items"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman" /></font></font></font></font></font></font></font></font></font><div class="field-item even"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><a href="http://www.alternet.org/tags/koch-0" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel">koch</a>&nbsp;<span class="print-footnote">[6]</span></font></font></font></font></font></font></font></font></font></font></font></font></font></font></font></font></font></font></font></font></div></div></div></div><div class="comment_button"><div class="print-footer" style="text-align: center;"><hr class="print-hr" style="text-align: left; border: 0px; height: 1px; width: 1551px; background-color: rgb(158, 158, 158);" /><div class="print-source_url" style="text-align: left;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><strong>Source URL:</strong>&nbsp;<a href="http://www.alternet.org/environment/koch-brothers-could-earn-100-billion-tar-sands-profit-if-keystone-xl-pipeline-approved">http://www.alternet.org/environment/koch-brothers-could-earn-100-billion-tar-sands-profit-if-keystone-xl-pipeline-approved</a></font></font></div><p style="text-align: left;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">==</font></font></p><p style="margin: 0px 0px 1em; padding: 0px; line-height: 19.5px; text-align: start; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">A&nbsp;<em style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">DeSmogBlog</em>&nbsp;investigation reveals that&nbsp;<a href="http://www.desmogblog.com/2013/05/03/obama-anita-dunn-public-relations-keystone-xl-pipeline-tar-sands-rail-transport" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration-line: none; letter-spacing: 0.03em; line-height: 1.5em;">Robert Bauer</a><span style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; letter-spacing: 0.03em; line-height: 1.5em;">, former&nbsp;</span><span style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; letter-spacing: 0.03em; line-height: 1.5em;">White House Counsel and&nbsp;</span><span style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; letter-spacing: 0.03em; line-height: 1.5em;">President Barack Obama's personal attorney</span><span style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; letter-spacing: 0.03em; line-height: 1.5em;">, works at the corporate law firm&nbsp;</span><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Perkins_Coie" target="_blank" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration-line: none; letter-spacing: 0.03em; line-height: 1.5em;">Perkins Coie LLP</a>, which does legal work for&nbsp;<span style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; letter-spacing: 0.03em; line-height: 1.5em;">TransCanada's<span class="Apple-converted-space">&nbsp;</span></span><a href="http://www.gasline.alaska.gov/newsroom/Presentations/SCLNG%20-%20HRES%20Lunch%20%26%20Learn%202.19.13.pdf" target="_blank" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration-line: none; letter-spacing: 0.03em; line-height: 1.5em;">South Central LNG Project</a><span style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; letter-spacing: 0.03em; line-height: 1.5em;">, formerly known as<span class="Apple-converted-space">&nbsp;</span></span><a href="http://thealaskapipelineproject.com/" target="_blank" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration-line: none; letter-spacing: 0.03em; line-height: 1.5em;">Alaska Gas Pipeline Project</a><span style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; letter-spacing: 0.03em; line-height: 1.5em;">.<br /><br />Furthermore,&nbsp;</span><a href="http://dnr.alaska.gov/commis/sullivan.htm" target="_blank" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration-line: none; letter-spacing: 0.03em; line-height: 1.5em;">Dan Sullivan</a><span style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; letter-spacing: 0.03em; line-height: 1.5em;">,</span><span style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; letter-spacing: 0.03em; line-height: 1.5em;">&nbsp;current Commissioner of Alaska's Department of Natural Resources, and former Alaska Attorney General and former Assistant Secretary of State in the&nbsp;</span><span style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; letter-spacing: 0.03em; line-height: 1.5em;">Bush Administration,</span><span style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; letter-spacing: 0.03em; line-height: 1.5em;">&nbsp;is a former Perkins attorney.&nbsp;</span></font></font></p><p style="margin: 0px 0px 1em; padding: 0px; line-height: 19.5px; text-align: start; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">These findings come in the immediate aftermath of a recent investigation revealing the contractor hired by Obama's U.S. State Department to do the Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement (SEIS) for the northern half of TransCanada's<a href="http://priceofoil.org/2013/07/11/keystone-xl-the-key-to-crude-exports-new-report/" target="_blank" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration-line: none;">Keystone XL tar sands export pipeline</a><span class="Apple-converted-space">&nbsp;</span>- Environmental Resources Management, Inc. (ERM Group) -<span class="Apple-converted-space">&nbsp;</span><a href="http://www.desmogblog.com/2013/07/10/state-dept-contractor-erm-lied-about-transcanada-ties" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration-line: none;">lied on its June 2012 conflict-of interest filing</a>. ERM Group checked the box on the form saying it had<span class="Apple-converted-space">&nbsp;</span><a href="http://keystonepipeline-xl.state.gov/documents/organization/205729.pdf" target="_blank" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration-line: none;">no current business ties to TransCanada</a>.</font></font></p><p style="margin: 0px 0px 1em; padding: 0px; line-height: 19.5px; text-align: start; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">In fact,<span class="Apple-converted-space">&nbsp;</span><a href="http://www.desmogblog.com/2013/06/27/api-22-million-keystone-xl-lobbying-erm" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration-line: none;">ERM -</a><span style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; letter-spacing: 0.03em; line-height: 1.5em;"><a href="http://www.desmogblog.com/2013/06/27/api-22-million-keystone-xl-lobbying-erm" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration-line: none;">&nbsp;a member of the American Petroleum Institute (API)</a>, which has<span class="Apple-converted-space">&nbsp;</span><a href="http://www.desmogblog.com/2013/06/27/api-22-million-keystone-xl-lobbying-erm" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration-line: none;">spent over $22 million lobbying on tar sands and Keystone XL</a><span class="Apple-converted-space">&nbsp;</span>since 2008 -&nbsp;</span><span style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; letter-spacing: 0.03em; line-height: 1.5em;">does maintain business&nbsp;ties to TransCanada, the investigation revealed. This includes</span><span style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; letter-spacing: 0.03em; line-height: 1.5em;">&nbsp;an ongoing consulting relationship with South Central LNG, co-owned by TransCanada, ExxonMobil, BP and ConocoPhillips.</span></font></font></p><p style="margin: 0px 0px 1em; padding: 0px; line-height: 19.5px; text-align: start; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><span style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; letter-spacing: 0.03em; line-height: 1.5em;">Under&nbsp;</span>18 USC § 1001<span style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; letter-spacing: 0.03em; line-height: 1.5em;">, making a "</span><span style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; letter-spacing: 0.03em; line-height: 1.5em;">materially false, fictitious, or fraudulent statement or representation...[to the]&nbsp;</span><span style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; letter-spacing: 0.03em; line-height: 1.5em;">executive, legislative, or judicial branch of the Government of the United States</span><span style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; letter-spacing: 0.03em; line-height: 1.5em;">"&nbsp;</span><span style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; letter-spacing: 0.03em; line-height: 1.5em;">is a<span class="Apple-converted-space">&nbsp;</span><a href="http://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/18/1001" target="_blank" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration-line: none;">crime punishable by up to five years in jail</a>.&nbsp;</span></font></font></p><p style="margin: 0px 0px 1em; padding: 0px; line-height: 19.5px; text-align: start; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><span style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; letter-spacing: 0.03em; line-height: 1.5em;">On top of his job at Perkins Coie, Bauer - a well-known architect of&nbsp;</span><a href="http://washingtonindependent.com/95343/good-government-groups-raise-questions-about-new-white-house-ethics-czar" target="_blank" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration-line: none; letter-spacing: 0.03em; line-height: 1.5em;">bending campaign finance law to allow more corporate money</a><span style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; letter-spacing: 0.03em; line-height: 1.5em;">&nbsp;to flood into electoral races - served as general counsel to President Obama’s 2012 reelection campaign. He also serves as general counsel to the Democratic National Committee and did electoral law work for John Kerry's 2004 presidential campaign.&nbsp;</span></font></font></p><p style="margin: 0px 0px 1em; padding: 0px; line-height: 19.5px; text-align: start; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><span style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; letter-spacing: 0.03em; line-height: 1.5em;">His wife,&nbsp;</span><a href="http://www.desmogblog.com/2013/05/03/obama-anita-dunn-public-relations-keystone-xl-pipeline-tar-sands-rail-transport" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration-line: none; letter-spacing: 0.03em; line-height: 1.5em;">Anita Dunn</a><span style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; letter-spacing: 0.03em; line-height: 1.5em;">&nbsp;is the co-owner of SDKnickerbocker, former Obama Communications Director, senior advisor for Obama's 2012 re-election campaign and is&nbsp;</span><span style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; letter-spacing: 0.03em; line-height: 1.5em;">the former communications director for the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee under then-Senator Kerry.</span><span style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; letter-spacing: 0.03em; line-height: 1.5em;">&nbsp;She's&nbsp;</span><span style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; letter-spacing: 0.03em; line-height: 1.5em;"><a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2012/10/20/us/politics/anita-dunn-both-insider-and-outsider-in-obama-camp.html?pagewanted=all&_r=0" target="_blank" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration-line: none;">met with top Obama administration officials more than 100 times</a><span class="Apple-converted-space">&nbsp;</span>since leaving in 2009, according to a recent&nbsp;<em style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">New York Times</em><span class="Apple-converted-space">&nbsp;</span>investigation.&nbsp;</span></font></font></p><p style="margin: 0px 0px 1em; padding: 0px; line-height: 19.5px; text-align: start; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><span style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; letter-spacing: 0.03em; line-height: 1.5em;">Dunn currently does public relations work on behalf of TransCanada</span><span style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; letter-spacing: 0.03em; line-height: 1.5em;">&nbsp;and freight rail industry&nbsp;</span><a href="http://www.opensecrets.org/lobby/clientsum.php?id=D000046852&year=2010" target="_blank" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration-line: none; letter-spacing: 0.03em; line-height: 1.5em;">lobbying group, American&nbsp;Association of Railroads (AAR)</a><span style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; letter-spacing: 0.03em; line-height: 1.5em;">. The&nbsp;<a href="http://insideclimatenews.org/news/20130603/map-another-major-tar-sands-pipeline-seeking-us-permit" target="_blank" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration-line: none;">tar sands pipeline boom</a>&nbsp;comes alongside a&nbsp;<a href="http://www.desmogblog.com/warren-buffett-exposed-oracle-omaha-and-tar-sands" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration-line: none;">freight rail boom to carry tar sands</a>&nbsp;crude and&nbsp;<a href="http://www.businessweek.com/articles/2013-06-13/amid-u-dot-s-dot-oil-boom-railroads-are-beating-pipelines-in-crude-transport" target="_blank" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration-line: none;">fracked oil from North Dakota's Bakken Shale</a>.</span></font></font></p><p style="text-align: left;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">&nbsp;</font></font></p><p style="text-align: left;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">==</font></font></p><p style="text-align: left; border: 0px; margin: 0px 0px 1.4em; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; max-width: 100%; line-height: 22.8px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">While the Obama administration&nbsp;<a href="http://grist.org/news/obama-may-delay-keystone-decision-until-2014/" style="border: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; font-style: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; text-decoration-line: none; max-width: 100%;">dithers</a>&nbsp;over<a href="http://grist.org/news/obama-points-out-economic-downsides-of-keystone-xl/" style="border: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; font-style: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; text-decoration-line: none; max-width: 100%;">whether</a>&nbsp;to approve TransCanada’s planned Keystone XL pipeline, the pipeline builder announced Thursday that it will pursue an even bigger project connecting Alberta’s tar-sands oil fields with refineries in the nation’s east.</font></font></p><p style="text-align: left; border: 0px; margin: 0px 0px 1.4em; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; max-width: 100%; line-height: 22.8px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">The 2,700-mile, $12 billion&nbsp;<a href="http://www.energyeastpipeline.com/about/the-project/" target="_blank" style="border: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; font-style: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; text-decoration-line: none; max-width: 100%;">Energy East Pipeline</a>&nbsp;would&nbsp;carry 1.1 million barrels per day, making it more than a third larger than Keystone XL, which is intended to carry 800,000 bpd.</font></font></p><p style="text-align: left;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">==</font></font></p><p /><div style="text-align: left;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><a href="http://grist.org/news/arkansas-tar-sands-spill-was-an-accident-60-years-in-the-making/" style="font-family: " times="Times" new="New" roman="Roman" font-size="font-size" large="large">http://grist.org/news/arkansas-tar-sands-spill-was-an-accident-60-years-in-the-making/</a></font></div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman" /></font><div style="text-align: left;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">&nbsp;</font></font></font></font></font></font></font></font></font></font></font></font></font></font></div><p /><p /><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: " times="Times" new="New" roman="Roman" font-size="font-size" large="large">==</span></div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman" /><div style="text-align: left;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">&nbsp;</font></font></font></font></font></font></font></font></font></font></font></font></font></div><p /><p style="text-align: left;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">&nbsp;</font></p><p style="text-align: left;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">desmog; &nbsp;</font></p><div class="field field-name-field-bimage field-type-image field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><div class="field field-name-body field-type-text-with-summary field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><p /><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: " times="Times" new="New" roman="Roman" font-size="font-size" large="large">The State Department's decision to hand over control to the oil industry to evaluate its own environmental performance on the proposed Keystone XL tar sands pipeline has led to a colossal oversight.</span></div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman" /><div style="text-align: left;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><br /></font></font></font></font></font></font></font></font></font></font></font></font></font></div><div style="text-align: left;">Neither Secretary of State John Kerry nor President Barack Obama could tell you the&nbsp;<b>exact route&nbsp;</b>that the pipeline would travel through countless neighborhoods, farms, waterways and scenic areas between Alberta's tar sands and oil refineries on&nbsp;<span style="letter-spacing: 0.03em; line-height: 1.5em;">the U.S. Gulf Coast.</span></div><p /><p /><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: " times="Times" new="New" roman="Roman" font-size="font-size" large="large" letter-spacing="letter-spacing" em="em" line-height="line-height">A letter from the State Department denying an information request to a California man confirms that the exact route of the Keystone XL&nbsp;</span><a target="_blank" href="http://www.mcclatchydc.com/2013/04/25/189680/oil-from-proposed-keystone-pipeline.html#.Udk0nNNeuuE" style="font-family: " times="Times" new="New" roman="Roman" font-size="font-size" large="large" letter-spacing="letter-spacing" em="em" line-height="line-height">export pipeline</a><span style="font-family: " times="Times" new="New" roman="Roman" font-size="font-size" large="large" letter-spacing="letter-spacing" em="em" line-height="line-height">&nbsp;remains a mystery, as DeSmog&nbsp;</span><a href="http://www.desmogblog.com/2013/06/27/obama-state-dept-leaving-citizens-in-dark-exact-keystone-xl-route" style="font-family: " times="Times" new="New" roman="Roman" font-size="font-size" large="large" letter-spacing="letter-spacing" em="em" line-height="line-height">recently revealed</a><span style="font-family: " times="Times" new="New" roman="Roman" font-size="font-size" large="large" letter-spacing="letter-spacing" em="em" line-height="line-height">.</span></div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman" /><div style="text-align: left;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.54px;"><br /></span></font></font></font></font></font></font></font></font></font></font></font></font></font></div><span style="letter-spacing: 0.03em; line-height: 1.5em;"><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.03em; line-height: 1.5em;">Generic maps exist on both the&nbsp;</span><a target="_blank" href="http://ens-newswire.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/20130416_pipelinemap.jpg" style="letter-spacing: 0.03em; line-height: 1.5em;">State Department</a><span style="letter-spacing: 0.03em; line-height: 1.5em;">&nbsp;and&nbsp;</span><a target="_blank" href="http://keystone-xl.com/home/route-maps/" style="letter-spacing: 0.03em; line-height: 1.5em;">TransCanada</a><span style="letter-spacing: 0.03em; line-height: 1.5em;">&nbsp;websites, but maps with precise GIS data remain the proprietary information of TransCanada and its chosen oil industry contractors.&nbsp;</span></div></span><p /><p /><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: " times="Times" new="New" roman="Roman" font-size="font-size" large="large">Thomas Bachand, a San Francisco-based photographer, author, and web developer&nbsp;discovered this the hard way. A year and a half after he first filed a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request seeking the GIS data for his&nbsp;</span><a target="_blank" href="http://keystone.steamingmules.com/" style="font-family: " times="Times" new="New" roman="Roman" font-size="font-size" large="large"><em>Keystone Mapping Project</em></a><span style="font-family: " times="Times" new="New" roman="Roman" font-size="font-size" large="large">, Mr. Bachand received a troubling response from the State Department denying his request.</span></div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman" /><div style="text-align: left;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><br /></font></font></font></font></font></font></font></font></font></font></font></font></font></div><div style="text-align: left;">In the letter, the State Department admits that it doesn't have any idea about the exact pipeline route - and that it never asked for the basic mapping data to evaluate the potential impacts of the pipeline.&nbsp;</div><p /></div></div></div><p style="text-align: left;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">&nbsp;</font></p><p style="text-align: left;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">&nbsp;</font></p><p style="text-align: left;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">===</font></p><p style="text-align: left;"><a href="http://www.prwatch.org/print/12160"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman" color="#000000">&nbsp;http://www.prwatch.org/print/12160</font></a></p><h1 class="print-title" style="text-align: left;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Keystone Academy: Where Legislators Learn the Etiquette of Serving Special Interests</font></h1><div class="meta" style="text-align: left;"><span class="submitted"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">by&nbsp;<a href="http://www.prwatch.org/users/35314/nick-surgey" title="View user profile.">Nick Surgey</a>&nbsp;<span class="print-footnote">[1]</span>&nbsp;— July 1, 2013 - 9:18am</font></span></div><div class="terms"><div class="tags-2"><ul><li class="vocabulary-2" style="text-align: left;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Topics:&nbsp;<span class="term-103"><a href="http://www.prwatch.org/topics/public-relations/front-groups">Front Groups</a>&nbsp;<span class="print-footnote">[2]</span></span>,&nbsp;<span class="term-723"><a href="http://www.prwatch.org/topics/energy">Energy</a>&nbsp;<span class="print-footnote">[3]</span></span>,&nbsp;<span class="term-4"><a href="http://www.prwatch.org/topics/environment">Environment</a>&nbsp;<span class="print-footnote">[4]</span></span></font></li></ul></div><div class="tags-9"><ul><li class="vocabulary-9" style="text-align: left;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Projects:&nbsp;<span class="term-737"><a href="http://www.prwatch.org/projects/alec-exposed">ALEC Exposed</a>&nbsp;<span class="print-footnote">[5]</span></span></font></li></ul></div></div><p style="text-align: left;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">[6]</font></p><p style="text-align: left;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 102);">In October 2012, nine U.S. state legislators went on an industry paid trip to explore the Alberta tar sands. Publicly described as an "ALEC Academy,"</span>&nbsp;documents obtained by CMD show the legislators were accompanied on a chartered flight by a gaggle of oil-industry lobbyists, were served lunch by Shell Oil, dinner by the Canadian Association of Petroleum Producers, and that the expenses of the trip were paid for by TransCanada and other corporations and groups with a direct financial interest in the Alberta tar sands and the proposed Keystone XL (KXL) pipeline.</font></p><p><span class="image-caption-container image-caption-container-" style="display: block; float: right; width: 310px;"><span class="image-caption" style="text-align: left; display: block;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">2012</font></span></span><font size="4" face="Times New Roman" /></p><div style="text-align: left;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Among the nine legislators on the tour was the new ALEC national chairman, Representative John Piscopo from Connecticut, and<span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 102);">&nbsp;Senator Jim Smith from Nebraska&nbsp;</span>who has sponsored legislation in his state to speed up the building of the Nebraska segment of KXL. Email records obtained by CMD show that after the trip, legislators were asked by ALEC to send "thank you notes" to the lobbyists for their generosity in Alberta.</font></font></font></font></font></div><p /><p style="text-align: left;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Far better than a mere "thank you,"&nbsp;<span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 102);">Rep. John Adams from Ohio&nbsp;</span>returned from the trip and sponsored a bill given to him by a TransCanada lobbyist calling for the approval of KXL. As&nbsp;<a href="http://www.prwatch.org/news/2013/04/12049/seven-state-keystone-xl-resolutions-where-are-environmentalists" target="_blank">previously reported by CMD</a>&nbsp;<span class="print-footnote">[7]</span>, similar legislation, reflecting both an ALEC "model" bill and language taken from a TransCanada set of talking points, has been introduced in seven states in 2013.</font></font></font></p><p style="text-align: left;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">The tar sands of Alberta are estimated to be the third largest reserve of crude oil on the planet. But the process of turning the tar-like bitumen into a refined product that can be used as fuel is extremely energy intensive and highly polluting. The former NASA scientist James Hansen, warned that the extraction and use of Canadian tar sands would mean "game over" for the climate. TransCanada is the operator of the proposed KXL pipeline, which would carry the tar sands to Texas for processing and likely for exports to markets abroad.</font></font></font></p><h2 style="text-align: left;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">In Private Jets and "Petroleum Club" Dinners, U.S Politicians Get the Dirt on Canadian Tar Sands</font></font></font></h2><p style="text-align: left;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Officially, ALEC organized the Alberta tour as an "ALEC Academy." In ALEC's description of&nbsp;<a href="http://www.prwatch.org/files/Ex._D_ALEC_sponsorship_rates.pdf" target="_blank">corporate sponsorship opportunities</a>&nbsp;<span class="print-footnote">[8]</span>, this type of event is described as being "an intensive, two--day program for legislators that focus on a specific area of policy." It comes with an&nbsp;<a href="http://www.prwatch.org/files/Ex._D_ALEC_sponsorship_rates.pdf" target="_blank">$80,000 fee to sponsor</a>&nbsp;<span class="print-footnote">[8]</span>. Unofficially however, and made clear to legislators on the trip in emails from ALEC obtained by CMD, the expenses were paid for by lobbyists from the oil-industry and by the government of Alberta. In an email sent to Ohio representative John Adams ahead of the trip, ALEC staffer Karla Jones reassured participants that all transportation, accommodation costs and meals would be paid for.</font></font></font></p><p style="text-align: left;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">According to a copy of the&nbsp;<a href="http://www.prwatch.org/files/ALEC_Invitation_Alberta.pdf" target="_blank">trip itinerary</a>&nbsp;<span class="print-footnote">[9]</span>&nbsp;obtained via a public records request, legislators flew into Alberta on Tuesday October 16, 2012, and were met by TransCanada lobbyists who took them on a tour of their facilities in Calgary.</font></font></font></p><p style="text-align: left;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 102);">TransCanada, which is a member of ALEC, sponsored ALEC's Spring Task Force Summit in Oklahoma City&nbsp;</span>in May 2013, alongside other corporations with tar sands interests including BP, Devon Energy and Koch Industries. TransCanada's Vice President Corey Goulet presented to legislators at the conference during a session called&nbsp;<a href="http://www.prwatch.org/files/Embracing_American_Energy%20.pdf" target="_blank">"Embracing American Energy Opportunities.</a>&nbsp;<span class="print-footnote">[10]</span>"</font></font></font></p><p style="text-align: left;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Dinner on the first night was at the up-market Ruth's Chris Steakhouse in downtown Calgary, paid for by American Fuel and Petrochemical Manufacturers (AFPM). The dinner included a presentation to the captive audience of lawmakers from AFPM about Low-Carbon Fuel Standards (LCFS), a mechanism designed to reduce the carbon intensity of transportation fuels. As CMD has&nbsp;<a href="http://www.prwatch.org/news/2013/06/12133/alec-tours-tar-sands-works-industry-groups-block-low-carbon-fuel-standards" target="_blank">reported recently</a>&nbsp;<span class="print-footnote">[11]</span>, LCFS is considered a real threat to the tar sands industry, because it might restrict the U.S. market for fuels derived from the tar sands. AFPM, which has funded one of the other groups on the tour -- the Consumer Energy Alliance (CEA) -- to work to oppose LCFS legislation, would successfully sponsor an ALEC "model" bill on this issue just weeks after the trip, called "<a href="http://www.alec.org/model-legislation/restrictions-on-participation-in-low-carbon-fuel-standards-programs/" target="_blank">Restrictions on Participation in Low-Carbon Fuel Standards Programs</a>&nbsp;<span class="print-footnote">[12]</span>."</font></font></font></p><p style="text-align: left;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">On Wednesday morning, after breakfast at the hotel, legislators were taken to the airport where a private charted plane was waiting to fly them around a number of different tar sands operations. Accompanying the legislators and ALEC staffer Karla Jones, were lobbyists from AFPM, TransCanada, Devon Energy, CEA, Shell Oil, and the Government of Alberta. The flight was chartered by the Alberta Government, at a cost of $22,000, with the costs split evenly between them and another unknown entity.</font></font></font></p><p style="text-align: left;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">During the day, legislators toured facilities owned by&nbsp;<span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 102);">Shell -- which also provided lunch -- and Devon Energy,&nbsp;</span>where they viewed the massive "Jackfish" tar sands projects. At these facilities, Devon utilizes Steam Assisted Gravity Drainage (SAGD), an energy intensive process that injects steam into the dirty bitumen to access otherwise inaccessible deposits too deep for mining. This process is expected to open up further areas of Alberta for tar sands extraction, including by Koch Industries subsidiary&nbsp;<a href="http://www.kochexploration.ca/canada/default.aspx" target="_blank">Koch Exploration Canada</a>&nbsp;<span class="print-footnote">[13]</span>&nbsp;which has a&nbsp;<a href="https://albertacanada.com/files/albertacanada/AOSID_QuarterlyUpdate_Winter2013.pdf" target="_blank">pending permit request&nbsp;</a><span class="print-footnote">[14]</span>in Alberta to utilize SAGD.</font></font></font></p><p style="text-align: left;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Dinner on Wednesday night was served at the Petroleum Club, sponsored by the Canadian Association of Petroleum Producers. On the Thursday morning, just before their return flight, legislators did have a brief meeting with a representative from the Pembina Institute, an Alberta environmental group that calls for responsible exploitation of the tar sands. According to the&nbsp;<a href="http://www.prwatch.org/files/ALEC_Invitation_Alberta.pdf" target="_blank">ALEC trip itinerary</a>&nbsp;<span class="print-footnote">[9]</span>, this was to "provide the opposing point of view."</font></font></font></p><p style="text-align: left;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Although Pembina does represent a different view from those that want completely unrestrained extraction of the tar sands, the group is not representative of those that oppose tar sands extraction. There are plenty of organizations that could have provided alternative viewpoints, particularly First Nation tribal leaders who are campaigning vigorously on this issue, but perhaps unsurprisingly they were not included. Even Pembina's -- somewhat limited -- opposing voice was not wanted during the tour of the oil sands facilities, and they were not invited to the lobbyist-sponsored dinners.</font></font></font></p><h2 style="text-align: left;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">ALEC as Emily Post</font></font></font></h2><p style="text-align: left;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">A month after the trip, the Director of International and Federal Relations at ALEC, Karla Jones, sent participants an email helpfully reminding them of what each industry lobbyist had paid for on the tour. CMD obtained a copy of that communication via a public records request, which included a spreadsheet containing the names, telephone numbers and mailing addresses of each of the lobbyists on the trip. The&nbsp;<a href="http://www.prwatch.org/files/ALEC_sponsors.pdf" target="_blank">ALEC email</a>&nbsp;<span class="print-footnote">[15]</span>&nbsp;also prompted legislators to send each of the sponsoring corporations a "thank you note."</font></font></font></p><p style="text-align: left;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">The phenomenon of ALEC legislators sending such letters to lobbyists is something CMD has<a href="http://prwatch.org/news/2012/05/11443/cmd-special-report-alecs-scholarship-scheme-helps-corporations-fund-legislator-tr" target="_blank">&nbsp;previously reported on</a>&nbsp;<span class="print-footnote">[16]</span>. Ohio Rep. Adams, for example, sent at least a dozen letters to corporate lobbyists in 2010, thanking them for writing checks to the ALEC scholarship fund, which paid his and his colleagues way to an ALEC conference.</font></font></font></p><p style="text-align: left;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">"Because of your help and others like you, the trip to ALEC was made possible for our legislators," Adams wrote to AT&T lobbyist Bob Blazer.</font></font></font></p><p style="text-align: left;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">"Rather than sending thank you notes to their corporate lobbyist sponsors, these legislators should instead consider an apology to their constituents," Stephen Spaulding, Staff Counsel for the good government group Common Cause told CMD. "I doubt lobbyists want thank you notes in return for bankrolling legislators' international vacations -- they would rather a bright, shiny souvenir in the form of corporate-drafted legislation."</font></font></font></p><h2 style="text-align: left;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Better Than a Thank You Note, Payback in Ohio</font></font></font></h2><p style="text-align: left;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">After the trip to Alberta,&nbsp;<span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 102);">Rep. Adams, the Assistant Majority Floor Leader and Ohio ALEC state chair, led the calls in Ohio for the approval of the KXL pipeline,</span>sponsoring a bill (<a href="http://openstates.org/oh/bills/130/HCR9/" target="_blank">HCR 9)</a>&nbsp;<span class="print-footnote">[17]</span>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="http://www.ohiohouse.gov/john-adams/press/rep-adams-applauds-passage-of-keystone-pipeline-resolution" target="_blank">talking publicly</a>&nbsp;<span class="print-footnote">[18]</span>&nbsp;about the proposed pipeline. "It is of the upmost importance that we strongly urge the U.S. government to take the necessary steps towards operation of the Keystone Pipeline," Adams wrote in March 2013 while promoting his bill. Rep. Rosenberger, the other Ohio legislator on the ALEC trip to Alberta, accordingly co-sponsored the Adams bill.</font></font></font></p><p style="text-align: left;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">According to documents CMD obtained from public record requests in Ohio, a draft bill was sent to Adams on January 23, from Steve Dimon of 21 Consulting LLC, who represents TransCanada. The bill was sent as an attachment to the Dimon email.</font></font></font></p><p style="text-align: left;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">The email message itself simply read, "<a href="http://www.prwatch.org/files/Dimon_email1_0.pdf" target="_blank">Thank you so much!</a>&nbsp;<span class="print-footnote">[19]</span>"</font></font></font></p><p style="text-align: left;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Dimon stayed in touch with Adams' office over the proceeding months,&nbsp;<a href="http://www.prwatch.org/files/Dimon_email2_0.pdf" target="_blank">providing his staff with further materials</a>&nbsp;<span class="print-footnote">[20]</span>&nbsp;about Keystone XL, including a set of talking points stamped with the TransCanada logo.</font></font></font></p><p style="text-align: left;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">By February 14, Adams had an updated draft that had been reviewed by the Ohio legislative service commission, the non-partisan body that assists legislators with drafting legislation. Adams staffer Ryan Crawford&nbsp;<a href="http://www.prwatch.org/files/Eshenbaugh_email1_0.pdf" target="_blank">sent this language to Rob Eshenbaugh</a>&nbsp;<span class="print-footnote">[21]</span>, a lobbyist with Ohio Petroleum Council, the state affiliate of the American Petroleum Institute. "Please let me know if I can be of further assistance," Crawford wrote to the lobbyist. Eshenbaugh&nbsp;<a href="http://www.prwatch.org/files/Eshenbaugh_email2_0.pdf" target="_blank">responded with some requested changes</a>&nbsp;<span class="print-footnote">[22]</span>, which Crawford then incorporated into the bill.</font></font></font></p><p style="text-align: left;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">All this occurred prior to Adams sharing the bill with his fellow legislators, which didn't happen until February 20. Adams finally introduced his bill in the Ohio Assembly on&nbsp;<a href="http://openstates.org/oh/bills/130/HCR9/" target="_blank">March 9</a>&nbsp;<span class="print-footnote">[17]</span>, without any public statement about his involvement with the ALEC Academy or that the source of the bill was a tar sands lobbyist.</font></font></font></p><p style="text-align: left;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">The route of the proposed KXL pipeline takes it through Montana, South Dakota, Nebraska, Kansas, Oklahoma, and Texas. This is a long way from Ohio, but the debate over the KXL project has become a national issue. The ALEC Academy, and subsequent lobbying from the oil-industry, demonstrates that TransCanada sees value in developing a list of states supportive of the project to influence the federal debate over KXL approval.</font></font></font></p><p style="text-align: left;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">The precise details of the ALEC tour, including the trip being part-sponsored by TransCanada, are not mentioned in Adams' financial disclosures, which only reports his expenses as being from ALEC and the Alberta Government. Adams is not breaking the law here. This is because of the way ALEC works to fund legislator travel. Its scholarship system allows corporations to "sponsor" legislator's expenses, which are then simply disclosed as being a payment from "ALEC" and not from the sponsoring corporations or groups. CMD documented the ALEC scholarship fund in a 2012 report released jointly with Common Cause: "<a href="http://www.alecexposed.org/w/images/f/fa/BUYING_INFLUENCE_Main_Report.pdf" target="_blank">How the American Legislative Exchange Council Uses Corporate-Funded "Scholarships" to Send Lawmakers on Trips with Corporate Lobbyists</a>&nbsp;<span class="print-footnote">[23]</span>."</font></font></font></p><p style="text-align: left;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Graduates of the Keystone Academy appear to be learning a lot about how ALEC works behind the scenes to promote special interest legislation while keeping the public entirely in the dark.</font></font></font></p><table class="sticky-header" style="position: fixed; top: 0px; width: 355px; left: 16px; visibility: hidden;"><thead><tr><th style="width: 253px;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><br /></font></th><th style="width: 68px;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><br /></font></th></tr></thead></table><table id="attachments" class="sticky-enabled sticky-table"><thead class="tableHeader-processed"><tr><th><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Attachment</font></th><th><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Size</font></th></tr></thead><tbody><tr class="odd"><td><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><a href="http://www.prwatch.org/files/ALECLegislators.png">ALECLegislators.png</a>&nbsp;<span class="print-footnote">[24]</span></font></td><td><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">1.2 MB</font></td></tr><tr class="even"><td><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><a href="http://www.prwatch.org/files/ALEC_sponsors.pdf">ALEC_sponsors.pdf</a>&nbsp;<span class="print-footnote">[15]</span></font></td><td><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">77.45 KB</font></td></tr><tr class="odd"><td><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><a href="http://www.prwatch.org/files/Embracing_American_Energy%20.pdf">Embracing_American_Energy .pdf</a>&nbsp;<span class="print-footnote">[10]</span></font></td><td><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">1.33 MB</font></td></tr><tr class="even"><td><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><a href="http://www.prwatch.org/files/ALEC_Invitation_Alberta.pdf">ALEC_Invitation_Alberta.pdf</a>&nbsp;<span class="print-footnote">[9]</span></font></td><td><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">165.32 KB</font></td></tr><tr class="odd"><td><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><a href="http://www.prwatch.org/files/Dimon_email1_0.pdf">Dimon_email1.pdf</a>&nbsp;<span class="print-footnote">[19]</span></font></td><td><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">17.17 KB</font></td></tr><tr class="even"><td><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><a href="http://www.prwatch.org/files/Dimon_email2_0.pdf">Dimon_email2.pdf</a>&nbsp;<span class="print-footnote">[20]</span></font></td><td><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">695.13 KB</font></td></tr><tr class="odd"><td><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><a href="http://www.prwatch.org/files/Eshenbaugh_email1_0.pdf">Eshenbaugh_email1.pdf</a>&nbsp;<span class="print-footnote">[21]</span></font></td><td><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">174.29 KB</font></td></tr><tr class="even"><td><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><a href="http://www.prwatch.org/files/Eshenbaugh_email2_0.pdf">Eshenbaugh_email2.pdf</a>&nbsp;<span class="print-footnote">[22]</span></font></td><td><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">193.03 KB</font></td></tr></tbody></table><p style="text-align: left;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">&nbsp;</font></font></font></p><p style="text-align: left;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">====</font></font></font></p><p style="text-align: left;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">note API ups game:</font></font></font></p><p style="text-align: left;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">&nbsp;</font></font></font></p><h3 style="text-align: left;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><span class="mw-headline" id="Energy_Forums"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Energy Forums</font></span></font></font></h3><p style="text-align: left;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">The API Sponsors nearly identical "Energy Forums" in almost every state. Most are simply labeled "__State__ Energy Forum" (examples include&nbsp;<a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://www.nebraskaenergyforum.com/">Nebraska Nebraska</a><a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://www.nevadaenergyforum.com/">Nevada</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://www.azenergyforum.com/">Arizona</a>) but a few feature more nuanced titles, such as Ohio's&nbsp;<a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://www.buckeyeenergyforum.com/">Buckeye Energy Forum</a>&nbsp;and Pennsylvania's&nbsp;<a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://keystoneenergyforum.com/">keystone energy forum</a>.</font></font></font></p><p style="text-align: left;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Each Energy Forum claims to represent "A group of concerned citizens", and each runs articles in support of&nbsp;<a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Hydrofracking" title="Hydrofracking" class="mw-redirect">Hydrofracking</a>], the&nbsp;<a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Keystone_XL_pipeline&action=edit&redlink=1" class="new" title="Keystone XL pipeline (page does not exist)">Keystone XL pipeline</a>, and expanded offshore drilling.<sup id="cite_ref-4" class="reference"><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/American_Petroleum_Institute#cite_note-4">[5]</a></sup>&nbsp;<sup id="cite_ref-5" class="reference"><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/American_Petroleum_Institute#cite_note-5">[6]</a></sup>&nbsp;<sup id="cite_ref-6" class="reference"><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/American_Petroleum_Institute#cite_note-6">[7]</a></sup></font></font></font></p><h3 style="text-align: left;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><span class="mw-headline" id="Vote4Energy"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Vote4Energy</font></span></font></font></h3><p style="text-align: left;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">In December, 2011, an API TV ad campaign titled "Vote4Energy" was prematurely exposed by the Checks and Balances Project and Greenpeace, which both sent representatives to attend a Vote4Energy commercial shoot.<sup id="cite_ref-7" class="reference"><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/American_Petroleum_Institute#cite_note-7">[8]</a></sup>&nbsp;<sup id="cite_ref-8" class="reference"><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/American_Petroleum_Institute#cite_note-8">[9]</a></sup>&nbsp;Audio recordings from inside the Vote4Energy commercial shoot reveal how the commercials will debut on CNN in January, 2012 during presidential debates, and how oil industry talking points were fed to actors on set to be repeated, contrasting API's public relations campaigns aimed at demonstrating authentic grassroots support for the oil industry's political priorities.</font></font></font></p><p style="text-align: left;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">The Vote4Energy Campaign also launched a&nbsp;<a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://vote4energy.org/">website</a>&nbsp;which argues that "A Vote For Energy is a vote for more jobs, higher government revenues and greater energy security." the site features a state-by-state breakdown of how states could be impacted by adopting their policies. According to Vote4Energy's&nbsp;<a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://vote4energy.org/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/Policy-Perspectives.pdf">"Policy Perspectives"</a>&nbsp;sheet, they support opening federal areas that currently do not allow drilling, such as the Alaska National Wildlife Refuge, the removal of certain EPA regulations (which the sheet implies are not based on "sound science") and the approval of the&nbsp;<a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Keystone_XL_Pipeline" title="Keystone XL Pipeline">Keystone XL Pipeline</a>.</font></font></font></p><h3 style="text-align: left;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><span class="mw-headline" id="Oil_Sands_Fact_Check"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Oil Sands Fact Check</font></span></font></font></h3><p style="text-align: left;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">In July 2012 the Houston Chronicle reported that API had created the front group&nbsp;<a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://oilsandsfactcheck.org/">Oil Sands Fact Check</a>&nbsp;(OSFC) to promote the&nbsp;<a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Keystone_XL&action=edit&redlink=1" class="new" title="Keystone XL (page does not exist)">Keystone XL</a>&nbsp;pipeline and tar sands crude as a "safe and secure energy resource."<sup id="cite_ref-9" class="reference"><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/American_Petroleum_Institute#cite_note-9">[10]</a></sup></font></font></font></p><p style="text-align: left;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Source: Desmogblog (<a rel="nofollow" class="external free" href="http://s.tt/1hrAy">http://s.tt/1hrAy</a>)</font></font></font></p><h2 style="text-align: left;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><span class="mw-headline" id="Responses_to_Obama_administration_actions"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Responses to Obama administration actions</font></span></font></font></h2><h3 style="text-align: left;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><span class="mw-headline" id="2012_election_spending"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">2012 election spending</font></span></font></font></h3><p style="text-align: left;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">In the 2012 election cycle API gave nearly half a million to the following groups running political ads against Democrats and in support of Republicans:<sup id="cite_ref-10" class="reference"><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/American_Petroleum_Institute#cite_note-10">[11]</a></sup></font></font></font></p><ul><li style="text-align: left;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">$50,000 to&nbsp;<a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Americans_for_Prosperity" title="Americans for Prosperity">Americans for Prosperity</a>’s 501(c)(4) group, which ran ads against President Obama and congressional Democrats.</font></font></font></li><li style="text-align: left;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">$412,969 to&nbsp;<a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Coalition_for_American_Jobs" title="Coalition for American Jobs">Coalition for American Jobs</a>’ 501(c)(6) group, a&nbsp;<a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Front_group" title="Front group" class="mw-redirect">front group</a>&nbsp;set up by API lobbyists to air ads.</font></font></font></li><li style="text-align: left;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">$25,000 to the&nbsp;<a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Sixty_Plus_Association&action=edit&redlink=1" class="new" title="Sixty Plus Association (page does not exist)">Sixty Plus Association</a>’s 501(c)(4), which ran ads against congressional Democrats.</font></font></font></li></ul><p style="text-align: left;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">In addition, API president&nbsp;<a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Jack_Gerard" title="Jack Gerard" class="mw-redirect">Jack Gerard</a>&nbsp;was a close ally to the Mitt Romney campaign.</font></font></font></p><h3 style="text-align: left;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><span class="mw-headline" id="Center_for_Offshore_Safety"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Center for Offshore Safety</font></span></font></font></h3><p style="text-align: left;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">In March 2011 the board of directors of the American Petroleum Institute approved the creation of the Center for Offshore Safety to address industry safety and environmental performance.&nbsp;<sup id="cite_ref-11" class="reference"><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/American_Petroleum_Institute#cite_note-11">[12]</a></sup>&nbsp;This action follows recommendations made by the Presidential Oil Spill Commission investigations in response to the BP&nbsp;<a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Deepwater_Horizon" title="Deepwater Horizon">Deepwater Horizon</a>&nbsp;/ Macondo oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico that occurred in 2010. Some industry analysts question whether the center, which will be headquartered in Houston and is funded by API and its oil and gas industry members, can remain independently objective.&nbsp;<sup id="cite_ref-12" class="reference"><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/American_Petroleum_Institute#cite_note-12">[13]</a></sup><sup id="cite_ref-13" class="reference"><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/American_Petroleum_Institute#cite_note-13">[14]</a></sup></font></font></font></p><h3 style="text-align: left;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><span class="mw-headline" id="Other_climate_policy-related_actions"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Other climate policy-related actions</font></span></font></font></h3><p style="text-align: left;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">In April 2009, API sent a letter to members of Congress, in Gerard's name, that slammed the&nbsp;<a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Obama_administration" title="Obama administration" class="mw-redirect">Obama administration</a>. It stated: "The US oil and natural gas industry has the expertise and technology to produce the energy we need to fuel economic growth, create jobs, generate significant revenues for local, state and federal governments, and bolster our national security. However, our companies cannot do so if held back by harmful, counter-productive taxes and are restricted from access to domestic oil and natural gas resources that the country urgently needs. ... If imposed, these taxes and fees could have a debilitating effect on our economy, when our nation can least afford it. They would reduce investment in new energy supplies, meaning less energy produced for American consumers. We cannot tax our way out of our energy problems.”&nbsp;<sup id="cite_ref-14" class="reference"><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/American_Petroleum_Institute#cite_note-14">[15]</a></sup></font></font></font></p><p style="text-align: left;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">The same month, API protested the&nbsp;<a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Environmental_Protection_Agency" title="Environmental Protection Agency" class="mw-redirect">Environmental Protection Agency</a>'s finding that greenhouse gas emissions endangered public health and could be regulated under the&nbsp;<a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Clean_Air_Act" title="Clean Air Act">Clean Air Act</a>. "The Clean Air Act was created to address local and regional air pollution, not the emission of carbon dioxide and other global greenhouse gases," said API's Jack Gerard.&nbsp;<sup id="cite_ref-15" class="reference"><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/American_Petroleum_Institute#cite_note-15">[16]</a></sup></font></font></font></p><h3 style="text-align: left;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><span class="mw-headline" id="2008_elections"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">2008 elections</font></span></font></font></h3><p style="text-align: left;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">In response to the November 2008 election of Democrats&nbsp;<a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Barack_Obama" title="Barack Obama">Barack Obama</a>&nbsp;as President and&nbsp;<a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Joe_Biden" title="Joe Biden" class="mw-redirect">Joe Biden</a>&nbsp;as Vice-president, API released a statement in the name of their CEO,&nbsp;<a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Jack_Gerard" title="Jack Gerard" class="mw-redirect">Jack Gerard</a>, saying: "The American people have spoken loud and clear that they want politicians to put aside partisan bickering. ...The oil and natural gas industry stands ready to help put America's vast energy resources to good use, strengthening our nation's economy and energy security, and providing good jobs for Americans across the country."&nbsp;<sup id="cite_ref-16" class="reference"><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/American_Petroleum_Institute#cite_note-16">[17]</a></sup></font></font></font></p><p style="text-align: left;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Earlier, Gerard had criticized Obama's platform, saying "Obama's plan to impose a windfall-profits tax on oil companies would harm one of the few industries that are thriving" in the economic crisis.&nbsp;<sup id="cite_ref-17" class="reference"><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/American_Petroleum_Institute#cite_note-17">[18]</a></sup></font></font></font></p><p style="text-align: left;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">===</font></font></font></p><p style="text-align: left;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Environmental advocates are mounting pressure against the U.S. State Department over a Keystone XL review process they say is "plagued by conflicts of interest."</font></font></font></p><p style="text-align: left;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">"Imagine if the surgeon general was replaced with a tobacco executive," Robin Mann, past president and board member of the Sierra Club, said during a press call on Tuesday. "At the State Department, we're seeing something just as outrageous."</font></font></font></p><p style="text-align: left;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">The advocacy group filed a lawsuit on Monday asserting that the State Department is withholding key documents related to the latest Keystone XL environmental impact statement, including evidence related to potential conflicts of interest at Environmental Resources Management (ERM), the third-party contractor hired to conduct the analysis of the fiercely-debated proposal to ferry heavy crude from Alberta's oil sands to the U.S. Gulf Coast.</font></font></font></p><p style="text-align: left;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">During the press call on Tuesday, advocates pushed for a State Department investigator general analysis of the impact statement. Mann added that ERM is a "dues-paying member" of the American Petroleum Institute, the largest U.S trade association for the oil and natural gas industry.</font></font></font></p><p style="text-align: left;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">An API spokesman said the group had not yet reviewed the lawsuit and therefore would not comment. ERM deferred HuffPost's inquiry to the State Department....</font></font></font></p><p style="text-align: left;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/06/11/keystone-xl-lawsuit-sierra-club-state-department_n_3422849.html?view=print&comm_ref=false</font></font></font></p><p /><div style="text-align: left;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><span style="font-family: " times="Times" new="New" roman="Roman" font-size="font-size" large="large">===</span></font></font></div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman" /></font></font><div style="text-align: left;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">&nbsp;</font></font></font></font></font></font></font></font></font></font></font></font></font></font></font></div><p /><div class="entry large clearfix" id="entry_12345"><div class="col entry_right full"><h1 class="title-news" style="text-align: left;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">TransCanada Whistleblower Warns Of Shoddy Pipeline Practices</font></h1><div class="comments_datetime_new border_none relative v05" data-beacon="{" p="p" mnid="mnid" entrybyline="entryByline" style="text-align: left;"><span class="posted-and-updated"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Posted:&nbsp;<span itemprop="datePublished">06/11/2013 7:37 am EDT</span>&nbsp;</font></span></div><div class="entry_content"><div class="entry_body_text"><div class="float_left"><div class="articleBody" itemprop="articleBody"><p style="text-align: left;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Former TransCanada Corp. employee Evan Vokes' impassioned testimony before a Canadian Senate committee last week painted "a very, very bleak picture of the pipeline industry in Canada, and probably by extension, the States," according to Sen. Betty Unger.</font></p><p style="text-align: left;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Vokes' allegations on Thursday against TransCanada, the Canadian company leading the controversial proposal to send tar sands oil from Alberta to the Gulf Coast via the&nbsp;<a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/04/05/keystone-xl-pipeline-people-environment-health-map_n_3016383.html?utm_hp_ref=keystone-pipeline" target="_hplink">Keystone XL pipeline</a>, were sobering: a "culture of noncompliance" and "coercion," with "deeply entrenched business practices that ignored legally required regulations and codes" and carries "significant public safety risks."</font></p><p style="text-align: left;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">"It's organized crime, in my opinion," Vokes, an expert in pipeline welding and now whistleblower against his ex-employer, told The Huffington Post after the hearing. "The source of revenue is legal, but how they go about it isn't legal."</font></p><p style="text-align: left;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">TransCanada quickly came to its own defense after learning of the attack.</font></p><p style="text-align: left;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">"We take great exception to the claims by Mr. Vokes that we do not take safety and compliance issues seriously," company spokesman Shawn Howard told HuffPost. "Our track record and the safety of our energy infrastructure network shows that we do."</font></p><p style="text-align: left;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Vokes worked for TransCanada for five years until May 2012, when he said he was fired without cause. From his first days at the company, Vokes recalled raising concerns, or as he put it, "pointing out the obvious." He provided the Canada Senate with evidence supporting complaints of what he said were shoddy safety practices, including management pressure to retract a welding code violation on a natural gas line feeding a tar sands project in Alberta, and the use of "substandard materials" in the original Keystone pipeline that carried the heavy, molasses-like oil into U.S. Midwest markets.</font></p><p style="text-align: left;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">"What I have documented is a mix of politics and commercial interests that has resulted in the false public claims of exceptional industry practice," Vokes told the Senate committee.</font></p><p style="text-align: left;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Today, Vokes said, he sees the same "breaches of construction quality" in portions of TransCanada's Keystone XL already laid in Texas. The advocacy group Public Citizen Texas posted a&nbsp;<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Uf0Vi3dp5bc&feature=youtu.be&noredirect=1" target="_hplink">video</a>&nbsp;highlighting what it says are dents, faulty welds and other anomalies that have been&nbsp;<a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.ca/2013/06/05/keystone-xl-anomalies-transcanada_n_3391840.html?ir=Green&ref=topbar" target="_hplink">unearthed</a>&nbsp;in recent weeks.</font></p><p style="text-align: left;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">"What else are they cutting corners on? No one knows," said Vokes.</font></p><p style="text-align: left;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Damon Hill, spokesman for the U.S. Department of Transportation Pipeline and Hazardous Safety Administration, said the agency is "in contact with TransCanada to discuss the results of recent inspections, the excavations of certain portions of the newly constructed pipeline, and to monitor the operator's activities to make any necessary repairs."</font></p><p style="text-align: left;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">The anomalies that have been uncovered don't raise immediate concern for Richard Kuprewicz, president of the Redmond, Wash.-based pipeline safety firm Accufacts Inc. Still, Kuprewicz suggested that the industry is far from immune to safety issues.</font></p><p style="text-align: left;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">"There is a tendency that the bigger the project, the harder it is to maintain control," Kuprewicz said. "You're just trying to do more things and so you've got to be sure management team has appropriate quality-control checks and balances."</font></p><p style="text-align: left;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">One pressure, Kuprewicz added, is the "time value of money." The $7 billion Keystone XL project has now been stalled for three years as it awaits a permit from the Obama administration for the northern portion that crosses the U.S.-Canada border.</font></p><p style="text-align: left;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">"Cash is only flowing when you're moving oil," Kuprewicz said.</font></p><p style="text-align: left;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Vokes said this industry reality showed itself to him as pressure to "step into unsound practice" and to "stop investigations." He said TransCanada managers forced him to take "stress leave" before he could finish submitting all of his documentation during an internal audit at the company.</font></p><p style="text-align: left;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">"When he brought issues forward, TransCanada took Mr. Vokes' concerns seriously and believes it has treated him fairly and appropriately," said Howard, who would not provide a reason for Vokes' dismissal. "For legal reasons, we are unable to comment any further."</font></p><p style="text-align: left;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Don Wishart, a senior operations and major projects adviser at TransCanada, spoke in front of the same Canadian Standing Senate Committee on Energy, the Environment and Natural Resources on Feb. 12. In response to questions about an unnamed whistleblower, Wishart said the allegations were "administrative." He went on to suggest that tar sands oil "floats on water," which&nbsp;<a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/04/01/keystone-xl-pipeline-oil-spill-kalamazoo-mayflower-nebraska_n_2989628.html" target="_hplink">some scientists refute</a>.</font></p><p style="text-align: left;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">"What they presented to the Canadian Senate was a lie," Vokes told HuffPost.</font></p><p style="text-align: left;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">"You don't know you're a whistleblower until the retaliation starts," he said. "The wrong-doers in positions of authority will do everything they can to discredit you."</font></p><p style="text-align: left;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Kuprewicz acknowledged the whistleblower label is something people "want to be careful about seeking," adding that it typically "doesn't go well in industry."</font></p><p style="text-align: left;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">The Canadian senators expressed similar sentiments as they questioned Vokes on Thursday.</font></p><p style="text-align: left;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">"I have enormous respect for you and the courage it's taken to come forward," said Sen. Judith Seidman. "I'm worried about Canadian safety as we look at building an increasingly larger infrastructure across the country."</font></p><p style="text-align: left;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">At the same time, senators also demonstrated the&nbsp;<a href="http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424127887323582904578487242641612834.html" target="_hplink">Canadian government's push</a>&nbsp;to get more tar sands oil flowing. "It's important for this country to get bitumen to the U.S.," said Sen. Michael MacDonald. "I also think it's important to do it safely."</font></p><p style="text-align: left;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">On this point, Vokes doesn't disagree. He called oil and gas the "lifeblood" and said he believes it is possible to pipe it all safely. "I don't have a problem with what's in pipeline," said Vokes. "I have a problem if it comes outside the pipeline."</font></p><p style="text-align: left;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">In an interview in April, Joe Oliver, Canada's minister of natural resources, told HuffPost that&nbsp;<a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/04/23/keystone-xl-facts-joe-oliver-epa-state-department-comments_n_3139951.html" target="_hplink">99.9996% of oil&nbsp;</a>going through U.S. pipelines is delivered safely.</font></p><p style="text-align: left;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Unger underscored this safety record, and asked Vokes to "rationalize" his seemingly incongruous allegations.</font></p><p style="text-align: left;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">"I've been on several projects that were very nearly disasters. I'm surprised there aren't more accidents," Vokes responded, noting that&nbsp;<a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/04/10/arkansas-oil-spill-health-_n_3045610.html" target="_hplink">pipeline problems may not result in accidents until decades later</a>&nbsp;-- often "long after designers and those that constructed them have retired."</font></p><p style="text-align: left;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">"There's thousands of cracks in the system -- it's just which ones will become the problem? It's low probability, high consequence," Vokes said.</font></p><p style="text-align: left;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">"Regardless of my poor experiences with some individuals, there are still a lot of people that would like to do it right," added Vokes. "That's the only thing that is saving us."</font></p></div><div><div style="text-align: left;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><br /></font></div></div></div></div><p /><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: " times="Times" new="New" roman="Roman" font-size="font-size" large="large">===</span></div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman" /><div style="text-align: left;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">&nbsp;</font></font></font></font></font></font></font></font></font></font></font></font></font></div><p /><p style="text-align: left;"><a href="http://insideclimatenews.org/news/20130523/analysis-bill-fast-track-keystone-pipeline-loses-democratic-support-why"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman" color="#000000">http://insideclimatenews.org/news/20130523/analysis-bill-fast-track-keystone-pipeline-loses-democratic-support-why</font></a></p><p style="text-align: left;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">&nbsp;</font></p><p style="text-align: left;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">&nbsp;</font></p><p style="text-align: left;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">==</font></p><p style="text-align: left;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">transcanada uses law against protesters http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/05/07/keystone-xl-transcanda_n_3229958.html?ir=Green&utm_campaign=050713&utm_medium=email&utm_source=Alert-green&utm_content=Photo</font></p><p style="text-align: left;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">==</font></p><p /><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: " times="Times" new="New" roman="Roman" font-size="font-size" large="large">epa renews crit;&nbsp;</span><a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/04/22/epa-keystone-xl-pipeline-state-department_n_3135117.html" style="font-family: " times="Times" new="New" roman="Roman" font-size="font-size" large="large">http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/04/22/epa-keystone-xl-pipeline-state-department_n_3135117.html</a></div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman" /><div style="text-align: left;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">&nbsp;</font></font></font></font></font></font></font></font></font></font></font></font></font></div><p /><p style="text-align: left;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">===</font></p><p style="text-align: left;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Joe Nocera of&nbsp;<em>The New York Times</em>&nbsp;is back with&nbsp;<a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2013/04/25/opinion/nocera-canadas-oil-minister-unmuzzled.html?hp" target="_hplink">another column</a>&nbsp;in support of building Keystone XL. I counted four errors or willful oversights in Nocera's piece, although I'm sure I missed some. Let's review.</font></p><p style="text-align: left;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">1. Speaking about KXL's importance: "Energy independence is a long-sought national goal. We would no longer need OPEC, a cartel of countries with values, in many cases, antithetical to ours."</font></p><p style="text-align: left;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">First, it remains unclear how "energy independence" can be achieved by continuing our reliance on fossil fuels and the corporations that supply them. Exxon&nbsp;<a href="http://energy.aol.com/2013/02/07/exxon-paid-roughly-twice-the-income-tax-as-apple-last-year/" target="_hplink">made $45 billion last year</a>; its CEO Rex Tillerson&nbsp;<a href="http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/04/12/us-exxon-proxy-idUSBRE83B1ME20120412" target="_hplink">made $100,000 a day</a>&nbsp;by supplying our fossil fuel addiction. If Joe wants to keep lining their pockets and strengthening their grip over our democracy that's his deal, but you can't argue in favor of independence if you want to keep a supplier from whom you can't shake loose. Second, no one that I know of seriously thinks that the Keystone XL export pipeline would lead to us no longer needing OPEC. The only way to do that is to drop Big Oil and petro states once and for all. And the only way to do that is to get serious about green energy which Nocera treats like a punch line. I wonder if they are laughing in Iowa now that they are getting 25 percent of their electricity from wind?</font></p><p style="text-align: left;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">2. "That oil is coming here anyway -- by rail and boat, where spills are common, and via pipelines that are older, and hence less safe, than Keystone would be."....</font></p><p /><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: " times="Times" new="New" roman="Roman" font-size="font-size" large="large">===</span></div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman" /><div style="text-align: left;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">&nbsp;</font></font></font></font></font></font></font></font></font></font></font></font></font></div><p /><div class="headline"><h1 property="dc:title" datatype="" class="node-title" style="text-align: left;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Revealed: How the Keystone XL Pipeline Would Hasten Climate Change</font></h1></div><div class="the_body body_environment clearfix"><div class="story-date" style="text-align: left;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><em><span class="field field-name-field-date field-type-date field-label-hidden"><span class="field-items"><span class="field-item even"><span class="date-display-single" property="dc:date" datatype="xsd:dateTime" content="2013-04-17T09:39:00-07:00">April 17, 2013</span></span></span></span>&nbsp;</em>&nbsp;| &nbsp;</font></div><p style="text-align: left;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><strong>WASHINGTON, DC</strong>, April 16, 2013 (ENS) – In a new report, “Cooking the Books: How The State Department Analysis Ignores the True Climate Impact of the Keystone XL Pipeline,” environmental groups and scientists opposed to the pipeline warn of “climate disaster” if President Barack Obama allows it to cross the Canada-U.S. border, carrying tar sands bitumen from Alberta to Nebraska.</font></p><p style="text-align: left;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">“This is simply incorrect,” states “<a href="http://priceofoil.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/Cooking_the_Books_FINAL-SCREEN.pdf" target="_blank">Cooking the Books.</a>&nbsp;<span class="print-footnote">[2]</span>”In its&nbsp;<a href="http://keystonepipeline-xl.state.gov/" target="_blank">latest environmental analysis</a>&nbsp;<span class="print-footnote">[3]</span>&nbsp;of the pipeline, issued March 1, the State Department asserts that if the pipeline is not built, the Alberta tar sands will be exploited one way or another and carbon dioxide will be emitted anyway.</font></p><p style="text-align: left;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">&nbsp;</font></p><p style="text-align: left;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">The Keystone XL tar sands pipeline would send at least 181 million metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent each year into the atmosphere, warming the Earth’s climate, finds the report’s authors Steve Kretzmann, Lorne Stockman, David Turnbull and Paulina Essunger of Oil Change International.</font></p><p style="text-align: left;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">These emissions compare to the emissions from 51 coal-fired power plants or the tailpipe emissions from more than 37.7 million cars – more cars than are now registered in California, Washington, Oregon, Florida, Michigan, and New York combined, calculates the report, which was issued by some of the nation’s largest and most influential environmental groups: Natural Resources Defense Council, 350.org, Environment America, National Wildlife Federation, Friends of the Earth, Sierra Club, Greenpeace and Oil Change International.</font></p><p style="text-align: left;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Alberta-based TransCanada Keystone Pipeline, LP has applied for a Presidential Permit authorizing the Keystone XL pipeline to cross the U.S.-Canada border carrying 830,000 barrels of diluted bitumen per day from the tar sands of northern Alberta to an existing pipeline in Steele City, Nebraska.</font></p><p style="text-align: left;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">The proposed project would consist of 1,204 miles of 36-inch-diameter pipeline, with 329 miles of pipeline in Canada and 875 miles in the United States. It would cross the international border between Saskatchewan and Montana.</font></p><p style="text-align: left;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">&nbsp;</font></p><p style="text-align: left;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">It is the State Department’s responsibility to determine if granting a permit is in the national interest. President Obama will make the final decision.</font></p><p style="text-align: left;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">“This announcement is not a judgment on the merits of the pipeline, but the arbitrary nature of a deadline that prevented the State Department from gathering the information necessary to approve the project and protect the American people,” Obama said then. “I’m disappointed that Republicans in Congress forced this decision, but it does not change my administration’s commitment to American-made energy that creates jobs and reduces our dependence on oil.”On January 18, 2012 President Obama rejected TransCanada’s first permit application, refusing to be pushed by Congressional Republicans who tied the pipeline decision to a bill providing a payroll tax cut extension.</font></p><p style="text-align: left;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">House Republicans are still trying to force a decision favorable to the $7 billion pipeline. They plan to vote by Memorial Day on legislation that would go around President and give congressional approval to TransCanada.</font></p><p style="text-align: left;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">&nbsp;</font></p><p style="text-align: left;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><b>House Energy and Commerce Committee Chairman Fred Upton Upton, a Michigan Republican, is a coauthor of the legislation&nbsp;</b>– the Northern Route Approval Act (H.R. 3) – which would clear regulatory and legal hurdles, and remove the project’s requirement for a Presidential Permit.</font></p><p style="text-align: left;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">&nbsp;</font></p><p style="text-align: left;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Upton told a House subcommittee April 10, “We have an historic opportunity with the Keystone XL pipeline to create thousands of good-paying American jobs and reduce our reliance on overseas energy.” Upton did not mention the pipeline’s impact on the planetary temperature.</font></p><p style="text-align: left;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Environmentalists dispute the “thousands” of jobs to which Upton refers, saying only a few dozen permanent jobs would be created.</font></p><p style="text-align: left;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">The State Department has issued two Environmental Impact Statements, both of which find that the Keystone XL pipeline is “not likely result in significant adverse environmental effects,” and “no substantive change in global greenhouse gas emissions.”</font></p><p style="text-align: left;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Scientists and environmental groups disagree with those conclusions....</font></p><p style="text-align: left;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">&nbsp;</font></p><p style="text-align: left;"><a href="http:"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman" color="#000000">http://www.alternet.org/print/environment/revealed-how-keystone-xl-pipeline-would-hasten-climate-change</font></a></p></div><p style="text-align: left;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">&nbsp;</font></p><p style="text-align: left;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">==</font></p><pre><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: " times="Times" new="New" roman="Roman" font-size="font-size" large="large">IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES</span></div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">March 15, 2013

<div style="text-align: left;">Mr. Terry (for himself, Mr. Matheson, Mr. Upton, Mr. Barrow of Georgia,</div>Mr. Whitfield, Mr. Bachus, Mr. Barton, Mr. Bilirakis, Mr. Bishop of

<div style="text-align: left;">Broun of Georgia, Mr. Bucshon, Mr. Brooks of Alabama, Mr. Burgess, Mrs.</div>Utah, Mrs. Blackburn, Mr. Bonner, Mr. Boustany, Mr. Bridenstine, Mr.

<div style="text-align: left;">Mr. Cramer, Mr. Crawford, Mr. Culberson, Mr. Daines, Mr. Rodney Davis</div>Capito, Mr. Carter, Mr. Cassidy, Mr. Chabot, Mr. Coble, Mr. Conaway,

<div style="text-align: left;">Gingrey of Georgia, Ms. Granger, Mr. Graves of Missouri, Mr. Griffin of</div>of Illinois, Mr. Duncan of South Carolina, Mrs. Ellmers, Mr. Fincher,

Mr. Flores, Mr. Franks of Arizona, Mr. Gohmert, Mr. Gardner, Mr.

<div style="text-align: left;">Johnson of Ohio, Mr. Kinzinger of Illinois, Mr. Lance, Mr. Latta, Mr.</div>Arkansas, Mr. Griffith of Virginia, Mr. Guthrie, Mr. Harper, Mr.

Harris, Mr. Huelskamp, Mr. Huizenga of Michigan, Mr. Hunter, Mr.

Long, Mr. Luetkemeyer, Mrs. Lummis, Mr. Marchant, Mr. McCaul, Mr.

<div style="text-align: left;">Pitts, Mr. Poe of Texas, Mr. Ribble, Mrs. McMorris Rodgers, Mr. Rogers</div>McHenry, Mr. McKinley, Mr. Meehan, Mr. Murphy of Pennsylvania, Mr.

Mullin, Mr. Mulvaney, Mrs. Noem, Mr. Nunes, Mr. Olson, Mr. Pearce, Mr.

of Michigan, Mr. Scalise, Mr. Shimkus, Mr. Shuster, Mr. Stivers, Mr.

<div style="text-align: left;">referred to the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, and in</div>Thompson of Pennsylvania, Mr. Walden, Mrs. Walorski, Mr. Weber of

Texas, Mr. Westmoreland, Mr. Womack, Mr. Young of Florida, Mr. Coffman,

Mr. Bentivolio, and Ms. Foxx) introduced the following bill; which was

addition to the Committees on Energy and Commerce and Natural

<div style="text-align: left;">jurisdiction of the committee concerned</div>Resources, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker,

<div style="text-align: left;">in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the</div></pre> Greg Palast: Koch brothers could save two billion dollars a year if they can replace Venezuelan heavy crude crude with Canadian tar sands – one of the dirtiest sources of carbon emissions on the planet.<a href="http://dissidentvoice.org/2013/02/koch-brothers-driving-keystone-xl-pipeline-from-canada-to-cut-out-venezuelan-oil/">http://dissidentvoice.org/2013/02/koch-brothers-driving-keystone-xl-pipeline-from-canada-to-cut-out-venezuelan-oil/</a><div style="text-align: left;"></div><div style="text-align: left;"> </div>The cleanup is still underway from a massive pipeline spill in Mayflower, Arkansas, but you don't hear anything about it at public hearings across the nation dealing with the Keystone XL (KXL) pipeline. Resolutions supporting the controversial KXL pipeline have now been introduced in seven states, but while TransCanada, the American Petroleum Institute (API) and the Chamber of Commerce have been lobbying in force for the bills to pass, there have been few opposing voices by either Democrats or environmentalists at public hearings dealing on the measures. The massive pipeline project will transport tar sands crude oil from Alberta to Gulf Coast refineries for processing and export and once underway, the project will be a major contributor to global warming.In February, CMD reported on state resolutions calling for the approval of the KXL pipeline project in <a href="http://openstates.org/ms/bills/2013/SC543/documents/MSD00051985/" target="blank">Mississippi</a>, <a href="http://www.legislature.mi.gov/documents/2013-2014/concurrentresolutionintroduced/Senate/pdf/2013-SICR-0006.pdf" target="blank">Michigan</a>, <a href="https://www.revisor.mn.gov/bin/bldbill.php?bill=S0479.0.html&session=ls88" target="blank">Minnesota</a>, and <a href="http://openstates.org/mo/bills/2013/HCR19/documents/MOD00005814/" target="blank">Missouri</a>. The language in three of these resolutions closely matched a "<a href="http://www.transcanada.com/6059.html" target="blank">backgrounder</a>" from TransCanada. The forth resolution, introduced in Missouri, mirrored a <a href="http://www.prwatch.org/files/ResolutioninSupportoftheKeystoneXLPipeline.pdf" target="blank">resolution</a> from the American Legislative Exchange Council.In the last few months, <a href="http://www.legislature.state.oh.us/ResolutionText130/130_HCR_9_I_Y.html" target="blank">Ohio</a>, <a href="http://www.kslegislature.org/li/b2013_14/measures/documents/hcr5014_00_0000.pdf" target="blank">Kansas</a>, and <a href="http://openstates.org/in/bills/2013/SR41/documents/IND00054006/" target="blank">Indiana</a> have introduced very similar resolutions, which also feature paragraphs from TransCanada’s own materials. Although these resolutions are non-binding, they will be showcased by industry lobbyists as evidence about how state legislators (and by extension the public) feel about the pipeline project in an attempt to influence the pending State Department decision on KXL. While opponents of KXL have been active on many fronts, their absence from state legislatures nationwide has been notable.<h2 style="text-align: left;">Industry Turns Out in Force, But Face Little Opposition</h2><div style="text-align: left;">=</div><div style="text-align: left;"> </div><a href="http://www.tomdispatch.com/dialogs/print/?id=175684">http://www.tomdispatch.com/dialogs/print/?id=175684</a> bill mck=<a href="http://www.motherjones.com/politics/2013/03/keystone-xl-contractor-ties-transcanada-state-department">http://www.motherjones.com/politics/2013/03/keystone-xl-contractor-ties-transcanada-state-department</a> ...<div id="node-body-top" class="clear-block">When the Keystone report—officially known as a <a href="http://www.state.gov/r/pa/prs/ps/2013/03/205548.htm" target="blank">"draft supplemental environmental impact statement"</a>—was released, environmental activists <a href="http://www.telegram.com/article/20130304/NEWS/103049873/1052/newsrewind">ripped</a> it as shoddy and misleading. Russ Girling, TransCanada's CEO, <a href="http://www.telegram.com/article/20130304/NEWS/103049873/1052/newsrewind">cheered</a> the report as "an important step" toward receiving President Barack Obama's final stamp of approval for the pipeline.Outside contractors (managed by the State Department) wrote the Keystone report, which neither endorsed nor rejected the Keystone pipeline. The contractor that produced the bulk of the report was Environmental Resources Management (ERM), an <a href="http://www.erm.com/en/About-Us/">international consulting firm</a>. On the day the State Department published the Keystone impact report, the agency also released a cache of documents that ERM submitted in 2012 to win the contract to produce the Keystone environmental report. That cache included a 55-page filing in which ERM stated it had no conflicts of interests writing the Keystone report.But there was something strange about ERM's conflict-of-interest filing: The bios for the ERM's experts were redacted.</div><div id="node-body-break"><div class="billboard extended"> </div></div><div id="node-body-bottom">Here's what those redactions kept secret: ERM's second-in-command on the Keystone report, <a href="http://www.linkedin.com/pub/andrew-bielakowski/1b/57b/b46">Andrew Bielakowski</a>, had worked on three previous pipeline projects for TransCanada over seven years as an outside consultant. He also consulted on projects for ExxonMobil, BP, and ConocoPhillips, three of the Big Five oil companies that could benefit from the Keystone XL project and increased extraction of heavy crude oil taken from the Canadian tar sands.Another ERM employee who contributed to State's Keystone report—and whose prior work history was also redacted—previously worked for Shell Oil; a third worked as a consultant for Koch Gateway Pipeline Company, a subsidiary of Koch Industries. <a href="http://business.financialpost.com/2011/10/24/economic-benefits-will-likely-win-keystone-xl-approval-shell/?lsa=6421-e085">Shell</a> and Koch<a href="http://www.motherjones.com/politics/2013/03/keystone-xl-contractor-ties-transcanada-state-department#update"></a> have a <a href="http://insideclimatenews.org/news/20120510/koch-industries-brothers-tar-sands-bitumen-heavy-oil-flint-pipelines-refinery-alberta-canada?page=show">significant financial interest</a> in the construction of the Keystone XL pipeline. ERM itself has worked for Chevron, which has invested in Canadian tar sands extraction, according to <a href="http://www.erm.com/en/About-Us/What-we-do/Our-Clients/">its website</a>.Here is ERM's redacted filing as it appeared on the State Department's website (begin reading on page 30):....</div>  The Democrats who supported the legislation -- most of them vulnerable incumbents facing tough reelection races next year -- include Sens. Max Baucus (Mont.), Tom Carper (Del.), Bob Casey (Pa.), Chris Coons (Del.), Joe Donnelly (Ind.), Kay Hagan (N.C.), Heidi Heitkamp (N.D.), Mark Begich (Alaska), Michael Bennet (Colo.), Tim Johnson (S.D.), Claire McCaskill (Mo.), Bill Nelson (Fla.), Mark Pryor (Ark.), Mary Landrieu (La.), Joe Manchin (W. Va.), Jon Tester (Mont.) and Mark Warner (Va.). Sen. Barbara Boxer (D-Calif.), chair of the Environment and Public Works Committee, spoke out against the measure on the Senate floor. "This amendment has already made the decision for us that everything is hunky-dory with this pipline," she said. "We don't know if our national security -- people think that dirty tar sands is going to create climate disruption ... there'll be another day to fight, but I want to say ... I hope we will vote no and allow the process to continue." Boxer introduced her own counter-amendment -- Amendment 622 -- which would create a fund to protect U.S. interests in the Keystone XL decision. Hoeven called it merely "an excuse to kill the project." Boxer's measure was voted down 33 to 66. Bill Mckibben, founder of climate advocacy group 350.org, denounced the Senate's vote."The fossil fuel industry asked the Senate to approve Keystone XL, but ordinary people around the country pushed back -- our 'leaders' ended up taking a meaningless vote instead, and giving us more months to convince the president not to sign off on this boondoggle," he said. "Everything that happens in D.C. happens ugly, and this is no exception -- but it's been beautiful to watch people rallying around the continent."Over the coming two weeks, 350.org will be targeting the senators who voted to approve the pipeline, according to a press release. The co-sponsors for Hoeven's amendment include Sen. Max Baucus (D-Mont.), Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas), Sen. Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.), Sen. Pat Roberts (R-Kan.), Sen. Heidi Heitkamp (D-N.D.), Sen. John Barrasso (R-Wyo.), Sen. Mary Landrieu (D-La.), Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska) and Sen. Mark Begich (D-Alaska)....=http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/03/22/keystone-xl-pipeline-john-hoeven_n_2935921.html?view=print&comm_ref=falsebetter on motive: <blockquote>The 17 Democrats who voted yes included every single possibly vulnerable incumbent facing reelection next year, from 34-year veteran [Max] Baucus [Mont.] to first-term Sen. Mark Begich (Alaska).Perhaps more importantly, Sen. Michael Bennet (Colo.), who chairs the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee, voted for the resolution. Bennet is not up for re-election until 2016, but his post requires him to raise money from the wealthy liberal community that is highly opposed to the pipeline.Additionally, a crop of Democrats who survived difficult reelections in 2012 — Sens. Bob Casey (Pa.), Joe Donnelly (Ind.), Heidi Heitkamp (N.D.), Claire McCaskill (Mo.), Bill Nelson (Fla.) and Jon Tester (Mont.) — all supported the GOP Keystone amendment.</blockquote>  <div id="primary" class="span-32"><div class="span-30 last padding-bottom-x2 margin-bottom-x4" id="gristlist-nav-wrap"><div class="span-10" style="text-align: left;"><a class="font-size-medium left" title="EPA sued over failure to protect bees from pesticides" href="http://grist.org/news/epa-sued-over-failure-to-protect-bees-from-pesticides/">« EPA sued over failure to protect bees from pesticides</a></div><div class="span-10" style="text-align: left;"><a class="gristmill-article-main-logo" href="http://grist.org/news/"><img src="/3bed1501-70d7-5731-96ef-8e03a4055766.jpg"/>The Missouri bill was proposed by Rep. Caleb Rowden (R), a newly-elected politician who has been in office for less than two months. It is not known whether Rowden has already become an ALEC member, but he may have been assigned the legislation by a more senior ALEC member legislator -- an increasingly common way of hiding ALEC's fingerprints. Rowden, who <a href="http://calebrowden44.com/meet/" target="blank">before becoming a legislator</a> [13] was a <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c3Zcd0CkKyo&list=UU0L1EPA0SmqiAR67CW04xWQ&index=2" target="blank">Christian rocker</a> [14], certainly did not come up with this legislation on his own.Though the Keystone XL approval will happen on the federal level, the corporate interests that stand to benefit from the pipeline have lobbied extensively to curry favor in the states, which can lend the appearance of grassroots support and put pressure on federal officials.  ALEC resolutions have been one avenue for TransCanada and the oil industry to advance these goals. As ALEC was approving its Keystone XL resolution in December 2011, that month's <a href="http://www.alec.org/docs/Final_NovDec2011_IA" target="blank">"Inside ALEC" Magazine</a> [15] featured an article titled "Keystone XL -- A Critical Project for America," written by Michael Whatley of the oil industry front group Consumer Energy Alliance. The CEA is <a href="http://www.salon.com/2011/12/15/big_oil_and_canada_thwarted_u_s_carbon_standards/singleton/" target="blank">an "astroturf" group parading as a grassroots organization</a> [16] that was started with funding from big energy producers like BP and ExxonMobil (both of which are ALEC members). CEA's Board of Advisors has <a href="http://www.truebluenaturalgas.org/thomas-l-moskitis/" target="blank">included</a> [17] Tom Moskitis, top lobbyist for the natural gas trade group American Gas Association and the corporate co-chair of the ALEC Energy, Environment and Agriculture Task Force. Just weeks after ALEC adopted its Keystone XL Resolution in early 2012, President Obama denied TransCanada's application for the pipeline. ALEC promptly <a href="http://www.alec.org/2012/01/1437/" target="blank">issued a press release</a> [18] announcing its "disappointment" with Obama's decision, but it did render the resolution slightly outdated. Missouri's legislation closely tracks the ALEC model but deviates in some areas because of the shifting landscape surrounding the pipeline. <h2 style="text-align: left;">MI, MN, MS Bills Identical to One Another and TransCanada Talking Points</h2>Legislators in <a href="http://openstates.org/ms/bills/2013/SC543/documents/MSD00051985/" target="blank">Mississippi</a> [19], <a href="https://www.revisor.mn.gov/bin/bldbill.php?bill=S0479.0.html&session=ls88" target="blank">Minnesota</a> [20], and <a href="http://www.legislature.mi.gov/documents/2013-2014/concurrentresolutionintroduced/Senate/pdf/2013-SICR-0006.pdf" target="blank">Michigan</a> [21] also introduced legislation in recent weeks supporting the Keystone XL pipeline. The thrust of the resolutions are largely the same as the ALEC model, but the language deviates from the ALEC bill approved in December 2012. However, each state's proposed resolution is identical to the other states -- which certainly seems more than coincidence.It is not known whether ALEC has been pushing an updated version of ALEC model legislation, but the language in these state resolutions can be traced back directly to TransCanada, the corporation that has been pushing the pipeline for years. Entire paragraphs from the Mississippi, Minnesota, and Michigan resolutions are nearly identical to public relations spin produced by TransCanada and <a href="http://www.transcanada.com/6059.html" target="blank">posted as a "backgrounder" </a> [22]on its website. Check out these paragraphs in the <a href="http://openstates.org/ms/bills/2013/SC543/documents/MSD00051985/" target="blank">Mississippi</a> [19], <a href="https://www.revisor.mn.gov/bin/bldbill.php?bill=S0479.0.html&session=ls88" target="blank">Minnesota</a> [20], and <a href="http://www.legislature.mi.gov/documents/2013-2014/concurrentresolutionintroduced/Senate/pdf/2013-SICR-0006.pdf" target="blank">Michigan</a> [21] legislation, and compare the language from TransCanada's  <a href="http://www.transcanada.com/6059.html" target="blank">"backgrounder:"</a> [22]<img src="/ce99d647-246f-5c9d-b36d-9e6aad1106e6.jpg"/>This identical language cannot be a coincidence. But it is further proof that some legislators are doing the bidding of corporate interests rather than the people that elected them. This well-funded effort to influence state and federal legislators stands in sharp contrast with the growing grassroots environmental movement opposed the pipeline. With <a href="http://www.prwatch.org/news/2013/02/11981/presidents-day-rally-hold-obamas-feet-fire-climate-change" target="blank">tens of thousands of anti-pipeline activists</a> [7] expected in Washington DC this weekend, it remains to be seen whether federal officials reviewing the pipeline will pay closer attention to the industry's influence-peddling or the people on the streets.</div></div></div></div><div class="print-footer"><div style="text-align: left;">Center for Media and Democracy �� 520 University Avenue, Suite 260 • Madison, Wisconsin 53703</div><div style="text-align: left;">Phone: 608-260-9713 • Fax: 608-260-9714</div></div><hr class="print-hr" style="text-align: left;" /><div class="print-source_url" style="text-align: left;">Source URL: <a href="http://www.prwatch.org/news/2013/02/11982/four-states-introduce-keystone-xl-resolutions-lifting-language-alec-and-transcana">http://www.prwatch.org/news/2013/02/11982/four-states-introduce-keystone-xl-resolutions-lifting-language-alec-and-transcana</a></div><div class="print-links"><div style="text-align: left;">Links:</div><div style="text-align: left;">[1] http://www.prwatch.org/users/35275/brendan-fischer</div><div style="text-align: left;">[2] http://www.prwatch.org/topics/corporations</div><div style="text-align: left;">[3] http://www.prwatch.org/topics/environment</div><div style="text-align: left;">[4] http://www.prwatch.org/topics/politics</div><div style="text-align: left;">[5] http://www.prwatch.org/projects/alec-exposed</div><div style="text-align: left;">[6] http://www.addtoany.com/share_save?linkurl=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.prwatch.org%2Fnews%2F2013%2F02%2F11982%2Ffour-states-introduce-keystone-xl-resolutions-lifting-language-alec-and-transcana&linkname=Four%20States%20Introduce%20Keystone%20XL%20Resolutions%2C%20Lifting%20Language%20from%20ALEC%20and%20TransCanada%20Itself</div><div style="text-align: left;">[7] http://www.prwatch.org/news/2013/02/11981/presidents-day-rally-hold-obamas-feet-fire-climate-change</div><div style="text-align: left;">[8] http://www.commoncause.org/atf/cf/%7BFB3C17E2-CDD1-4DF6-92BE-BD4429893665%7D/energy,environment&agriculture_35-day_mailing%20San%20Diego.pdf</div><div style="text-align: left;">[9] http://www.prwatch.org/files/BUYING_INFLUENCE_ALEC_Scholarships_by_State.pdf</div><div style="text-align: left;">[10] http://www.commonblog.com/2012/02/13/24-hour-push-to-say-no-to-alec-on-keystone-pipeline/</div><div style="text-align: left;">[11] http://openstates.org/mo/bills/2013/HCR19/documents/MOD00005814/</div><div style="text-align: left;">[12] http://www.prwatch.org/files/ResolutioninSupportoftheKeystoneXLPipeline.pdf</div><div style="text-align: left;">[13] http://calebrowden44.com/meet/</div><div style="text-align: left;">[14] http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c3Zcd0CkKyo&list=UU0L1EPA0SmqiAR67CW04xWQ&index=2</div><div style="text-align: left;">[15] http://www.alec.org/docs/Final_NovDec2011_IA</div><div style="text-align: left;">[16] http://www.salon.com/2011/12/15/big_oil_and_canada_thwarted_u_s_carbon_standards/singleton/</div><div style="text-align: left;">[17] http://www.truebluenaturalgas.org/thomas-l-moskitis/</div><div style="text-align: left;">[18] http://www.alec.org/2012/01/1437/</div><div style="text-align: left;">[19] http://openstates.org/ms/bills/2013/SC543/documents/MSD00051985/</div><div style="text-align: left;">[20] https://www.revisor.mn.gov/bin/bldbill.php?bill=S0479.0.html&session=ls88</div><div style="text-align: left;">[21] http://www.legislature.mi.gov/documents/2013-2014/concurrentresolutionintroduced/Senate/pdf/2013-SICR-0006.pdf</div><div style="text-align: left;">[22] http://www.transcanada.com/6059.html</div></div>  <a href="http://www.prwatch.org/print/11982">http://www.prwatch.org/print/11982</a> =<h1 class="entry-title" style="text-align: left;">Latest pro-Keystone XL letter from Congress once again awash with oil money</h1><div class="entry-meta"><div class="date" style="text-align: left;">Jan29</div><div class="entry-author" style="text-align: left;"><a href="http://priceofoil.org/author/david/" title="Posts by David Turnbull" rel="author">David Turnbull</a></div></div><div class="entry-content">Last week, <a title="Pro-Keystone XL Letter Dripping in Fossil Fuel Money" href="http://priceofoil.org/2013/01/23/pro-keystonexl-letter-dripping-in-fossil-fuel-money/">we put out analysis of the massive amounts of fossil fuel money lining the campaign coffers of those Senators</a> who recently signed a letter to the President clamoring for approval of the troublesome Keystone XL tar sands pipeline. That analysis showed that <a title="Pro-Keystone XL Letter Dripping in Fossil Fuel Money" href="http://priceofoil.org/2013/01/23/pro-keystonexl-letter-dripping-in-fossil-fuel-money/">Senators who signed that letter received some 340% more in campaign contributions from fossil fuel interests</a> than those that did not.Well, it seems some members in the other chamber of Congress have decided they don’t want to be left out. Led by Rep. Lee Terry (who has <a href="http://dirtyenergymoney.com/view.php?searchvalue=Terry%2C+Lee&com=&can=N00005321&zip=&search=1&type=search#view=connections">received nearly half a million dollars</a> in dirty energy money in his career), <a href="http://leeterry.house.gov/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=2301:terry-leads-more-than-145-bipartisan-house-members-requesting-immediate-approval-of-keystone&catid=3:press-releases">a group of members of the House of Representatives sent a letter</a> to the White House today, in support of the Keystone XL pipeline. Just like the Senate letter, this shouldn’t actually be news, given so many of these members have expressed their support from the beginning. But these members of Congress have decided to attempt to raise some noise today, perhaps sensing, like their Senate colleagues, that the project’s chances may be dwindling, <a href="http://act.350.org/signup/presidentsday/?source=OCI">as the movement against this climate-imperiling, aquifer-threatening tar sands pipeline continues to grow</a>.The results of our analysis won’t surprise anyone who has been paying attention to the dirty influence of Big Oil, Gas and Coal in Washington. Once again, the facts speak for themselves:<ul><li style="text-align: left;">Total lifetime contributions from oil and gas interests to Representatives signing the letter: At least $23.8 million</li><li style="text-align: left;">Average lifetime contributions from oil and gas interests to Representatives signing the letter: roughly $168,000</li></ul>Those Representatives that signed the letter received roughly 250% more money from oil and gas interests compared to those Representatives who did not sign the letter.</div>----<div style="text-align: left;">Rep. Lee Terry (R-NE)</div><div style="text-align: left;">Rep. Fred Upton (R-MI)</div><div style="text-align: left;">Rep. Ed Whitfield (R-KY)</div><div style="text-align: left;">Rep. Steve Daines (R-MT)</div><div style="text-align: left;">Rep. Gene Green (D-TX)</div><div style="text-align: left;">Rep. Bill Shuster (R-PA)</div><div style="text-align: left;">Rep. Adam Kinzinger (R-IL)</div><div style="text-align: left;">Rep. Andy Barr (R-KY)</div><div style="text-align: left;">Rep. Ann Wagner (R-MO)</div><div style="text-align: left;">Rep. Bill Cassidy (R-LA)</div><div style="text-align: left;">Rep. Bill Flores (R-TX)</div><div style="text-align: left;">Rep. Bill Huizenga (R-MI)</div><div style="text-align: left;">Rep. Blake Farenthold (R-TX)</div><div style="text-align: left;">Rep. Bob Latta (R-OH)</div><div style="text-align: left;">Rep. Brett Guthrie (R-KY)</div><div style="text-align: left;">Rep. Candice Miller (R-MI)</div><div style="text-align: left;">Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-WA)</div><div style="text-align: left;">Rep. Robert Aderholt (R-AL)</div><div style="text-align: left;">Rep. Spencer Bachus (R-AL)</div><div style="text-align: left;">Rep. Joe Barton (R-TX)</div><div style="text-align: left;">Rep. Marsha Blackburn (R-TN)</div><div style="text-align: left;">Rep. Michael Burgess (R-TX)</div><div style="text-align: left;">Rep. Mike Coffman (R-CO)</div><div style="text-align: left;">Rep. K. Michael Conaway (R-TX)</div><div style="text-align: left;">Rep. Jeff Duncan (R-SC)</div><div style="text-align: left;">Rep. Renee Ellmers (R-NC)</div><div style="text-align: left;">Rep. John Fleming (R-LA)</div><div style="text-align: left;">Rep. Trent Franks (R-AZ)</div><div style="text-align: left;">Rep. Tim Huelskamp (R-KS)</div><div style="text-align: left;">Rep. Bill Johnson (R-OH)</div><div style="text-align: left;">Rep. Walter Jones (R-NC)</div><div style="text-align: left;">Rep. Doug Lamborn (R-CO)</div><div style="text-align: left;">Rep. Blaine Luetkemeyer (R-MO)</div><div style="text-align: left;">Rep. Mick Mulvaney (R-SC)</div><div style="text-align: left;">Rep. Kristi Noem (R-SD)</div><div style="text-align: left;">Rep. Ted Poe (R-TX)</div><div style="text-align: left;">Rep. Todd Rokita (R-IN)</div><div style="text-align: left;">Rep. Dennis Ross (R-FL)</div><div style="text-align: left;">Rep. Steve Stivers (R-OH)</div><div style="text-align: left;">Rep. Scott Tipton (R-CO)</div><div style="text-align: left;">Rep. Lynn Westmoreland (R-GA)</div><div style="text-align: left;">Rep. Joe Wilson (R-SC)</div><div style="text-align: left;">Rep. Thomas Petri (R-WI)</div><div style="text-align: left;">Rep. Carolyn McCarthy (D-NY)</div><div style="text-align: left;">Rep. Steve Scalise (R-LA)</div><div style="text-align: left;">Rep. Peter Visclosky (D-IN)</div><div style="text-align: left;">Rep. Jim Matheson (D-UT)</div><div style="text-align: left;">Rep. Daniel Lipinski (D-IL)</div><div style="text-align: left;">Rep. Billy Long (R-MO)</div><div style="text-align: left;">Rep. Alan Nunnellee (R-MS)</div><div style="text-align: left;">Rep. Trey Radel (R-FL)</div><div style="text-align: left;">Rep. Chris Collins (R-NY)</div><div style="text-align: left;">Rep. Dan Benishek (R-MI)</div><div style="text-align: left;">Rep. Tom McClintock (R-CA)</div><div style="text-align: left;">Rep. Jeff Miller (R-FL)</div><div style="text-align: left;">Rep. Bob Gibbs (R-OH)</div><div style="text-align: left;">Rep. Aaron Schock (R-IL)</div><div style="text-align: left;">Rep. James Lankford (R-OK)</div><div style="text-align: left;">Rep. Henry Cuellar (D-TX)</div><div style="text-align: left;">Rep. Steve Chabot (R-OH)</div><div style="text-align: left;">Rep. Diane Black (R-TN)</div><div style="text-align: left;">Rep. John Barrow (D-GA)</div><div style="text-align: left;">Rep. Collin Peterson (D-MN)</div><div style="text-align: left;">Rep. Jeff Denham (R-CA)</div><div style="text-align: left;">Rep. Brad Wenstrup (R-OH)</div><div style="text-align: left;">Rep. David McKinley (R-WV)</div><div style="text-align: left;">Rep. Filemon Vela (D-TX)</div><div style="text-align: left;">Rep. William Owens (D-NY)</div><div style="text-align: left;">Rep. Bob Goodlatte (R-VA)</div><div style="text-align: left;">Rep. Jim Costa (D-CA)</div><div style="text-align: left;">Rep. Patrick Tiberi (R-OH)</div><div style="text-align: left;">Rep. Charles Boustany (R-LA)</div><div style="text-align: left;">Rep. Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV)</div><div style="text-align: left;">Rep. Al Green (D-TX)</div><div style="text-align: left;">Rep. Rodney Alexander (R-LA)</div><div style="text-align: left;">Rep. Todd Young (R-IN)</div><div style="text-align: left;">Rep. Lou Barletta (R-PA)</div><div style="text-align: left;">Rep. Roger Williams (R-TX)</div><div style="text-align: left;">Rep. Chris Stewart (R-UT)</div><div style="text-align: left;">Rep. Cory Gardner (R-CO)</div><div style="text-align: left;">Rep. Cynthia Lummis (R-WY)</div><div style="text-align: left;">Rep. Dana Rohrabacher (R-CA)</div><div style="text-align: left;">Rep. Tom Price (R-GA)</div><div style="text-align: left;">Rep. Tom Cole (R-OK)</div><div style="text-align: left;">Rep. David Joyce (R-OH)</div><div style="text-align: left;">Rep. David Reichert (R-WA)</div><div style="text-align: left;">Rep. David Roe (R-TN)</div><div style="text-align: left;">Rep. Doc Hastings (R-WA)</div><div style="text-align: left;">Rep. Don Young (R-AK)</div><div style="text-align: left;">Rep. Doug LaMalfa (R-CA)</div><div style="text-align: left;">Rep. Duncan Hunter (R-CA)</div><div style="text-align: left;">Rep. Glenn "GT" Thompson (R-PA)</div><div style="text-align: left;">Rep. Greg Walden (R-OR)</div><div style="text-align: left;">Rep. Jack Kingston (R-GA)</div><div style="text-align: left;">Rep. Jackie Walorski (R-IN)</div><div style="text-align: left;">Rep. Jim Gerlach (R-PA)</div><div style="text-align: left;">Rep. Mike Kelly (R-PA)</div><div style="text-align: left;">Rep. Trey Gowdy (R-SC)</div><div style="text-align: left;">Rep. Jim Jordan (R-OH)</div><div style="text-align: left;">Rep. Jo Bonner (R-AL)</div><div style="text-align: left;">Rep. John Campbell (R-CA)</div><div style="text-align: left;">Rep. John Culberson (R-TX)</div><div style="text-align: left;">Rep. Keith Rothfus (R-PA)</div><div style="text-align: left;">Rep. Kevin Brady (R-TX)</div><div style="text-align: left;">Rep. Kevin Cramer (R-ND)</div><div style="text-align: left;">Rep. Leonard Lance (R-NJ)</div><div style="text-align: left;">Rep. Luke Messer (R-IN)</div><div style="text-align: left;">Rep. Lynn Jenkins (R-KS)</div><div style="text-align: left;">Rep. Mac Thornberry (R-TX)</div><div style="text-align: left;">Rep. Mark Amodei (R-NV)</div><div style="text-align: left;">Rep. Markwayne Mullin (R-OK)</div><div style="text-align: left;">Rep. Marlin Stutzman (R-IN)</div><div style="text-align: left;">Rep. Matt Salmon (R-AZ)</div><div style="text-align: left;">Rep. Mike Simpson (R-ID)</div><div style="text-align: left;">Rep. Mo Brooks (R-AL)</div><div style="text-align: left;">Rep. Morgan Griffith (R-VA)</div><div style="text-align: left;">Rep. Patrick McHenry (R-NC)</div><div style="text-align: left;">Rep. Paul Gosar (R-AZ)</div><div style="text-align: left;">Rep. Pete Olson (R-TX)</div><div style="text-align: left;">Rep. Pete Roskam (R-IL)</div><div style="text-align: left;">Rep. Pete Sessions (R-TX)</div><div style="text-align: left;">Rep. Randy Forbes (R-VA)</div><div style="text-align: left;">Rep. Randy Neugebauer (R-TX)</div><div style="text-align: left;">Rep. Raul Labrador (R-ID)</div><div style="text-align: left;">Rep. Rob Bishop (R-UT)</div><div style="text-align: left;">Rep. Robert Hurt (R-VA)</div><div style="text-align: left;">Rep. Robert Pittenger (R-NC)</div><div style="text-align: left;">Rep. Rodney Davis (R-IL)</div><div style="text-align: left;">Rep. Scott Perry (R-PA)</div><div style="text-align: left;">Rep. Stephen Fincher (R-TN)</div><div style="text-align: left;">Rep. Steve Pearce (R-NM)</div><div style="text-align: left;">Rep. Steve Womack (R-AR)</div><div style="text-align: left;">Rep. Susan Brooks (R-IN)</div><div style="text-align: left;">Rep. Tim Griffin (R-AR)</div><div style="text-align: left;">Rep. Tim Murphy (R-PA)</div><div style="text-align: left;">Rep. Tim Walberg (R-NI)</div><div style="text-align: left;">Rep. Tom Cotton (R-AR)</div><div style="text-align: left;">Rep. Tom Graves (R-GA)</div><div style="text-align: left;">Rep. Tom Rooney (R-FL)</div><div style="text-align: left;">Rep. Vicky Hartzler (R-MO)</div>=transcanada memo <a href="http://grist.org/news/transcanada-accidentally-emails-its-internal-media-information-to-reporters/">http://grist.org/news/transcanada-accidentally-emails-its-internal-media-information-to-reporters/</a>--- sierra club goes thoreauge WASHINGTON (AP) — Nebraska Gov. Dave Heineman's approval of a revised route for the Keystone XL oil pipeline puts the long-delayed project back in the hands of the federal government.But don't look for a quick decision on the $7 billion project, which would carry oil from Canada to the Texas Gulf Coast if allowed to move forward.State Department officials said they do not expect to complete a review of the project before the end of March.=<h1 class="title-news" style="text-align: left;">Brigadier General On Keystone XL Pipeline: 'All Americans Should Be Outraged' (VIDEO)</h1><div class="comments_datetime_new border_none relative v05"><div style="text-align: left;">The Huffington Post  |  By <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/megan-robertson" rel="author" style="font-family: " times="Times" new="New" roman="Roman" font-size="font-size" large="large">Megan Robertson</a></div>Posted: 12/14/2012 12:22 am EST  | ��Updated: 12/14/2012 11:14 am EST</div><div class="entry_content"><div class="entry_body_text"><div class="float_left"><div class="articleBody" itemprop="articleBody">In an interview with HuffPost Live Thursday, former U.S. Army Brigadier General Steven M. Anderson spoke out against the building of the Keystone XL pipeline, warning that "all Americans should be outraged" about the national security implications of the project."I want to stop paying big oil and I want to start seeing a green economy in this nation," he told host Alicia Menendez. "And big oil is pushing Keystone, and Keystone is essentially going to maintain the status quo for another 25 years. And during that time I can only imagine the impact it's going to have on our environment and, indeed, our national security."Gen. Anderson said that "all Americans should be outraged about the potential implications for our national security" because the pipeline "keeps us hopelessly addicted to oil.""We've already seen by virtue of Hurricane Sandy and Katrina and others that the world is changing, and we've got to do something about the way we expend energy," he said.Retired Brigadier General Anderson served under General David Petraeus as Deputy Chief of Staff for Logistics for the Multi-National Force in Iraq in 2006 and 2007. He is currently Chief Marketing Officer for RELYANT, a Tennessee-based defense contractor that provides construction, logistics and munitions response to U.S. forces in Afghanistan."If you understood like I do how things work in Afghanistan, it's criminal. We've had over 1,000 Americans killed moving fuel -- moving liquid fuel -- in Iraq and Afghanistan over the last ten years. I know because I was a senior logistics officer and worked for General Petraeus for 15 months over there," Anderson said.<div style="text-align: left;"><a href="http://live.huffingtonpost.com/r/segment/farmers-%26-ranchers/50c77b4d2b8c2a2ff1000274" target="hplink" style="font-family: " times="Times" new="New" roman="Roman" font-size="font-size" large="large">Watch the full segment on HuffPost Live</a>.</div><div style="text-align: left;"> </div></div><div> <div id="mw-content-text" dir="ltr" class="mw-content-ltr" lang="en">TransCanada is a Canadian corporation that owns pipelines in Canada and the United States."With more than 50 years experience, TransCanada is a leader in the responsible development and reliable operation of North American energy infrastructure. Founded in 1951 and headquartered in Calgary, Alberta, TransCanada has approximately 3,550 employees and is the general partner and a common unit holder of <a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/TC_PipeLines" title="TC PipeLines" class="mw-redirect">TC PipeLines</a>, LP." <a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=TransCanada#cite_note-0">[1]</a><table id="toc" class="toc"><tbody><tr><td><div id="toctitle"><h2>Contents</h2> [<a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=TransCanada#" class="internal" id="togglelink">hide</a>] </div><ul><li class="toclevel-1 tocsection-1"><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=TransCanada#Tar_Sands.2C_2011">1 Tar Sands, 2011</a></li><li class="toclevel-1 tocsection-2"><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=TransCanada#Closing_Sundance_units_1_and_2">2 Closing Sundance units 1 and 2</a></li><li class="toclevel-1 tocsection-3"><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=TransCanada#Iroquois_Pipeline">3 Iroquois Pipeline</a></li><li class="toclevel-1 tocsection-4"><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=TransCanada#Directors">4 Directors</a></li><li class="toclevel-1 tocsection-5"><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=TransCanada#Contact">5 Contact</a></li><li class="toclevel-1 tocsection-6"><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=TransCanada#Resources_and_articles">6 Resources and articles</a><ul><li class="toclevel-2 tocsection-7"><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=TransCanada#Related_Sourcewatch_articles">6.1 Related Sourcewatch articles</a></li><li class="toclevel-2 tocsection-8"><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=TransCanada#References">6.2 References</a></li></ul></li></ul></td></tr></tbody></table><h3 style="text-align: left;">Tar Sands, 2011</h3>In 2011, TransCanada requested permission to build a 1,661 mile pipeline from Canada's <a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Tar_sands" title="Tar sands">tar sands</a> oil fields to U.S. refiners in Texas. The so-called <a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Keystone_XL_Pipeline" title="Keystone XL Pipeline">Keystone XL Pipeline</a>would import as much as 510,000 barrels per day. <a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Koch_Industries" title="Koch Industries">Koch Industries</a> is responsible for close to 25 percent of the oil <a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Tar_sands" title="Tar sands">tar sands</a> crude that is imported into the United States, and are one of the biggest refiners of Alberta oil sands crude oil. <a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=TransCanada#cite_note-1">[2]</a> Some speculated that Koch Industries would benefit significantly from the project. <a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=TransCanada#cite_note-2">[3]</a>The proposed pipeline is highly controversial due to the anticipated environmental harm the project would have and groups in opposition to the pipeline have held large protests to prevent its construction.<a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=TransCanada#cite_note-3">[4]</a><h2 style="text-align: left;">Closing Sundance units 1 and 2</h2>In February 2011, <a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/TransAlta" title="TransAlta">TransAlta</a> said it will be closing operations at two of the <a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Sundance" title="Sundance">Sundance</a> coal-fired units because repairs would be too costly. The Sundance 1 and 2 units have been down since December 2010. The units comprise 560 MW of the 2,126 MW Sundance power plant, which operates as a baseload facility for the Alberta electricity system.<a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=TransCanada#cite_note-pg-4">[5]</a>The closing of the units could cost consumers more than $200 million in unrealized refunds through Alberta’s Balancing Pool. The agency that oversees power purchase agreements would have to pay that amount to TransAlta as net book value of the plants and to TransCanada as partial payment on the remainder of its contract. TransCanada holds the Sundance units' power purchase agreement and expects reimbursement.<a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=TransCanada#cite_note-pg-4">[5]</a><h2 style="text-align: left;">Iroquois Pipeline</h2>TransCanada held the largest ownership share of the Iroquois Gas Transmission System, a natural gas pipeline that brings gas from eastern Canada to the New York City area. Iroquois was constructed over substantial environmental opposition. The construction methods did not comply with Iroquois' proposal to the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission. As a result a number of supervisors, as well as Iroquois' President were convicted of crimes.<a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=TransCanada#cite_note-5">[6]</a><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=TransCanada#cite_note-6">[7]</a><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=TransCanada#cite_note-7">[8]</a><h2 style="text-align: left;">Directors</h2>Accessed September 2009: <a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=TransCanada#cite_note-8">[9]</a><ul><li style="text-align: left;"><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/S.Barry_Jackson" title="S. Barry Jackson" class="mw-redirect">S. Barry Jackson</a> - Chair</li><li style="text-align: left;"><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Harold_N.Kvisle" title="Harold N. Kvisle">Harold N. Kvisle</a> - President and CEO</li><li style="text-align: left;"><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Kevin_E.Benson&action=edit&redlink=1" class="new" title="Kevin E. Benson (page does not exist)">Kevin E. Benson</a></li><li style="text-align: left;"><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Derek_H.Burney" title="Derek H. Burney">Derek H. Burney</a></li><li style="text-align: left;"><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Wendy_K.Dobson" title="Wendy K. Dobson">Wendy K. Dobson</a></li><li style="text-align: left;"><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/E.Linn_Draper" title="E. Linn Draper">E. Linn Draper</a></li><li style="text-align: left;"><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Paule_Gauthier&action=edit&redlink=1" class="new" title="Paule Gauthier (page does not exist)">Paule Gauthier</a></li><li style="text-align: left;"><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Kerry_L.Hawkins" title="Kerry L. Hawkins">Kerry L. Hawkins</a></li><li style="text-align: left;"><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Paul_L.Joskow" title="Paul L. Joskow">Paul L. Joskow</a></li><li style="text-align: left;"><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=John_A.MacNaughton&action=edit&redlink=1" class="new" title="John A. MacNaughton (page does not exist)">John A. MacNaughton</a></li><li style="text-align: left;"><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/David_P.O%27Brien" title="David P. O'Brien">David P. O'Brien</a></li><li style="text-align: left;"><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/W.Thomas_Stephens" title="W. Thomas Stephens">W. Thomas Stephens</a></li><li style="text-align: left;"><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/D.Michael_G.Stewart" title="D. Michael G. Stewart">D. Michael G. Stewart</a></li></ul><h2 style="text-align: left;">Contact</h2><dl><dd style="text-align: left;">Web: <a rel="nofollow" class="external free" href="http://www.transcanada.com/">http://www.transcanada.com</a></dd></dl><h2 style="text-align: left;">Resources and articles</h2><h3 style="text-align: left;">Related Sourcewatch articles</h3><ul><li style="text-align: left;"><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/ConocoPhillips" title="ConocoPhillips">ConocoPhillips</a></li><li style="text-align: left;"><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Portlands_Energy_Centre" title="Portlands Energy Centre">Portlands Energy Centre</a></li><li style="text-align: left;"><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Russell_K.Girling" title="Russell K. Girling">Russell K. Girling</a></li></ul><h3 style="text-align: left;">References</h3><ol class="references"><li id="cite_note-0" style="text-align: left;"><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=TransCanada#cite_ref-0">↑</a> <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://www.transcanada.com/company/index.html">About</a>, TransCanada, accessed September 25, 2009.</li><li id="cite_note-1" style="text-align: left;"><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=TransCanada#cite_ref-1">↑</a> <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://www.sustainablebusiness.com/index.cfm/go/news.display/id/22112">Koch Industries Handles 25 Percent of Canada Tar Sand Oil</a>, Sustainablebusiness.com, May 23, 2011.</li><li id="cite_note-2" style="text-align: left;"><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=TransCanada#cite_ref-2">↑</a> David Sassoon, <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/02/10/idUS292515702420110210">Koch Brothers Positioned to Win Big if Keystone XL Pipeline is Approved</a>, Reuters / SolveClimate, Feb 10, 2011, accessed July 11, 2011.</li><li id="cite_note-3" style="text-align: left;"><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=TransCanada#cite_ref-3">↑</a> <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://www.tarsandsaction.org/">Tarsands Action</a>, organizational website. November 16, 2011.</li><li id="cite_note-pg-4" style="text-align: left;">↑ <a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=TransCanada#cite_ref-pg_4-0">5.0</a> <a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=TransCanada#cite_ref-pg_4-1">5.1</a> <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://www.powergenworldwide.com/index/display/articledisplay/0066857725/articles/powergenworldwide/coal-generation/o-and-m/2011/02/Transalta.html">"TransAlta issues notice of termination for Sundance units"</a> Power-Gen, Feb. 10, 2011.</li><li id="cite_note-5" style="text-align: left;"><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=TransCanada#cite_ref-5">↑</a> Berger, Joseph (October 17, 1996). "<a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://www.nytimes.com/1996/10/17/nyregion/pipeline-supervisors-charged-with-harming-environment.html">Pipeline Supervisors Charged With Harming Environment</a>", New York Times. Retrieved on 2011-11-17.</li><li id="cite_note-6" style="text-align: left;"><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=TransCanada#cite_ref-6">↑</a> Berger, Joseph (March 27, 1995). "<a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://www.nytimes.com/1995/03/27/nyregion/hazard-underground-special-report-375-miles-suspected-short-cuts-fuel-fears.html?src=pm">Hazard Underground: A special report.; 375 Miles of Suspected Short Cuts Fuel Fears of Northeast Pipeline</a>", New York Times. Retrieved on 2011-11-17.</li><li id="cite_note-7" style="text-align: left;"><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=TransCanada#cite_ref-7">↑</a> Berger, Joseph (May 17, 1996). "<a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://www.nytimes.com/1996/05/17/nyregion/builder-of-pipeline-for-canadian-gas-said-to-admit-guilt.html?scp=1&sq=Robert%20Reid%20Transcanada&st=cse">Builder of Pipeline For Canadian Gas Said to Admit Guilt</a>", New York Times. Retrieved on 2011-11-17.</li><li id="cite_note-8" style="text-align: left;"><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=TransCanada#cite_ref-8">↑</a> <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://www.transcanada.com/company/board_directors.html">Directors</a>, TransCanada, accessed September 25, 2009.</li></ol></div><div id="catlinks" class="catlinks"><div id="mw-normal-catlinks" class="mw-normal-catlinks"><div style="text-align: left;"><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Special:Categories" title="Special:Categories" style="font-family: " times="Times" new="New" roman="Roman" font-size="font-size" large="large">Categories</a>:</div><ul><li style="text-align: left;"><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Category:United_States" title="Category:United States">United States</a></li><li style="text-align: left;"><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Category:Environment" title="Category:Environment">Environment</a></li></ul></div></div><div style="text-align: left;"></div><div style="text-align: left;"> </div><div style="text-align: left;"><a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/10/11/keystone-xl-new-york-times_n_1959033.html?ref=topbar" style="font-family: " times="Times" new="New" roman="Roman" font-size="font-size" large="large">http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/10/11/keystone-xl-new-york-times_n_1959033.html?ref=topbar</a> XL pipe: landowner then reporters arrested</div><div style="text-align: left;"> </div><div style="text-align: left;">---</div><div style="text-align: left;"> </div>mck:And that’s for a pair of socks. Speaker of the House John Boehner, who insisted that the Keystone approval decision be speeded up, has <a href="http://dirtyenergymoney.com/view.php?searchvalue=BOEHNER&search=1&type=search">gotten</a> $1,111,080 from the fossil-fuel industry during his tenure. His Senate counterpart Mitch McConnell, who shepherded the bill through his chamber, has raked in <a href="http://dirtyenergymoney.com/view.php?type=search&can=N00003389">$1,277,208</a> in the course of his tenure in Washington.<div style="text-align: left;"></div><div style="text-align: left;"> </div>After a seven-month investigation, InsideClimate News has published an <a href="http://insideclimatenews.org/news/20120626/dilbit-diluted-bitumen-enbridge-kalamazoo-river-marshall-michigan-oil-spill-6b-pipeline-epa?page=show">in-depth series</a> on "the biggest oil spill you've never heard of" -- a million-gallon-plus spill of oil-sands crude near Kalamazoo, Mich., in July 2010. If you like your summer reading on the heavy side, dive right into <a href="http://insideclimatenews.org/news/20120626/dilbit-diluted-bitumen-enbridge-kalamazoo-river-marshall-michigan-oil-spill-6b-pipeline-epa?page=show">part one</a>, or download the whole series as <a href="http://www.amazon.com/The-Dilbit-Disaster-Biggest-ebook/dp/B008EKH5F6/gristmagazine">an e-book</a>.  =attackes on canadians: Big Oil and the Canadian government are showing their true colors these days, and what an ugly spectacle it is. Not content to squeeze tar sands oil profits from Canada's boreal forest, the industry and the Harper regime are working overtime to squelch free speech in this once-vibrant democracy.Their main target is nonprofit groups that oppose the Keystone XL and other tar sands pipeline projects. To silence these voices, the government has begun questioning whether the groups are following charitable tax codes and started proposing laws to limit their advocacy work. They've even equated environmental groups with terrorists and money launders. This effort to stack the deck in favor of big oil companies doesn't just limit the rights of nonprofits. It endangers the rights of all people -- on both sides of the borders -- to breathe clean air, drink safe water, have a healthy climate and preserve forests and farmlands for our children.The attacks began after President Obama rejected the Keystone XL tar sands pipeline to the Gulf of Mexico. Now another pipeline designed to take tar sands oil westward to China is also stirring large public concern. Farmers, ranchers, business owners, religious leaders, members of First Nations, scientists, and many others have concluded that these pipelines will endanger their communities. They also know that strip mining tar sands is devouring Canada's boreal forest and that producing tar sands generates more than three times the greenhouse gas emissions as conventional oil. People across Canada have made their opposition to tar sands known. The Canadian federal government responded by branding clean energy advocates as "radicals" and threatening to add environmental groups to the list of extremist organizations under anti-terrorism legislation. The attacks expanded when those who questioned tar sands were accused of treason and one Minister even accused environmental charities of "money laundering" for American donors.But all of this was just the opening gambit. In April, the Canadian federal government's budget bill rolled back many of Canada's major environmental laws on clean water, wildlife, and climate change. Perhaps most significant, it drastically limited the public's right to participate and comment on environmental reviews. Instead it gave the Prime Minister ultimate authority over pipeline proposals such as the controversial tar sands projects. The budget also cut funding for environmental protection while leaving the $1.3 billion in federal subsidies for the oil industry largely intact. And in a time of supposed belt tightening, it included an extra $8 million to audit environmental groups, specifically going after those opposed to new tar sands pipelines.... http://www.huffingtonpost.com/frances-beinecke/an-oil-industry-witch-hun_b_1563884.html?ref=green=kochs ...What is less well documented are the many Koch businesses that benefit from the brothers' efforts to push the center of American political discourse rightward, closer to their own convictions. At the top of the list are the Koch family's long and deep investments in Canada's heavy oil industry, which have been central to the company's initial growth and subsequent diversification since 1959. Because Koch Industries is a privately held company, the public has little access to information about the depth and diversity of its Canadian oil sands holdings. Over the past several months, however, InsideClimate News has pieced together a rough picture of the company's involvement in the industry, using published reports from the National Energy Board of Canada; documents and data extracted from the website of Canada's Energy Resource Conservation Board; securities disclosures and filings of Koch businesses in Canada; court documents from an inheritance battle that pitted Charles and David Koch against their two other brothers; Canadian and U.S. media reports; company newsletters and press releases; and two books, one written by Charles Koch and the other the autobiography of a long-time Koch company director. These sources reveal that Koch Industries has touched virtually every aspect of the tar sands industry since the company established a toehold in Canada more than 50 years ago. It has been involved in mining bitumen, the hydrocarbon resin found in the oil sands; in pipeline systems to collect and transport Canadian crude; in exporting the heavy oils to the U.S.; in refining the sulfurous, low-grade feedstock; and in the subsequent distribution and sale of a variety of finished products, from jet fuel to asphalt. The company has also created or collaborated with other companies that have become leading players in the development of Alberta's oil resources, and it remains deeply invested in western Canada’s oil patch..also lobbying in Cda ..<a href="http://insideclimatenews.org/news/20120510/koch-industries-brothers-tar-sands-bitumen-heavy-oil-flint-pipelines-refinery-alberta-canada">http://insideclimatenews.org/news/20120510/koch-industries-brothers-tar-sands-bitumen-heavy-oil-flint-pipelines-refinery-alberta-canada</a>= WASHINGTON (AP) — The company planning the disputed Keystone XL oil pipeline has proposed a new route through Nebraska that avoids the state's environmentally sensitive Sandhills region.Calgary-based TransCanada submitted a series of proposed routes — including a preferred alternative — late Wednesday to Nebraska environmental officials.The state has become a focus of concern for the 1,700-mile pipeline, which would carry oil from Canada to the Texas Gulf Coast. President Barack Obama blocked the pipeline earlier this year, citing uncertainty over the Nebraska route, which would travel above an aquifer that provides water to eight...Nebraska Gov. Dave Heineman signed a bill earlier this week that allows the state to proceed with its review of the proposed pipeline through his state, regardless of what happens at the federal level.Obama said last month he will direct federal agencies to fast-track a segment of the pipeline from Oklahoma to Texas. The 485-mile line from Cushing, Okla., to refineries on Texas' Gulf coast would remove a critical bottleneck in the country's oil transportation system, as rising oil production has outgrown pipelines' capacity to deliver oil to refineries.=��<div class="entry_body_text">4/15<div style="text-align: left;">
</div><div style="text-align: left;"> Obama had put the pipeline on hold</div><div style="text-align: left;">
</div><div style="text-align: left;">* Republicans say pipeline would generate jobs</div><div style="text-align: left;">
</div><div style="text-align: left;">By Roberta Rampton</div><div style="text-align: left;">
</div><div style="text-align: left;">WASHINGTON, April 13 (Reuters) - Republicans in the U.S. House of Representatives will revive efforts to quickly advance the stalled Keystone XL crude oil pipeline and insist that approval for the project be part of a long-term deal to fund highways and other infrastructure.</div><div style="text-align: left;">
</div><div style="text-align: left;">Earlier this year, President Barack Obama put a hold on TransCanada's $7 billion project, which would ship oil from Canada and northern U.S. states to Texas, because he said it needed further environmental review.</div><div style="text-align: left;">
</div><div style="text-align: left;">Republicans have attacked the decision by the Democratic president in the run-up to the November presidential elections, saying the United States needs the jobs and the oil as the economy continues to struggle and gasoline prices surge.</div><div style="text-align: left;">
</div><div style="text-align: left;">Last month, Republicans in the Senate tried to attach approval for the pipeline to a two-year highway funding bill. The bid failed on a vote of 56-42, four short of the 60 needed to pass in the Democratic-controlled chamber. Eleven Democrats voted with the Republicans.</div><div style="text-align: left;">
</div><div style="text-align: left;">Congress ended up passing a 90-day stopgap funding bill after House Speaker John Boehner, a Republican, struggled to find enough support for long-term financing.</div><div style="text-align: left;">
</div><div style="text-align: left;">"As Congress now prepares to extend transportation programs and negotiate a longer-term package, the House will insist that the Keystone XL legislation be included as part of the package," the House Energy and Commerce Committee said on its web site on Friday.</div><div style="text-align: left;">
</div><div style="text-align: left;">The House has already passed legislation that would transfer authority for approving the pipeline to the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, and would require the regulator to quickly issue permits.</div></div> =<div class="contenttitle"><h1 style="text-align: left;"><a href="http://www.republicreport.org/2012/transcanada-spent-more-than-500000-on-lobbying-and-legal-fees-in-nebraska-10000-per-senator/" rel="bookmark">TransCanada Spent More Than $500,000 On Lobbying And Legal Fees In Nebraska — $10,000 Per Senator</a></h1><a href="http://www.republicreport.org/author/zaid-jilani/" title="Posts by Zaid Jilani" rel="author">Zaid Jilani</a> 3.6.2012</div> The controversial Keystone XL Pipeline has been a flashpoint for debates between environmentalists and oil advocates. But for the company trying to build the pipeline – TransCanada �� the issue has always been one of business. Thus the company has spent enormous amounts of money lobbying state and federal lawmakers to approve the pipeline.Nebraska’s Omaha World-Herald reports today that TransCanada spent a <a href="http://www.kearneyhub.com/news/local/article_c2bd7cfe-66ec-11e1-9cc9-0019bb2963f4.html">whopping $529,099 on lobbying and legal fees</a> related to lobbying that state’s legislature in the fourth quarter alone, adding up to nearly $10,000 a senator:<blockquote>During the fourth quarter of 2011, when the Nebraska Legislature had a special session on the pipeline, TransCanada reported $529,099 in lobbying and legal expenses.That spending works out to about $10,800 for each of the 49 senators during those three months — or nearly as much as a lawmaker’s annual $12,000 salary.</blockquote><div style="text-align: left;"> The paper goes on to note that the company��s spending was “12 times more than the total reported by all anti-pipeline organizations, according to recently released state reports.”</div> = <div style="text-align: left;">* Keystone was part of energy portion of highway bill</div><div style="text-align: left;">
</div><div style="text-align: left;">* Legislating Keystone approval remains uphill climb</div><div style="text-align: left;">
</div><div style="text-align: left;">* Fate of Keystone amendment to Senate bill unclear</div><div style="text-align: left;">
</div><div style="text-align: left;">By Roberta Rampton</div><div style="text-align: left;">
</div><div style="text-align: left;">WASHINGTON, Feb 16 (Reuters) - The U.S. House of Representatives passed an energy bill on Thursday that would wrest control of a permit for the controversial Keystone XL oil pipeline away from President Barack Obama, who has put the project on hold.</div><div style="text-align: left;">
</div><div style="text-align: left;">The bill, part of a broader House Republican effort to fund highways and infrastructure projects, would also expand offshore oil drilling and open up parts of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge to drilling.</div><div style="text-align: left;">
</div><div style="text-align: left;">While approval of the Keystone measure by the House was widely expected, what happens with a similar proposal in the Democratic-controlled Senate is not yet clear.</div><div style="text-align: left;">
</div><div style="text-align: left;">Senate leaders were still negotiating on Thursday whether to allow a vote on Keystone as part of debate on a highway funding legislation, said Senator John Hoeven, a Republican from North Dakota who has been a key advocate for the $7 billion Canada-to-Texas project.</div> huffpo��--- press coverage <a href="http://mediamatters.org/research/201201260005">http://mediamatters.org/research/201201260005</a> upped jobs and played down green risk  ---- noah greenwald: <div style="text-align: left;">President Obama's got a big decision on his plate. Sometime between now and Feb. 21, he has to decide whether the 1,700-mile Keystone XL pipeline -- which would deliver dirty tar sands oil from Canada to Texas -- is in the "national interest."</div><div style="text-align: left;">
</div><div style="text-align: left;">That phrase is at the heart of his decision because it's an international project that's primarily under the purview of the State Department. So whether the pipeline "serves the national interest" is the threshold for deciding whether it can move ahead.</div><div style="text-align: left;">
</div><div style="text-align: left;">The decision should be a no-brainer. Here are five reasons why Keystone XL is not in the national interest:</div><div style="text-align: left;">
</div><div style="text-align: left;">1. It will dramatically deepen our addiction to climate-killing fossil fuels. Greenhouse gas emissions from tar-sands development are two to three times higher than those from conventional oil and gas operations. That's exactly the wrong direction for reversing global warming. Scientists tell us we must reduce atmospheric levels of carbon dioxide to 350 parts per million or less. Today, it's 391 ppm -- and Keystone XL would certainly drive that up and worsen the devastating effects of global warming -- from rising oceans to melting glaciers to extreme and dangerous weather events -- that we're already seeing around the world.</div><div style="text-align: left;">
</div><div style="text-align: left;">2. It will spill. The State Department's review of the project clearly says Keystone XL will spill oil. Not may, but will. It could be as often as the existing Keystone pipeline, which has already leaked 14 times since it began operating in June 2010, including one leak that dumped 21,000 gallons of tar-sands crude. Other pipelines have spilled too recently, including one in the Kalamazoo River in 2010 that leaked 800,000 gallons and another in the Yellowstone River in 2011 that dumped more than 40,000 gallons. Keystone XL would carry up to 35 million gallons of oil every day -- so any leak has the potential to be massive.</div><div style="text-align: left;">
</div><div style="text-align: left;">3. It will threaten vast pristine landscapes, rivers and wildlife. Running between Alberta, Canada and the Gulf Coast of Texas, Keystone XL will cross nearly 1,750 water bodies, like rivers and steams, and risk contaminating the Ogalla Aquifer (the drinking water source for millions of people). It would also cut through the heart of prime wildlife habitat, including homes for at least 20 imperiled species, including the whooping crane, pallid sturgeon, woodland caribou, American burying beetle, interior least tern and western prairie fringed orchid.</div><div style="text-align: left;">
</div><div style="text-align: left;">4. It will expand the destruction of Canada's boreal forests. Tar sands oil is the dirtiest oil on Earth. Producing oil from sand has terrible impacts on the environment, including the destruction of tens of thousands of acres of boreal forest in Alberta, pollution of hundreds of millions of gallons of water from the Athabasca River -- each barrel of oil from tar sands requires three barrels of water to produce.</div><div style="text-align: left;">
</div><div style="text-align: left;">5. It won't be a major job producer. The State Department <a href="http://www.ilr.cornell.edu/globallaborinstitute/research/upload/GLI_KeystoneXL_Reportpdf.pdf" target="hplink">estimates</a> that Keystone XL will result in only 20 permanent, operational jobs in the U.S and 2,500 to 4,650 temporary jobs. Our economy needs long-term sustainable jobs that a clean energy economy would provide. And by the way, after Keystone XL oil makes it to Texas, much of it will be exported beyond U.S. borders without paying U.S. taxes. It also won't increase our net oil imports. According to the Department of Energy, the U.S. will import the same amount of crude from Canada through 2030 regardless of whether Keystone XL is built.</div><div style="text-align: left;">
</div><div style="text-align: left;">I have a hard time believing it's in our "national interest" to court oil spills, worsen climate change and jeopardize rivers, streams, drinking water, people and wildlife. Here's hoping President Obama feels the same -- and has the courage to the do the right thing.</div> ---chiquita pledge to not use cda tar sands <a href="http://thehill.com/blogs/e2-wire/e2-wire/200151-keystone-supporters-go-bananas-over-chiquitas-no-oil-sands-pledge">http://thehill.com/blogs/e2-wire/e2-wire/200151-keystone-supporters-go-bananas-over-chiquitas-no-oil-sands-pledge</a> ethical oil.org? --- 60 min grover norquist <a href="http://www.wltx.com/news/article/159915/142/Grover-Norquists-hold-on-the-GOP">http://www.wltx.com/news/article/159915/142/Grover-Norquists-hold-on-the-GOP</a> --- <a href="http://www.newyorker.com/talk/comment/2011/11/28/111128taco_talk_mayer">http://www.newyorker.com/talk/comment/2011/11/28/111128taco_talk_mayer</a> ...The lineup promoting TransCanada’s interests was a textbook study in modern, bipartisan corporate influence peddling. Lobbyists ranged from the arch-conservative Grover Norquist’s Americans for Tax Reform to TransCanada’s in-house lobbyist Paul Elliott, who worked on both Hillary and Bill Clinton’s Presidential campaigns. President Clinton’s former Ambassador to Canada, Gordon Giffin, a major contributor to Hillary Clinton’s Presidential and Senate campaigns, was on TransCanada’s payroll, too. (Giffin says that he has never spoken to Secretary Clinton about the pipeline.) Most of the big oil companies also had a stake in the project. In a recent National Journal poll of “energy insiders,” opinion was virtually unanimous that the project would be approved.<div style="overflow: hidden; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); text-align: left; border: medium none;">
Read more <a href="http://www.newyorker.com/talk/comment/2011/11/28/111128taco_talk_mayer#ixzz1eZ34JJYS">http://www.newyorker.com/talk/comment/2011/11/28/111128taco_talk_mayer#ixzz1eZ34JJYS</a>
</div> ---- Mr. Norquist says he is all about taxes, but he has a sideline of lobbying activities that don’t always show antitax purity. They include lobbying the State Department for the controversial Keystone XL pipeline and the Pentagon on spending proposals, and opposing Internet regulations designed to fight child pornography, according to Politico. He considers his lobbying activities to be small-government initiatives. In the past, a Senate report found that the Norquist group’s tax-exempt status was used to funnel some money for Jack Abramoff, the lobbyist who served three and a half years in prison for fraud and other crimes. <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2011/11/14/opinion/zealots-remorse.html">http://www.nytimes.com/2011/11/14/opinion/zealots-remorse.html</a>  This week the GOP leadership, once again, has sided with Big Oil against the will of the American people. They are trying to circumvent President Obama's decision to further investigate the impacts of the controversial Keystone XL tar sands pipeline. GOP leadership is instead advocating for granting the permit now, or else they will hold up important legislation meant to benefit real people's real lives.They want you to believe it's about jobs, but that's not what the facts bear out. Just take a look.Unemployment has finally drifted below 9 percent, but it's still way too high, making it tough for working families to put food on the table and for a new generation of Americans to start their careers.Is there anything more cynical, then, than Big Oil and its Washington allies playing on heartland hardship by pretending a dangerous tar sands pipeline can put folks back to work?That's precisely what continues to happen over the proposed Keystone XL tar sands pipeline. It would carry the dirtiest oil on the planet from the Canadian tar sands across our country to ports and refineries along the Texas Gulf coast. From there it could be exported anywhere in the world.House Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio) became the latest source of misinformation on this. He <a href="http://www.theatlanticwire.com/politics/2011/12/boehner-calls-obamas-bluf-links-pipeline-payroll-tax-vote/45936/" target="hplink">said</a> Thursday that the Keystone XL "will put tens of thousands of Americans to work immediately."That's just not true. The project would provide, at most, 6,000 temporary construction jobs, very few of which would be local hires, according to an <a href="http://www.keystonepipeline-xl.state.gov/clientsite/keystonexl.nsf/16_KXL_FEIS_Sec_3.10_Socioeconomics.pdf?OpenFileResource" target="hplink">analysis</a> performed by the U.S. State Department. "The construction work force would consist of approximately 5,000 to 6,000 workers, including Keystone employees, contractor employees, and construction and environmental inspection staff," the State Department concluded in the executive summary of the final <a href="http://www.keystonepipeline-xl.state.gov/clientsite/keystonexl.nsf?Open" target="hplink">Environmental Impact Statement</a> it published in August. Even that may be pushing it.Cornell University's Global Labor Institute did its own evaluation, concluding that the project would employ between 2,500 and 4,650 construction workers. "Most jobs created will be temporary and non-local," the institute <a href="http://www.ilr.cornell.edu/globallaborinstitute/research/upload/GLI_KeystoneXL_Reportpdf.pdf" target="hplink">concluded</a> in its report, appropriately titled, "Pipe Dreams?" Local hires hover below 15 percent, the institute <a href="http://www.ilr.cornell.edu/globallaborinstitute/research/upload/GLI_KeystoneXL_Reportpdf.pdf" target="hplink">calculated</a>, based on data provide by TransCanada, as much of this work requires special skills and the workers capable of performing sophisticated pipeline tasks would likely be brought in from outside the region."KXL will not be a major source of U.S. jobs, nor will it play any substantial role at all in putting Americans back to work," the Cornell report <a href="http://www.ilr.cornell.edu/globallaborinstitute/research/upload/GLI_KeystoneXL_Reportpdf.pdf" target="hplink">states</a>.Even TransCanada, the Canadian pipeline company that wants to build the pipeline, has said it would create "hundreds" of permanent jobs. That's what TransCanada's vice president for pipelines, Robert Jones, <a href="http://transcripts.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/1111/11/sitroom.02.html" target="hplink">told</a> CNN a few weeks ago.Overall, Cornell economists found the project would be a job killer, because it would kick down the road the investment we need to drive renewable energy and efficiency gains. That's where the real jobs are: jobs for carpenters weatherizing homes in Ohio, steelworkers building wind turbines in Indiana, tool and die makers manufacturing parts for electric cars in Michigan, and on and on from coast to coast. And these are the careers of the future for the workers of tomorrow, in trades and professions that already employ some 2.7 million Americans.The real jobs in the region come from the ranches and farms, more than a quarter of a million of them in the Great Plains states the pipeline would pass through.Why would we put these fertile croplands, and the wheat, corn, and cattle they produce, at risk for the profits of the oil industry? It had, by the way, more than $100 billion in profits during just the first nine months of the year. Nothing wrong with profits, but let's not pretend this is about anything else. redford <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/robert-redford/keystone-xl-and-jobs-just_b_1142406.html?ref=daily-brief?utm_source=DailyBrief&utm_campaign=121211&utm_medium=email&utm_content=BlogEntry&utm_term=Daily%20Brief">http://www.huffingtonpost.com/robert-redford/keystone-xl-and-jobs-just_b_1142406.html?ref=daily-brief?utm_source=DailyBrief&utm_campaign=121211&utm_medium=email&utm_content=BlogEntry&utm_term=Daily%20Brief</a>  greenpeace <div style="text-align: left;">• Koch Industries is one of the most powerful</div><div style="text-align: left;">corporations holding back progress on climate</div><div style="text-align: left;">change in the United States. Koch Industries and</div><div style="text-align: left;">the Koch brothers who own the company are deeply</div><div style="text-align: left;">involved in the climate denial movement funding</div><div style="text-align: left;">numerous efforts on that front. One controversy that</div><div style="text-align: left;">has recently emerged is Koch’s hidden agenda for the</div><div style="text-align: left;">tar sands and the Keystone XL pipeline running from</div><div style="text-align: left;">Canada to the Gulf Coast in Texas for oil export around</div><div style="text-align: left;">the world. A Koch subsidiary in Canada, Flint Hills</div><div style="text-align: left;">Resources Canada, made a declaration to the Canadian</div><div style="text-align: left;">government that it has a ‘substantial interest’ in the</div><div style="text-align: left;">pipeline’s approval. But in the US, Koch representatives</div><div style="text-align: left;">told members of Congress that the pipeline has ‘nothing</div><div style="text-align: left;">to do with any of our businesses’ and ‘we have no</div><div style="text-align: left;">financial interest in the project’. Evidence shows Koch</div><div style="text-align: left;">has been organising and funding so-called ‘citizen’</div><div style="text-align: left;">support for the pipeline.27</div> <a href="http://www.greenpeace.org/international/Global/international/publications/climate/2011/WhosHoldingUsBack-ExecSummary.pdf">http://www.greenpeace.org/international/Global/international/publications/climate/2011/WhosHoldingUsBack-ExecSummary.pdf</a>= Susan Rice, the candidate believed to be favored by President Obama to become the next Secretary of State, holds significant investments in more than a dozen Canadian oil companies and banks that would stand to benefit from expansion of the North American tar sands industry and construction of the proposed $7 billion <a href="http://www.onearth.org/keystonexl">Keystone XL pipeline</a>. If confirmed by the Senate, one of Rice’s first duties likely would be consideration, and potentially approval, of the controversial mega-project.Rice’s financial holdings could raise questions about her status as a neutral decision maker. The current U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, Rice owns stock valued between $300,000 and $600,000 in TransCanada, the company seeking a federal permit to transport tar sands crude 1,700 miles to refineries on the Texas Gulf Coast, crossing fragile Midwest ecosystems and the largest freshwater aquifer in North America.Beyond that, according to <a href="http://www.opensecrets.org/pfds/CIDsummary.php?CID=N99999935&year=2009" target="blank">financial disclosure reports</a>, about a third of Rice’s personal net worth is tied up in oil producers, pipeline operators and related energy industries north of the 49th parallel—including companies with poor environmental and safety records on both U.S. and Canadian soil. Rice and her husband own at least $1.25 million worth of stock in four of Canada��s eight leading oil producers, as ranked by Forbes magazine. That includes Enbridge, which spilled <a href="http://www.onearth.org/article/the-whistleblower" target="blank">more than a million gallons of toxic bitumen</a> into Michigan’s Kalamazoo River in 2010—<a href="http://www.onearth.org/article/tar-sands-oil-plagues-a-michigan-community">the largest inland oil spill</a> in U.S. history.Rice also has smaller stakes in several other big Canadian energy firms, as well as the country’s transportation companies and coal-fired utilities. Another 20 percent or so of her personal wealth is derived from investments in five Canadian banks. These are some of the institutions that <a href="http://ran.org/sites/default/files/financing_global_warming.pdf" target="blank">provide loans and financial backing</a> to TransCanada and its competitors for tar sands extraction and major infrastructure projects, such as Keystone XL and <a href="http://www.onearth.org/article/insert-pipeline-here">Enbridge’s proposed Northern Gateway pipeline</a>, which would stretch 700 miles from Alberta to the Canadian coast.700 mi</div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div>=<a href="https://www.desmogblog.com/2020/05/03/keystone-xl-future-pipeline-permits">https://www.desmogblog.com/2020/05/03/keystone-xl-future-pipeline-permits</a>On April 15, Judge Brian Morris <a href="https://www.desmogblog.com/sites/beta.desmogblog.com/files/morris-kxl-army-corps-summary-judgment-order.pdf" style="text-decoration-line: none;">nullified</a> water-crossing permits in Montana that were granted for the Keystone XL, a major setback for the long-embattled tar sands oil pipeline. The ruling came just days after Keystone XL owner TC Energy, formerly known as TransCanada, obtained <a href="https://therealnews.com/columns/climate-crisis-covid-19-cancels-cop26-kxl-construction-trump-big-oil-huddle" target="blank" style="text-decoration-line: none;">billions of dollars in subsidies</a> from the Alberta government as global oil prices plummeted.The oil and gas industry has taken notice. Seemingly just a ruling on Keystone XL — the subject of opposition by the climate movement for the past decade — the ruling could have far broader implications for the future of building water-crossing pipelines and utility lines.In his decision, Judge Morris cited a potential violation of the Endangered Species Act when he ordered the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to do a deeper analysis of potential impacts to protected species. Morris required the Corps to demonstrate whether or not it could construct the pipeline without harming endangered species, such as the Pallid Sturgeon or the American burying beetle. Instead, the Army Corps “failed to consider relevant expert analysis and failed to articulate a rational connection between the facts it found and the choice it made,” Morris ruled, when the Corps gave Keystone XL the initial green light.The <a href="https://www.nrdc.org/sites/default/files/kxl-complaint-20190701.pdf" target="blank" style="text-decoration-line: none;">original July 2019 complaint </a>in that case — filed by Northern Plains Resource Council, Bold Alliance, Sierra Club, Natural Resources Defense Council, and Center for Biological Diversity — also argued that the Army Corps had violated the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) in using an obscure regulatory lever to fast-track the review process.Known as <a href="https://www.usace.army.mil/Missions/Civil-Works/Regulatory-Program-and-Permits/Nationwide-Permits/" target="blank" style="text-decoration-line: none;">Nationwide Permit 12</a>, the permit only requires a short environmental analysis compared to the more robust environmental impact statement required under NEPA for other major infrastructure projects. But Morris also wrote that the decision applied not just to Keystone XL, but to all major federal projects aiming to utilize Nationwide Permit 12, calling for it to be “vacated pending completion of the consultation process and compliance with all environmental statutes and regulations.”Just two days after this decision, Army Corps regulatory program Chief Jennifer Moyer wrote in an email obtained by the Associated Press that the agency should suspend the program indefinitely “out of an abundance of caution” until the issue is resolved legally. The Trump administration has already <a href="https://www.desmogblog.com/sites/beta.desmogblog.com/files/DOJ%20Motion%20for%20Stay%20Pending%20Appeal_0.pdf" style="text-decoration-line: none;">requested a procedural halt</a> on implementing Morris’ decision until its potential appeal weaves its way through the legal system.“The Court has eliminated Nationwide Permit 12 for use by any utility line project anywhere in the country, which has extraordinary and immediate implications for numerous projects,” <a href="https://www.desmogblog.com/sites/beta.desmogblog.com/files/DOJ%20Motion%20for%20Stay%20Pending%20Appeal_0.pdf" style="text-decoration-line: none;">the U.S. Department of Justice attorneys wrote</a> on behalf of the Army Corps.The <a href="https://www.desmogblog.com/american-petroleum-institute" style="text-decoration-line: none;">American Petroleum Institute</a> (API), the lobbying and advocacy voice of the oil and gas industry, has also filed an affidavit in favor of putting a procedural halt to Morris’ ruling. “The ability to provide reliable energy is even more important now during this sensitive and challenging time brought on by COVID-19,” Robin Rorick, Vice President of Midstream and Industry Operations for API, <a href="https://www.desmogblog.com/sites/beta.desmogblog.com/files/API%20Affidavit%20Robin%20Rorick.pdf" style="text-decoration-line: none;">wrote in the affidavit</a>. “The Court’s Order could threaten API’s members’ ability to continue numerous energy and infrastructure projects, affecting the health of numerous companies and job security in an already-strained economy.”API <a href="https://www.api.org/news-policy-and-issues/news/2020/04/17/labor-industry-respond-to-montana-district-court-decision-on-usace-nationwide-pe" target="blank" style="text-decoration-line: none;">also joined</a> North America’s Building Trades Unions and Interstate Natural Gas Association of America in denouncing the ruling along similar lines.<h3 dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.28205em; margin-top: 1.28205em; margin-bottom: 1.28205em;">'Single and Complete'</h3>Nationwide Permit 12 historically was used for small “<a href="https://www.nao.usace.army.mil/Portals/31/docs/regulatory/NationwidePermits/Nationwide_Permit_12.pdf" target="blank" style="text-decoration-line: none;">single and complete</a>” projects crossing water parcels half an acre in size or smaller. But in the aftermath of protests and civil disobedience actions taken against Keystone XL, the Obama administration began using that permitting process to split pipelines into <a href="https://www.desmogblog.com/2013/11/22/US-court-denies-halt-pipeline-set-replace-keystone-xl-northern-half" style="text-decoration-line: none;">hundreds or thousands</a> of half-acre pieces. The process was a way around the more robust and democratic National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) regulatory process, which involves both a public commenting and public hearing phase. Nationwide Permit 12 was also <a href="https://www.desmogblog.com/2016/09/08/dakota-access-pipeline-big-oil-nationwide-permit-12" style="text-decoration-line: none;">used to push through</a> the Dakota Access pipeline, as well as the <a href="https://www.desmogblog.com/2013/10/13/us-court-keystone-xl-profits-more-important-than-environment" style="text-decoration-line: none;">southern leg</a> of the Keystone XL, both greenlighted by President Barack Obama.During the Obama era, environmental groups decried this as a form of “<a href="https://www.commondreams.org/newswire/2016/08/02/comment-period-closes-diverse-voices-call-overhaul-fast-track-pipeline-approval" target="blank" style="text-decoration-line: none;">segmentation</a>” and a way out of complying with NEPA, which they routinely challeneged in court <a href="https://www.desmogblog.com/2014/06/25/recent-federal-court-decision-could-muddy-waters-keystone-xl-south-flanagan-south" style="text-decoration-line: none;">with some success</a>—though not enough to undo the legal lever. The bedrock environmental law is now under further attack by President <a href="https://www.desmogblog.com/donald-trump" style="text-decoration-line: none;">Donald Trump</a>, with the administration trying to remove climate change contribution as a factor analyzed under the law for major projects and aiming to narrow the scope of and time it takes to complete these environmental impact reviews. [vid]Since March 2017, the Trump administration has utilized Nationwide Permit 12 over <a href="https://apnews.com/3fb59f0666144ddf4dce0d6d0514d407" target="blank" style="text-decoration-line: none;">37,000 times</a>, the AP reported. As it stands today, the Army Corps’ decision to halt use of the Nationwide Permit 12 fast-track tool has put 360 permit applications on hold. “The reason that matters is that the public and the communities and everybody that lives there has the chance to get involved in the process,” Eric Huber, Senior Managing Attorney with the Sierra Club's Environmental Law Program, told DeSmog. “Otherwise, these special permits just allow a pipeline company to go out and start construction without notice to anybody or to take private property and just proceed and blast this through regardless of how the local community thinks of it.”External corporate attorneys, too, have taken notice and expressed their own concerns about the ruling.“The decision puts in limbo thousands of infrastructure projects nationwide that rely on [Nationwide Permit] 12 for the construction, maintenance, or repair of utility lines and poses particularly acute problems for the oil and gas industry, which relies on the permit to facilitate projects ranging from large interstate pipelines to smaller gathering lines at exploration and production sites,” wrote attorneys from Brownstein Hyatt Farber Schreck, a <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/climate-environment/2019/04/03/firm-that-once-employed-trumps-pick-run-interior-is-making-millions-lobbying-it/" target="blank" style="text-decoration-line: none;">firm with close ties</a> to the Trump administration, in <a href="https://www.jdsupra.com/legalnews/district-court-ruling-on-keystone-xl-27542/" target="blank" style="text-decoration-line: none;">one such reaction to the ruling</a>.Brownstein Hyatt Farber Schreck’s fossil fuel industry lobbying <a href="https://www.opensecrets.org/federal-lobbying/firms/summary?cycle=2020&id=D000000724&t0-search=oil" target="blank" style="text-decoration-line: none;">clients</a> include the American Petroleum Institute, American Public Power Association, Freeport LNG, Talos Energy, Jordan Cove LNG, WPX Energy, and the New Mexico Oil and Gas Association.Another firm heavily involved in fossil fuel industry litigation and lobbying, Steptoe & Johnson, also weighed in on the ruling and <a href="https://www.jdsupra.com/legalnews/new-montana-district-court-ruling-could-59518/" target="blank" style="text-decoration-line: none;">wrote</a> that it could have the impact of “extending permitting time frames for these types of projects” going forward. The firm’s fossil fuel industry lobbying <a href="https://www.opensecrets.org/federal-lobbying/firms/summary?cycle=2020&id=D000022267&t0-search=coal" target="blank" style="text-decoration-line: none;">clients</a> include American Gas Association, Gas Technology Institute, and Peabody Energy.<h3 dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.28205em; margin-top: 1.28205em; margin-bottom: 1.28205em;">Permian Highway Pipeline in Texas</h3>The legal precedent set in the Keystone XL case is already playing out in federal courts.On April 30, the Sierra Club filed a <a href="https://www.desmogblog.com/sites/beta.desmogblog.com/files/Sierra%20Club%20v%20Army%20Corps%20of%20Engineers.pdf" style="text-decoration-line: none;">lawsuit</a> in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Texas against the Army Corps of Engineers over another controversial pipeline. The complaint says the Army Corps did not comply with NEPA in issuing a Nationwide Permit 12 to the 428-mile <a href="https://www.spglobal.com/platts/en/market-insights/latest-news/natural-gas/101719-kinder-morgan-pushes-back-permian-highway-gas-pipe-in-service-date-blames-permitting" target="blank" style="text-decoration-line: none;">Permian Highway gas pipeline</a>. It also argues the agency is not currently in compliance with the order in the Keystone XL case because it has continued to allow pipeline construction under the contested Nationwide Permit 12 program.“It is outrageous that the Corps approved this project without public notice or opportunity to comment on their permits,” Rebecca McCreary, a Sierra Club attorney, <a href="https://www.sierraclub.org/press-releases/2020/04/sierra-club-lawsuit-challenges-construction-permian-highway-fracked-gas" target="blank" style="text-decoration-line: none;">said of the Permian Highway pipeline in a press release</a>.  “Nationwide Permit 12 allows for no public hearings or participation by the local communities before the Corps permits construction to start, nor is there public notice or comment on the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service permits allowing harm to the endangered species along the route. The Corps should stop this project immediately.”Owned by Kinder Morgan, Permian Highway is a pipeline slated to carry gas obtained via <a href="https://www.desmogblog.com/fracking-the-future/" style="text-decoration-line: none;">hydraulic fracturing (“fracking”)</a> in Texas’ Permian Basin east across the state. Kinder Morgan told DeSmog it was aware of the lawsuit, but declined to comment on it and the broader Nationwide Permit 12 issue.Permian Highway has already seen issues with spills into water systems, with <a href="https://www.kvue.com/article/news/local/sierra-club-brown-water-blanco-permian-highway-pipeline/269-d01ebb5c-778a-42af-b24e-e40f7ef00020" target="blank" style="text-decoration-line: none; outline: 0px;">one late March</a> incident <a href="https://www.statesman.com/news/20200408/records-pipeline-company-spilled-36000-gallons-of-drilling-fluid-in-hill-country" target="blank" style="text-decoration-line: none;">spilling 36,000 gallons</a> of drilling slurry — including a carcinogenic additive — into groundwater. [twt]sponding, the Hays County Commissioners Court <a href="https://hayscountytx.com/2020/04/22/commissioners-court-votes-to-rescind-road-permits-for-permian-highway-pipeline/" target="blank" style="text-decoration-line: none;">voted</a> on April 22 to rescind road permits given by the Texas county to allow Kinder Morgan to drill underneath county roads as it builds the pipeline. And Kinder Morgan, too, has suspended construction on this portion of the pipeline as it “determines the best path forward” in the aftermath of the spill, the <a href="https://www.houstonchronicle.com/business/energy/amp/kinder-morgan-hill-country-pipeline-drill-accident-15175986.php?fbclid=IwAR2JrPNbbEmSHwogVxIZtMMe12qAdD_PQOt1tkGQxc3VZ0laSiZghFIXEjE" target="blank" style="text-decoration-line: none;">company told Houston Chronicle</a>.The City of Austin, City of San Marcos, Hays County, Travis County, and others also <a href="https://www.desmogblog.com/sites/beta.desmogblog.com/files/Austin%20Lawsuit.pdf" style="text-decoration-line: none;">filed</a> their own Endangered Species Act lawsuit in February, arguing that the pipeline could threaten protected Golden Cheeked Warblers, two salamander species, and their habitats. <h3 dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.28205em; margin-top: 1.28205em; margin-bottom: 1.28205em;">Keystone XL Decision Looms</h3>In the Keystone XL case in Montana, Morris recently <a href="https://www.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.uscourts.mtd.61274/gov.uscourts.mtd.61274.134.0.pdf" target="blank" style="text-decoration-line: none;">denied </a>the Army Corps a procedural stay in the case. TC Energy, for its part, wants the decision <a href="https://www.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.uscourts.mtd.61274/gov.uscourts.mtd.61274.137.0.pdf" target="blank" style="text-decoration-line: none;">struck down</a> as it applies both to its own pipeline and for the permitting program at large.“If TC Energy does not receive authorization from the Army Corps by early July, its construction plans will be significantly impacted,” Gary Salsman, a TC Energy vice president for the Keystone XL project, <a href="https://www.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.uscourts.mtd.61274/gov.uscourts.mtd.61274.137.1.pdf" target="blank" style="text-decoration-line: none;">wrote in his April 29 affidavit</a>. “Currently, TC Energy is evaluating potential options that would be available to it in that circumstance, each of which have significant adverse consequences.”Those “potential options,” Salsman wrote, include a potential construction delay across Montana, South Dakota, and Nebraska; a change in construction plans this year to avoid the waters it is currently slated to cross that are impacted by the vacating of Nationwide Permit 12; or ending construction all together. He added that if construction does not begin in 2020, it could cost the company $750 million to $1.3 billion.Morris could make a decision on how broadly his Nationwide Permit 12 decision applies <a href="https://www.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.uscourts.mtd.61274/gov.uscourts.mtd.61274.134.0.pdf" target="blank" style="text-decoration-line: none;">as soon as May 8</a>. Regardless of the outcome, Morris' next move will likely face an appeal from either side. 
<div class="field-label" style="font-family: " times="Times" new="New" roman="Roman" font-size="font-size" large="large" display="display" inline="inline">T</div><div class="field-label" style="font-family: " times="Times" new="New" roman="Roman" font-size="font-size" large="large" text-transform="text-transform" uppercase="uppercase" display="display" inline="inline">AGS: </div><div class="field-items" style="font-family: " times="Times" new="New" roman="Roman" font-size="font-size" large="large" display="display" inline="inline"><div class="field-item even" style="display: inline-block; margin-right: 0.5em;"><a href="https://www.desmogblog.com/topics/permian-highway-pipeline">Permian Highway Pipeline</a></div><div class="field-item odd" style="display: inline-block; margin-right: 0.5em;"><a href="https://www.desmogblog.com/topics/brownstein-hyatt-farber-schreck">Brownstein Hyatt Farber Schreck</a></div><div class="field-item even" style="display: inline-block; margin-right: 0.5em;"><a href="https://www.desmogblog.com/directory/vocabulary/6586">Kinder Morgan</a></div><div class="field-item odd" style="display: inline-block; margin-right: 0.5em;"><a href="https://www.desmogblog.com/directory/vocabulary/9356">Army Corps of Engineers</a></div><div class="field-item even" style="display: inline-block; margin-right: 0.5em;"><a href="https://www.desmogblog.com/directory/vocabulary/643">American Petroleum Institute</a></div><div class="field-item odd" style="display: inline-block; margin-right: 0.5em;"><a href="https://www.desmogblog.com/directory/vocabulary/666">Sierra Club</a></div><div class="field-item even" style="display: inline-block; margin-right: 0.5em;"><a href="https://www.desmogblog.com/directory/vocabulary/5857">Keystone XL</a></div><div class="field-item odd" style="display: inline-block; margin-right: 0.5em;"><a href="https://www.desmogblog.com/directory/vocabulary/18524">Permian Basin</a></div><div class="field-item even" style="display: inline-block; margin-right: 0.5em;"><a href="https://www.desmogblog.com/tags/oil-sands">oil sands</a></div><div class="field-item odd" style="display: inline-block; margin-right: 0.5em;"><a href="https://www.desmogblog.com/directory/vocabulary/2632">tar sands</a></div><div class="field-item even" style="display: inline-block; margin-right: 0.5em;"><a href="https://www.desmogblog.com/directory/vocabulary/14049">Nationwide Permit 12</a></div><div class="field-item odd" style="display: inline-block; margin-right: 0.5em;"><a href="https://www.desmogblog.com/topics/brian-morris">Brian Morris</a></div><div class="field-item even" style="display: inline-block; margin-right: 0.5em;"><a href="https://www.desmogblog.com/topics/tc-energy">TC Energy</a></div><div class="field-item odd" style="display: inline-block; margin-right: 0.5em;"><a href="https://www.desmogblog.com/directory/vocabulary/5420">TransCanada</a></div><div class="field-item even" style="display: inline-block; margin-right: 0.5em;"><a href="https://www.desmogblog.com/topics/trump-administration">Trump Administration</a></div><div class="field-item odd" style="display: inline-block; margin-right: 0.5em;"><a href="https://www.desmogblog.com/directory/vocabulary/3844">Obama administration</a></div><div class="field-item even" style="display: inline-block; margin-right: 0.5em;"><a href="https://www.desmogblog.com/directory/vocabulary/5869">National Environmental Policy Act</a></div><div class="field-item odd" style="display: inline-block; margin-right: 0.5em;"><a href="https://www.desmogblog.com/directory/vocabulary/5670">Clean Water Act</a></div><div class="field-item even" style="display: inline-block; margin-right: 0.5em;"><a href="https://www.desmogblog.com/directory/vocabulary/3030">endangered species act</a></div></div><div>=</div><div>420 ew</div><div>
</div><div><a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/keystone-xl-pipeline-permit-2645731994.html">https://www.ecowatch.com/keystone-xl-pipeline-permit-2645731994.html</a></div><div>
</div><div></div><div>420 just bewildering; same time as trump meets with oil ceo record low prices for oil<a href="https://www.democracynow.org/2020/4/6/headlines/construction_of_keystone_xl_pipeline_to_resume_despite_coronavirus_and_environmental_threats">https://www.democracynow.org/2020/4/6/headlines/construction_of_keystone_xl_pipeline_to_resume_despite_coronavirus_and_environmental_threats</a>
in environmental news, construction on the Keystone XL pipeline is set to resume. Officials in Alberta, Canada, said they would hand over more than $1 billion to TC Energy — formerly known as TransCanada — so that construction can continue, even though it risks putting construction workers and residents on the pipeline’s path — many of them from indigenous communities — at heightened risk for contracting the coronavirus. South Dakota and several other states recently passed new laws criminalizing protests against pipelines.</div><div></div>aug 2019https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2019/aug/23/nebraska-lifts-a-last-major-hurdle-for-keystone-xl-pipeline
no lnxkeystone XL pipeline set to go ahead as court lifts last major hurdle
State’s highest court rejects attempt to derail project by opponents who want to force developer to reapply for state approval
Associated Press
Fri 23 Aug 2019 10.39 EDTLast modified on Fri 23 Aug 2019 11.10 EDT
Nebraska’s highest court lifted one of the last major hurdles for the Keystone XL pipeline on Friday when it rejected another attempt to derail the project by opponents who wanted to force the developer to reapply for state approval.
The pipeline faces intense resistance from environmental groups, Native American tribes and some landowners along the route who worry about its long-term impact on their groundwater and property rights. But in Nebraska, many affected landowners have accepted the project and are eager to collect payments from the company.
The Nebraska supreme court upheld the decision of regulators who voted in November 2017 to green-light a route through the state. The court’s decision was a victory for the $8bn project, which has been mired in lawsuits and regulatory hearings since it was proposed in 2008.
Barack Obama’s administration studied the project for years before finally rejecting it in 2015 because of concerns about carbon pollution. Donald Trump reversed that decision in March 2017. Federal approval was required because the route crosses an international border.
The Nebraska Public Service Commission voted 3-2 in favor of an “alternative route” for the project instead of developer TC Energy’s preferred pathway for the pipeline. Opponents filed a lawsuit arguing the company didn’t follow all the required procedures for the alternative route, in violation of state law.
Attorneys for the opponents argued that TC Energy’s application with the commission was only valid for its preferred route, and the company formerly known as TransCanada could only seek approval for one route at a time. Nebraska state attorneys disputed that claim, saying that the commission’s decision complied with the law and was in the public’s interest.
The high court on Friday sided with the state, saying the Public Service Commission is the agency responsible for determining which pipeline route is in the public interest, and that it did so after months of consideration.
“We find there is sufficient evidence to support the PSC’s determination that the (alternative route) is in the public interest,” Justice Jeffrey Funke wrote for the court.
If completed, the pipeline would carry oil from Canada through Montana, South Dakota and Nebraska, where it would connect to an existing pump station in Steele City, Nebraska. From there it would continue through Kansas, Oklahoma and Texas until it reaches Gulf coast refineries. Business groups and some unions support the project as a way to create jobs and reduce the risk of shipping oil by trains that can derail.=https://yyy.theguardian.com/environment/2019/nov/25/keystone-xl-protests-pipeline-activism-environment<div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">=</div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">https://yyy.theguardian.com/us-news/2019/sep/23/revealed-how-the-fbi-targeted-environmental-activists-in-domestic-terror-investigations</div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">
</div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><div>no link guk</div><div>Revealed: how the FBI targeted environmental activists in domestic terror investigations</div><div>US news</div><div>Protesters were characterized as a threat to national security in what one calls an attempt to criminalize their actions</div><div>
</div><div>Adam Federman</div><div>
</div><div>Tue 24 Sep 2019 01.00 EDTLast modified on Wed 25 Sep 2019 14.11 EDT</div><div>
</div><div>Helen Yost, a 62-year-old environmental educator, has been a committed activist for nearly a decade. She says she spends 60 to 80 hours a week as a community organizer for Wild Idaho Rising Tide. She’s been arrested twice for engaging in non-violent civil disobedience.</div><div>
</div><div>Yost may not fit the profile of a domestic terrorist, but in 2014 the FBI classified her as a potential threat to national security. According to hundreds of pages of FBI files obtained by the Guardian through a Freedom of Information Act (Foia) lawsuit, and interviews with activists, Yost and more than a dozen other people campaigning against fossil fuel extraction in North America have been identified in domestic terrorism-related investigations.</div><div>
</div><div>The investigations, which targeted individual activists and some environmental organizations, were opened in 2013-2014, at the height of opposition to the Keystone XL Pipeline and the expansion of fossil fuel production in North America.</div><div>
</div><div>From an FBI communication on Helen Yost, dated 24 July 2014.</div><div> From an FBI communication on Helen Yost, dated 24 July 2014.</div><div>The new Foia documents reveal the bureau’s motivation for investigating a broad cross-section of the environmental movement and its characterization of non-violent protesters as a potential threat to national security.</div><div>
</div><div>In 2010, the DoJ’s inspector general criticized the FBI for using non-violent civil disobedience as grounds to open domestic terrorism investigations. US citizens swept up in such investigations can be placed on terrorism watchlists and subjected to surveillance and restrictions on international travel. The designation can also lead local law enforcement to take a more confrontational approach when engaging with non-violent activists.</div><div>
</div><div>
</div><div>The Resistance Now: Sign up for weekly news updates about the movement</div><div> Read more</div><div>The FBI’s 2013-2014 investigation of Keystone XL activists in Houston violated internal agency guidelines designed to prevent the bureau from infringing on constitutionally protected activities. The investigations opened in 2013-2014 were closed after the FBI concluded that the individuals and organizations had not engaged in criminal activity and did not a pose a threat to national security.</div><div>
</div><div>In 2015, the Obama administration rejected the Keystone XL pipeline project, which required state department approval because it would cross international borders, handing the environmental movement a major victory. More large-scale protests followed, including the standoff over the Dakota Access pipeline, which temporarily delayed the project.</div><div>
</div><div>But those decisions have been reversed in recent years. Donald Trump has approved construction of the Keystone XL and Dakota Access pipelines, and his administration has also advocated for stiffer penalties against activists who engage in non-violent direct action targeting fossil fuel infrastructure. Meanwhile, in the wake of the Standing Rock protests, seven states have passed legislation making it a crime to trespass on property containing critical infrastructure.</div><div>
</div><div>In its July 2014 file on Yost, the FBI cited federal anti-terrorism legislation prohibiting “attacks and other violence against railroad carriers” as the primary justification for opening the investigation. Violation of the law can lead to up to 20 years in prison. Activists who engage in non-violent civil disobedience and are charged with minor offenses such as trespassing are typically released within 48 hours.</div><div>
</div><div>The FBI characterized Yost as being driven by a “desire to stop fossil fuels which, in her political view, are destroying parts of the US, specifically Montana, Idaho and Washington”. In addition, the FBI discussed the case with the US attorney’s office in Idaho, local law enforcement, and BNSF Railway, which operates the main rail line delivering coal and oil to export terminals in the Pacific north-west.</div><div>
</div><div>FBI communication on Helen Yost</div><div> From an FBI communication on Helen Yost, dated 24 July 2014.</div><div>According to the FBI file, the bureau opened the investigation based on information that Yost “was organizing and planning on conducting illegal activities against railroad companies from Montana into Idaho and Washington”.</div><div>
</div><div>Yost said Wild Idaho Rising Tide (WIRT) never organized direct action protests to disrupt oil train traffic passing in the region. The heavily redacted Yost investigation concludes that “no potential criminal violations or priority threats to national security warranting further investigation were identified”.</div><div>
</div><div>WIRT did participate in a series of community-led events and workshops in July and August 2014 opposing the transport of oil and coal by rail. “Investigators may have conflated several community events to assume such fictitious allegations,” Yost said in an email.</div><div>
</div><div>For several years, WIRT, founded in 2011, had been publicizing its actions on the organization’s Facebook page. Much of its activity had focused on stopping the passage of huge trucks known as megaloads, which transport processing equipment to tar sands oil fields in Canada and weigh hundreds of thousands of pounds, along one of Idaho’s scenic byways.</div><div>
</div><div>The campaign involved posting public records on the megaload routes, tracking their progress, and at times blockading their movement.</div><div>
</div><div>Yost was also active in protesting against the shipment of coal and oil by rail to export terminals in Seattle. In the summer of 2014, WIRT, along with several other environmental organizations and native groups across the Pacific north-west, sponsored a series of rallies and workshops in the region.</div><div>
</div><div>Those protests were peaceful – a handful of activists in Montana including the environmental writer Rick Bass were arrested for trespassing – and in the end the FBI concluded that Yost did not pose a threat to national security. Several months later the investigation was closed.</div><div>
</div><div>However, in the file closing the case, it appears that Yost has been watchlisted, which is standard for named subjects of FBI domestic terrorism investigations, according to Mike German, a former FBI agent who is now a fellow with the Brennan Center for Justice. Being watchlisted can lead to heightened scrutiny from law enforcement and delays or additional screenings when traveling. Yost said she had not traveled overseas since the FBI investigation.</div><div>
</div><div>Yost, who was contacted by an FBI agent when the case was still active, said she was not surprised by the agency’s actions. Surveillance was a form of suppression, she said, and this was another attempt to criminalize the actions of “normal people” working to protect natural resources. But she remains undeterred.</div><div>
</div><div>“Assume they know the color of your underwear every morning and get up and resist anyway,” Yost said.</div><div>
</div><div>Herb Goodwin, a 70-year-old activist, has a similar philosophy. “We’re all under surveillance,” Goodwin said. “If they want to look at your stuff, they’re going to.”...</div></div><div>=</div><div>an 1119</div><div><a href="https://www.alternet.org/2019/11/keystone-pipeline-springs-a-massive-leak-and-dumps-at-least-383000-gallons-of-oil-in-north-dakota/">https://www.alternet.org/2019/11/keystone-pipeline-springs-a-massive-leak-and-dumps-at-least-383000-gallons-of-oil-in-north-dakota/</a></div><div>
</div><div><div>n o lnx</div><div>
</div><div>Keystone pipeline springs a massive leak and dumps at least 383,000 gallons of oil in North Dakota</div><div>
</div><div>Written by Jake Johnson / Common Dreams November 1, 2019</div><div>Environmentalists were outraged but not at all surprised to learn Thursday that the Keystone pipeline sprung yet another massive leak, this time spilling 383,000 gallons of crude oil in North Dakota.</div><div>
</div><div>“I wish I could say I was shocked, but a major spill from the Keystone pipeline is exactly what multiple experts predicted would happen,” Greenpeace USA senior research specialist Tim Donaghy said in a statement. “In fact, this is the fourth significant spill from the Keystone pipeline in less than ten years of operation. History has shown us time and again that there is no safe way to transport fossil fuels, and pipelines are no exception.”</div><div>
</div><div>
</div><div>As 350.org founder Bill McKibben tweeted in response to the leak, “It happens over and over and over and over and over.”</div><div>
</div><div>The latest Keystone spill was first detected Tuesday night by TC Energy, the pipeline’s owner, and the extent of the damage to the surrounding areas is not yet known to the public. According to Greenpeace, the leak “is already the eighth-largest pipeline oil spill of the last decade.”</div><div>
</div><div>
</div><div>Greenpeace USA</div><div>?</div><div>@greenpeaceusa</div><div>The Keystone pipeline just spilled AGAIN — and is now the 8th largest pipeline oil spill in the past decade. ????</div><div>
</div><div>Brought to you by the corporation that wants to build the much larger #KXL pipeline and have it cut right through the Midwest... https://nyti.ms/2oxONNq  #NoKXL</div><div>
</div><div>92</div><div>11:15 AM - Oct 31, 2019</div><div>Twitter Ads info and privacy</div><div>127 people are talking about this</div><div>The Keystone pipeline just spilled AGAIN — and is now the 8th largest pipeline oil spill in the past decade. ????</div><div>
</div><div>Brought to you by the corporation that wants to build the much larger #KXL pipeline and have it cut right through the Midwest… https://t.co/gHXxIC12Sw #NoKXL</div><div>
</div><div>— Greenpeace USA (@greenpeaceusa) October 31, 2019</div><div>
</div><div>Brent Nelson, emergency manager for Walsh County, North Dakota, told the local Grand Forks Herald that the cleanup process could take months.</div><div>
</div><div>“The roads around the spill area have been closed to assist with the cleanup,” the Herald reported. “Walsh County Sheriff Ronald Jurgens asks the public to avoid the area so the cleanup process can proceed. On-site security will stop and fine any driver ignoring the closed road signs.”</div><div>
</div><div>TC Energy, previously known as TransCanada, denied that the spill had any impact on drinking water, a claim that was met with skepticism.</div><div>
</div><div>@RuthH_Hopkins</div><div>Keystone Pipeline leak spills oil in northeastern North Dakota </div><div>
</div><div>Corp says the oil hasn’t contaminated any drinking water & they’re cleaning it up but anyone who drives to the site will be fined by their security so who knows what’s going on. #NOKXL https://www.grandforksherald.com/news/4746575-Keystone-Pipeline-leak-spills-oil-in-northeastern-North-Dakota …</div><div>
</div><div>Keystone Pipeline leak spills oil in northeastern North Dakota</div><div>
</div><div>Corp says the oil hasn’t contaminated any drinking water & they’re cleaning it up but anyone who drives to the site will be fined by their security so who knows what’s going on. #NOKXL https://t.co/7H6Dcz4bsm</div><div>
</div><div>— Ruth Hopkins (@RuthH_Hopkins) October 31, 2019</div><div>
</div><div>Catherine Collentine, associate director of Sierra Club’s Beyond Dirty Fuels initiative, said “this is not the first time this pipeline has spilled toxic tar sands, and it won’t be the last.”</div><div>
</div><div>“We’ve always said it’s not a question of whether a pipeline will spill, but when,” said Collentine, “and once again TC Energy has made our case for us.”</div><div>
</div><div>Keystone’s leak in North Dakota was detected just hours after the U.S. State Department held a public hearing in Billings, Montana to solicit comments on the department’s new analysis (pdf) of the potential environmental impact of the Keystone XL project.</div><div>
</div><div>The Trump administration has worked hard to approve and accelerate the project over the protests and legal challenges of indigenous rights organizations and green groups.</div><div>
</div><div>Joye Braun, frontline community organizer with the Indigenous Environmental Network, said the State Department meeting on Keystone XL “seemed more like an industry showcase rather than public comment hearing.”</div><div>
</div><div>“We stand firm in opposing this project as the latest spill is further evidence of just how dangerous pipelines are,” said Braun.</div><div>
</div></div><div></div>omfgno lnx vid<a href="https://www.indianz.com/News/2019/04/04/native-sun-news-today-trump-once-again-p.asp">https://www.indianz.com/News/2019/04/04/native-sun-news-today-trump-once-again-p.asp</a>Native Sun News Today: Trump once again pushes Keystone XL Pipeline on Indian CountryThursday, April 4, 2019  Holding on tight as Trump boosts KXL PipelineBy Talli NaumanNative Sun News Today Health & Environment Editornativesunnews.todayMISSION - As the Rosebud Sioux Tribe celebrated the fifth anniversary March 29 of founding its spirit camp to protect nature from the proposed Keystone XL Pipeline, U.S. President Donald Trump advanced the Canadian tar-sands crude-oil slurry project by revoking its stalled State Department permit and issuing a fast-track executive proclamation.“Today we celebrate the day now recognized as a Rosebud Sioux Tribe Official Holiday and we continue the original prayer as we remain steadfast, Shielding the People - Oyate Wahancanka Woecun,” the Rosebud Spirit Camp announced, inviting the public here to a feast and dance “to give thanks for the continued success of the original prayer.”Just hours later, Trump signed a memorandum declaring: “By virtue of the authority vested in me as President of the United States of America, I hereby grant permission … to TransCanada Keystone Pipeline, L.P. to construct, connect, operate, and maintain pipeline facilities at the international border of the United States and Canada at Phillips County, Montana, for the import of oil from Canada to the United States.”If unopposed, the order would allow construction to go forward despite a federal court suspension of the State Department Presidential Permit, requiring further study before approval.indianz.com@indianzPresident Trump is attempting to circumvent the judiciary by approving the Keystone XL Pipeline without a full environmental review of concerns raised by Indian Country. #NoKXL statement from the Indigenous Environmental Network:The Indigenous Environmental Network responded by calling the order “an attempt by the President to bypass federal environmental laws.“In defense of the sacred and the protection of indigenous peoples, we will continue to fight this pipeline, even if that means further legal action against the office of the President of the United States,” the Bemidji-based non-profit alliance said in a written statement.Trump’s document professes to be an instrument that “supersedes” the State Department’s Presidential Permit issued March 23, 2017. However, the earlier permit applied to the full length of the segment of the pipeline that remains to be built through unceded 1868 Ft. Laramie Treaty territory in Montana, South Dakota, and Nebraska.If completed, the Keystone XL Pipeline would carry diluted bitumen, or dilbit, from the tar-sands mines of the Athabascan homelands in Alberta to the Texas Gulf Coast refineries and export terminals.The memorandum only covers construction at “border facilities,” consisting of a 36-inch diameter pipeline extending from Canada “to and including the first mainline shut-off valve in the United States,” located approximately 1.2 miles from the international boundary.Oyate Wahacanka Woecun: #NoKXL #NoDAPL #WeAreProtectorsThe announcement came as tribal governments and ranchers along the route were struggling to survive monumental spring storm runoff that is creating mud plains and stranding residents for weeks.“In the face of historic flooding in Nebraska and South Dakota, the Trump Administration issues another proclamation attempting to shove a risky tar-sands pipeline down the throats of farmers and ranchers currently facing devastation,” said Jane Kleeb, Bold Nebraska founder.The past Administration had denied the Presidential Permit to build into the United States and Trump overturned that with the flourish of a pen during his first week in office, as promised on the campaign trail.“Instead of helping the heartland, Trump is driving a stake through the hearts of family farmers and ranchers and tribal nations who are trying to protect the land and water from a foreign oil pipeline,” she said in a written statement.The White House action followed the announcement one day earlier of a lawsuit against the state of South Dakota for Gov. Kristi Noem’s recently approved Riot Busting Act, so-called after she coined the phrase “riot busting” in drafting the measure she said was aimed at avoiding costs to the government for conflicts the Keystone XL project is anticipated to engender.The act says that “anyone that contributes to a protest, whether through monetary donations, donations of supplies, or even through organizing a page on social media, can be held liable, and have civil and criminal penalties for supporting a protest that the state deems violent,” plaintiffs claimed.“Individuals or organizations that support a protest don’t even need to be on the ground or physically present at the protest to be held liable,” plaintiffs added. Also under the law, TransCanada Corp. could use money obtained from protesters and organizations to promote pipeline construction,” they alleged.“Gov. Kristi Noem's legislation is yet another way to promote Big Oil interests and prevent dissent by making protesters subject to legal action,” said Kim Pate, vice-president of NDN Collective. Cherokee and Choctaw, Pate is an attorney with 25 years of experience in civil rights litigation.“Protests and other forms of dissent are protected speech under the First Amendment of the Constitution. If we don't fight this now, what's next? Silencing all speech to placate and enable corporate interests at all costs?” she asked. “Not on our watch.”Joining her organization in the lawsuit prepared by the ACLU are the Indigenous Environmental Network, the Sierra Club, and Dakota Rural Action, as well as Oglala Lakota’s Dallas Goldtooth of the Indigenous Environmental Network, and Nick Tilsen, president and CEO of the NDN Collective.<a href="https://foe.org/keystone-xl-pipeline-influence-scandal/">https://foe.org/keystone-xl-pipeline-influence-scandal/</a>...OverviewThe State Department has the lead authority to determine whether to approve the Keystone XL pipeline by conducting and environmental impact assessment. The law requires the State Department to act impartially and undertake an independent, rigorous, science-based analysis of the controversial pipeline’s risks. Unfortunately, it has become clear that the State Department’s review is deeply, irreparably flawed.First of all, the firm hired by the State Department to conduct the pipeline’s environmental review, Environmental Resources Management, has financial ties with TransCanada (the company seeking to build the pipeline). According to <a href="http://www.motherjones.com/politics/2013/03/keystone-xl-contractor-ties-transcanada-state-department" style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px; text-decoration-line: none; transition: color 0.3s ease-in-out 0s;">Mother Jones</a>, State Department employees clumsily edited the firm’s Conflict of Interest filings in order to hide ERM consultants’ previous work for TransCanada. Moreover, <a href="http://insideclimatenews.org/news/20130306/keystone-xl-eis-state-department-transcanada-oil-tar-sands-industry-ensys-energy-koch-brothers-exxonmobil-bp-obama" style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px; background-color: transparent; text-decoration-line: none; transition: color 0.3s ease-in-out 0s;">Inside Climate</a> has reported that ERM subcontracted crucial parts of its report to consulting firms with deep ties to oil and pipeline companies. As a result, this environmental review downplays the climate impacts of the pipeline. The EPA, like Friends of the Earth, has criticized the review for its inaccurate assessment of the oil sands crude market, understatement of climate impacts from tar sands extraction, and dismissal of the impact on communities along the pipeline route, including in the vicinity of the Texas refineries.Secondly, TransCanada and the Canadian province of Alberta have hired a web of former Obama and Kerry officials and campaigners to lobby for the pipeline. <a href="http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/91300bf0-c80e-11e2-be27-00144feab7de.html#axzz2WCjhN4GQ" style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px; background-color: transparent; text-decoration-line: none; transition: color 0.3s ease-in-out 0s;">The Financial Times</a> has found that Alberta made a point to hire former Obama officials and Kerry staff in order to win approval from the State Department instead of focusing on Congress like most lobby groups. TransCanada and Alberta’s lobbyists have been trying to convince the administration that the pipeline will create jobs and pose no threats to the environment, in the hopes that they can get the pipeline approved.Friends of the Earth’s recent <a href="https://foe.org/news/news-releases/2013-04-friends-of-the-earth-files-kxl-foia-request" style="background-color: transparent; box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px; text-decoration-line: none; transition: color 0.3s ease-in-out 0s;">Freedom of Information Act request </a>to the State Department identifies more than two dozen of these lobbyists, lawyers and consultants helping to push the pipeline. Heading the list is Anita Dunn, a former White House communications director and senior advisor to the president’s re-election campaign and the former communications director for the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee under then-Senator Kerry. Dunn is now a principal with the lobbying firm SDKnickerbocker, which represents TransCanada. Other pipeline lobbyists include three former U.S. ambassadors to Canada, David Wilkins, Gordon Giffin and Jim Blanchard and three former members of John Kerry’s presidential campaign team, Brandon Pollak, Graham Shalgian and David Castagnetti.This is not the first time that the State Department has let TransCanada call the shots. Previously, the State Department hired the consulting firm CardnoEntrix, even though the firm listed TransCanada as a major client (a fact which should have <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2011/10/08/science/earth/08pipeline.html?r=3&hpw&" style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px; background-color: transparent; text-decoration-line: none; transition: color 0.3s ease-in-out 0s;">disqualified </a>it under the National Environmental Policy Act). Not surprisingly, CardnoEntrix’s review downplayed the climate impacts and potential risks of the pipeline. A <a href="https://foe.org/news/archives/keystone-xl-pipeline-influence-scandal" style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px; background-color: transparent; text-decoration-line: none; transition: color 0.3s ease-in-out 0s;">Freedom of Information Act request</a> by Friends of the Earth uncovered <a href="http://www.desmogblog.com/hillary-clinton-keystone-xl-lobbyists" style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px; background-color: transparent; text-decoration-line: none; transition: color 0.3s ease-in-out 0s;">close ties</a> between State Department officials and TransCanada and multiple e-mails showed State Department employees <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2011/10/04/science/earth/04pipeline.html?pagewanted=all" style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px; background-color: transparent; text-decoration-line: none; transition: color 0.3s ease-in-out 0s;">coaching</a> TransCanada lobbyist (and former Hillary Clinton campaign official) Paul Elliott in his efforts to build support for the pipeline.In his 2008 campaign, President Obama <a href="http://change.gov/agenda/ethics_agenda/" style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px; background-color: transparent; text-decoration-line: none; transition: color 0.3s ease-in-out 0s;">promised</a> to tell lobbyists that “their days of setting the agenda are over.” Unfortunately, his State Department has failed to live up to this promise. The evidence is in: the State Department is again running a sham process, rigged in favor of dirty oil. It is up to President Obama to make things right.<h3 style="box-sizing: inherit; max-height: 1e+06px; margin: 0px 0px 0.5em; text-transform: capitalize; line-height: 43pt; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">Key Concerns</h3><div>...</div>icn 619<p style="box-sizing: inherit; margin: 0px 0px 1.5em; padding: 0px; font-family: " open="Open" sans="Sans" sans-serif="sans-serif" font-size="font-size" px="px" background-color="background-color" rgb="rgb">A federal appeals court on Thursday threw out a lower court decision to halt construction of the Keystone XL pipeline. But several major obstacles remain to the controversial project's progress, ensuring that the much-delayed Keystone XL will likely not be built soon.<p style="box-sizing: inherit; margin: 0px 0px 1.5em; padding: 0px; font-family: " open="Open" sans="Sans" sans-serif="sans-serif" font-size="font-size" px="px" background-color="background-color" rgb="rgb">The Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals decision hands a victory, at least for now, to the Trump administration and tar sands oil interests that have sought to jump-start construction of the northern leg of the pipeline from Alberta to Nebraska.<p style="box-sizing: inherit; margin: 0px 0px 1.5em; padding: 0px; font-family: " open="Open" sans="Sans" sans-serif="sans-serif" font-size="font-size" px="px" background-color="background-color" rgb="rgb">President Barack Obama had decided in 2015 that <a href="https://insideclimatenews.org/topic/keystone-xl" style="box-sizing: inherit; background-color: transparent; text-decoration-line: none; font-weight: bold;">Keystone XL</a> should not be built, <a href="https://insideclimatenews.org/news/06112015/keystone-xl-pipeline-obama-transcanada-climate-change" style="box-sizing: inherit; background-color: transparent; text-decoration-line: none; font-weight: bold;">saying</a> it wouldn't serve the U.S. national interest. But in one of his first acts in the White House, President <a href="https://insideclimatenews.org/tags/donald-trump" style="box-sizing: inherit; background-color: transparent; text-decoration-line: none; font-weight: bold;">Donald Trump</a> signed an executive order reversing that decision and directing the State Department to issue a construction permit. The issue has been litigated ever since.<div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"></div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">
</div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">also LNG export</div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">
</div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><a href="https://insideclimatenews.org/news/11042019/trump-pipeline-executive-order-environmental-review-keystone-xl-clean-water-act-states-rights" style="text-decoration-line: none; font-weight: bold; outline: none;">https://insideclimatenews.org/news/11042019/trump-pipeline-executive-order-environmental-review-keystone-xl-clean-water-act-states-rights</a></div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">
</div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><div class="content" style="box-sizing: inherit;"><div class="field field-name-body field-type-text-with-summary field-label-hidden" style="box-sizing: inherit;"><div class="field-items" style="box-sizing: inherit;"><div class="field-item even" property="content:encoded" style="box-sizing: inherit;"> Trump signed a pair of executive orders Wednesday that aim to speed approval and construction of fossil fuel projects, including the long-delayed Keystone XL pipeline, by limiting environmental reviews. While the measures are part of a broader effort to use his executive authority to push through oil, gas and coal development, they also mark a new attempt to shield the president's actions from review by the courts.One of the orders appears to target the Keystone XL pipeline in particular, declaring that the decision to permit infrastructure crossing international borders "shall be made solely by the President" rather than the State Department, to which previous administrations had delegated the authority. Trump <a href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/presidential-actions/presidential-permit/" style="text-decoration-line: none; font-weight: bold; outline: none; box-sizing: inherit; background-color: transparent;">issued exactly such a permit</a> in March for Keystone XL, and both the permit and the new order appear to be attempts to sidestep a legal challenge and allow the project to proceed.Critically, having the president issue the permit directly, rather than going through the State Department, could make it more difficult for environmental and indigenous groups to challenge cross-border permits under the National Environmental Protection Act, which subjects major federal agency actions to careful review.The second order signed Wednesday aims to limit the ability of states to review and reject pipelines and other projects under a section of the Clean Water Act. States have used that law to slow or block several pipeline projects, as well as proposed terminals to export coal and natural gas. The order also directs the Transportation Department to update regulations for exporting liquified natural gas, an increasingly important product for the energy industry.Trump's orders drew wide condemnation from environmental groups."States must be able to protect communities from the polluting corporations that threaten them and their waterways," said Michael Brune, executive director of the Sierra Club, in a statement. "The Sierra Club will fight these executive orders with every tool at our disposal."Rep. Frank Pallone, Jr., chairman of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, vowed to "fight this tooth and nail."The Western Governors' Association, whose members include the Republican governors of the nation's top energy-producing states, also questioned the move to limit states' authority. It issued a statement saying the governors "have concerns" about the order but are ready to work with federal officials on the new guidelines.<h3 dir="ltr" style="box-sizing: inherit; margin: 0px 0px 0.5em; padding: 0px; font-weight: normal; line-height: 1.333;">Clearing the Way for Keystone XL</h3><div>...</div></div></div></div></div></div>mich gov block?<a href="https://thinkprogress.org/trump-keystone-xl-environment-climate-change-lobbyists-presidential-permit-477d7da51882/">https://thinkprogress.org/trump-keystone-xl-environment-climate-change-lobbyists-presidential-permit-477d7da51882/</a>
Trump handed a victory to a major North American energy company on Friday afternoon with a new presidential permit allowing the controversial Keystone XL pipeline to go forward. Many say the move is an effort to sidestep judiciary and environmental review and is likely to face legal challenges.Pipeline company TransCanada Corp. is authorized to “construct, connect, operate and maintain” pipeline facilities running between the United States and Canada, per the permit issued on March 29. It additionally allows the maintenance of a pipeline facility in Phillips County, Montana.The presidential permit revokes and replaces <a href="https://www.state.gov/r/pa/prs/ps/2017/03/269074.htm" target="blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" style="box-sizing: inherit; text-decoration-line: none; word-break: break-word; border-bottom: 1px solid rgb(144, 141, 255);">a previous presidential permit</a> granted by Trump in March 2017. In November 2018, a Montana judge invalidated that permit and it is currently being appealed, while a December lawsuit and subsequent injunction largely halted pre-construction activities on the pipeline. The Trump administration was, as a result of the November legal action, ordered to conduct a new environmental review of the pipeline — something the new presidential permit apparently seeks to sidestep.“This permit supersedes the Presidential permit issued to the permittee, dated March 23, 2017,” the new permit notes. Some think that logic stems from the Justice Department’s previous argument that the permit isn’t subject to environmental review by the State Department if it is signed by the president himself.The new permit notably removes a section from its older version that referenced <a href="https://keystonepipeline-xl.state.gov/documents/organization/221135.pdf" target="blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" style="box-sizing: inherit; text-decoration-line: none; word-break: break-word; border-bottom: 1px solid rgb(144, 141, 255);">a 2014 environmental impact statement</a> assessing Keystone XL’s environmental consequences. That document includes references to climate change and environmental justice, along with threatened and endangered species. The word “environment” appears only once in the new presidential permit issued Friday, referencing environmental contamination. The word “climate” does not appear at all.<div class="related-contentwrapper" style="box-sizing: inherit; padding: 0px; margin: 0px 0px 2rem; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><a href="https://thinkprogress.org/judge-blocks-keystone-xl-trump-1a741f47a9d6/" style="box-sizing: inherit; text-decoration-line: none; word-break: break-word; border: none; display: flex;" /><div class="related-contentimage" style="box-sizing: inherit; align-self: flex-start; margin: 0px 1rem 0px 0px; width: 171px;"><a href="https://thinkprogress.org/judge-blocks-keystone-xl-trump-1a741f47a9d6/" style="box-sizing: inherit; text-decoration-line: none; word-break: break-word; border: none; display: flex;"></a><a href="https://thinkprogress.org/judge-blocks-keystone-xl-trump-1a741f47a9d6/" style="box-sizing: inherit; text-decoration-line: none; word-break: break-word; border: none; display: flex;"></a><a href="https://thinkprogress.org/judge-blocks-keystone-xl-trump-1a741f47a9d6/" style="box-sizing: inherit; text-decoration-line: none; word-break: break-word; border: none; display: flex;" /><a href="https://thinkprogress.org/judge-blocks-keystone-xl-trump-1a741f47a9d6/" style="box-sizing: inherit; text-decoration-line: none; word-break: break-word; border: none; display: flex;" /><a href="https://thinkprogress.org/judge-blocks-keystone-xl-trump-1a741f47a9d6/" style="box-sizing: inherit; text-decoration-line: none; word-break: break-word; border: none; display: flex;" /><a href="https://thinkprogress.org/judge-blocks-keystone-xl-trump-1a741f47a9d6/" style="box-sizing: inherit; text-decoration-line: none; word-break: break-word; border: none; display: flex;" /><a href="https://thinkprogress.org/judge-blocks-keystone-xl-trump-1a741f47a9d6/" style="box-sizing: inherit; text-decoration-line: none; word-break: break-word; border: none; display: flex;" /><a href="https://thinkprogress.org/judge-blocks-keystone-xl-trump-1a741f47a9d6/" style="box-sizing: inherit; text-decoration-line: none; word-break: break-word; border: none; display: flex;" /><a href="https://thinkprogress.org/judge-blocks-keystone-xl-trump-1a741f47a9d6/" style="box-sizing: inherit; text-decoration-line: none; word-break: break-word; border: none; display: flex;" /><a href="https://thinkprogress.org/judge-blocks-keystone-xl-trump-1a741f47a9d6/" style="box-sizing: inherit; text-decoration-line: none; word-break: break-word; border: none; display: flex;" /><a href="https://thinkprogress.org/judge-blocks-keystone-xl-trump-1a741f47a9d6/" style="box-sizing: inherit; text-decoration-line: none; word-break: break-word; border: none; display: flex;" /><a href="https://thinkprogress.org/judge-blocks-keystone-xl-trump-1a741f47a9d6/" style="box-sizing: inherit; text-decoration-line: none; word-break: break-word; border: none; display: flex;" /><a href="https://thinkprogress.org/judge-blocks-keystone-xl-trump-1a741f47a9d6/" style="box-sizing: inherit; text-decoration-line: none; word-break: break-word; border: none; display: flex;" /><a href="https://thinkprogress.org/judge-blocks-keystone-xl-trump-1a741f47a9d6/" style="box-sizing: inherit; text-decoration-line: none; word-break: break-word; border: none; display: flex;" /><a href="https://thinkprogress.org/judge-blocks-keystone-xl-trump-1a741f47a9d6/" style="box-sizing: inherit; text-decoration-line: none; word-break: break-word; border: none; display: flex;" /><a href="https://thinkprogress.org/judge-blocks-keystone-xl-trump-1a741f47a9d6/" style="box-sizing: inherit; text-decoration-line: none; word-break: break-word; border: none; display: flex;" /><a href="https://thinkprogress.org/judge-blocks-keystone-xl-trump-1a741f47a9d6/" style="box-sizing: inherit; text-decoration-line: none; word-break: break-word; border: none; display: flex;" /><a href="https://thinkprogress.org/judge-blocks-keystone-xl-trump-1a741f47a9d6/" style="box-sizing: inherit; text-decoration-line: none; word-break: break-word; border: none; display: flex;" /><a href="https://thinkprogress.org/judge-blocks-keystone-xl-trump-1a741f47a9d6/" style="box-sizing: inherit; text-decoration-line: none; word-break: break-word; border: none; display: flex;" /><a href="https://thinkprogress.org/judge-blocks-keystone-xl-trump-1a741f47a9d6/" style="box-sizing: inherit; text-decoration-line: none; word-break: break-word; border: none; display: flex;" /><a href="https://thinkprogress.org/judge-blocks-keystone-xl-trump-1a741f47a9d6/" style="box-sizing: inherit; text-decoration-line: none; word-break: break-word; border: none; display: flex;"><figure class="postfigure postfigure--format-thumbnail" style="box-sizing: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; max-width: 100%;"><div class="postthumbnail" style="box-sizing: inherit; overflow: hidden; position: relative;"><picture id="picture-1100805" class="wp-image-1100805 size-full " data-id="1100805" style="box-sizing: inherit;"><source srcset="https://i2.wp.com/thinkprogress.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/GettyImages-633938612.jpg?w=1920&crop=0%2C0px%2C100%2C1490px&ssl=1" media="(min-width: 1920px)" style="box-sizing: inherit;"><source srcset="https://i2.wp.com/thinkprogress.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/GettyImages-633938612.jpg?w=1920&crop=0%2C0px%2C100%2C1490px&ssl=1" media="(min-width: 1024px) and (max-width: 1920px)" style="box-sizing: inherit;"><source srcset="https://i2.wp.com/thinkprogress.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/GettyImages-633938612.jpg?w=1024&crop=0%2C0px%2C100%2C795px&ssl=1" media="(min-width: 768px) and (max-width: 1024px)" style="box-sizing: inherit;"><source srcset="https://i2.wp.com/thinkprogress.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/GettyImages-633938612.jpg?w=1024&crop=0%2C0px%2C100%2C795px&ssl=1" media="(min-width: 512px) and (max-width: 1024px)" style="box-sizing: inherit;"><source srcset="https://i2.wp.com/thinkprogress.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/GettyImages-633938612.jpg?w=768&crop=0%2C0px%2C100%2C596px&ssl=1" media="(min-width: 512px) and (max-width: 768px)" style="box-sizing: inherit;"><source srcset="https://i2.wp.com/thinkprogress.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/GettyImages-633938612.jpg?w=512&crop=0%2C0px%2C100%2C397px&ssl=1" media="(max-width: 512px)" style="box-sizing: inherit;"><source srcset="https://i2.wp.com/thinkprogress.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/GettyImages-633938612.jpg?w=768&crop=0%2C0px%2C100%2C596px&ssl=1" media="(max-width: 768px)" style="box-sizing: inherit;"><source srcset="https://i2.wp.com/thinkprogress.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/GettyImages-633938612.jpg?w=4288&crop=0%2C0px%2C100%2C3328px&ssl=1" media="all" style="box-sizing: inherit;">
</source></source></source></source></source></source></source></source></picture></div></figure></a></div><div class="related-contentbody" style="box-sizing: inherit; width: 513px;"><h3 class="related-contenttitle" style="box-sizing: inherit; line-height: 2rem; margin: 0px;">Judge deals blow to Trump administration over Keystone XL pipeline, citing climate change</h3></div></div>“What’s especially appalling about Trump’s move is that many parts of the proposed Keystone XL pipeline route in Nebraska are literally underwater right now with devastating floods impacting the Midwest, and instead of offering support to the communities who will face more of these kinds of disasters as the climate crisis worsens, Trump is offering a Canadian fossil fuel company another chance to build a gigantic fossil fuel project that would only unlock more climate pollution while putting already suffering communities further at risk,” said Greenpeace USA campaigner Rachel Butler to ThinkProgress in an email.Keystone XL has been a raging source of controversy for years, due largely to the public health and environmental implications posed by the pipeline. President Barack Obama handed pipeline opponents a victory when he backed away from the project in 2015 amid heated pushback. But Trump has prioritized the project — it was among the first actions Trump made after taking office and he has worked repeatedly to ensure that the pipeline comes to fruition, despite legal setbacks.Meanwhile, lobbyists have also been hard at work pushing for the pipeline’s construction. TransCanada spent around $200,000 each quarter of 2018 lobbying on issues including Keystone XL, according to disclosures. <a href="https://soprweb.senate.gov/index.cfm?event=processSearchCriteria" target="blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" style="box-sizing: inherit; text-decoration-line: none; word-break: break-word; border-bottom: 1px solid rgb(144, 141, 255);">Documents also show</a> the all-Republican D.C.-based lobbying firm CGCN Group spent $90,000 each quarter representing TransCanada last year and specifically targeting environmental reviews.The U.S. Chamber of Commerce has also lobbied on the Keystone XL environmental assessment specifically. On Friday, the organization <a href="https://www.uschamber.com/press-release/statement-presidential-permit-keystone-xl-pipeline" style="box-sizing: inherit; text-decoration-line: none; word-break: break-word; border-bottom: 1px solid rgb(144, 141, 255);">celebrated</a> the presidential permit almost immediately. “Keystone XL is in our economic and energy security interests, and review after review have found that it can be built and operated in an environmentally responsible way,” the statement read.The permit announcement appears to have caught stakeholders and environmental advocates largely off-guard. The State Department, which is conducting the new environmental review of the pipeline, appeared surprised by the news. Environmental groups similarly expressed shock to ThinkProgress, but underscored that the move is likely to face immediate legal challenges.“The courts have repeatedly rejected Trump’s attempts to get this pipeline built, so now he’s shamefully attempting to bypass our bedrock environmental laws for the benefit of a foreign pipeline company,” Sierra Club Executive Director Michal Brune told ThinkProgress. “We will continue to pursue every available avenue to ensure that this pipeline is never built.”A federal judge in Montana has temporarily halted the construction of the controversial Keystone XL pipeline Thursday. The Keystone XL pipeline would carry oil from Canada’s tar sands region in Alberta to refineries as far away as the Gulf of Mexico. The court’s decision will require the Trump administration to review more thoroughly the potential negative impacts of the pipeline on the surrounding environment and climate change. President Obama halted the construction of the pipeline in 2015, following mass public protests, but Trump reversed the order shortly after he came into office. Environmental and indigenous groups hailed the decision Thursday. Sierra Club attorney Doug Hayes said in a statement, “The Trump administration tried to force this dirty pipeline project on the American people, but they can’t ignore the threats it would pose to our clean water, our climate, and our communities.” It’s unclear whether the Trump administration will appeal the decision. <a href="https://www.democracynow.org/topics/keystone_xl" style="box-sizing: border-box; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); border: 0px; vertical-align: top;">Click here for our complete coverage on the Keystone XL pipeline</a>.<a href="https://www.democracynow.org/2018/11/9/headlines/judge_halts_construction_of_keystone_xl_pipeline">https://www.democracynow.org/2018/11/9/headlines/judge_halts_construction_of_keystone_xl_pipeline</a><div>=</div><div>https://YYY.theguardian.com/environment/2018/sep/20/keystone-pipeline-protest-activism-crackdown-standing-rock</div><div>
</div><div>will parrish and sam---</div><div>no lnx</div><div>"Treating protest as terrorism': US plans crackdown on Keystone XL activists</div><div>Documents suggest an aggressive response to possible protests against the oil pipeline amid fears of another Standing Rock</div><div>
</div><div>Will Parrish and Sam Levin</div><div>
</div><div>Thu 20 Sep 2018 04.00 EDT Last modified on Thu 20 Sep 2018 11.39 EDT</div><div>
</div><div>
</div><div> Protests at Standing Rock during the resistance to the Dakota Access pipeline. Photograph: Rex/Shutterstock]</div><div>
</div><div>Angeline Cheek is preparing for disaster. The indigenous organizer from the Fort Peck reservation in Montana fears that the proposed Keystone XL pipeline could break and spill, destroy her tribe’s water, and desecrate sacred Native American sites.</div><div>
</div><div>But environmental catastrophe is not the most immediate threat.</div><div>
</div><div>The government has characterized pipeline opponents like her as “extremists” and violent criminals and warned of potential “terrorism”, according to recently released records.</div><div>
</div><div>
</div><div>[Life on the Keystone XL route: where opponents fear the ‘black snake’</div><div> Read more]</div><div>
</div><div>The documents suggested that police were organizing to launch an aggressive response to possible Keystone protests, echoing the actions against the Standing Rock movement in North Dakota. There, officers engaged in intense surveillance and faced widespread accusations of excessive force and brutality.</div><div>
</div><div>“We have to stay one step ahead at all times,” said Cheek, a Hunkpapa and Oglala Lakota activist and teacher. “History is repeating itself.”</div><div>
</div><div>The proposed TransCanada project would carry a daily load of 830,000 barrels of oil over 1,204 miles – from Alberta, Canada to Montana, South Dakota and Nebraska, linking to the existing Keystone pipeline and Texas refineries. The path of the project, which was revived by Donald Trump last year, would cross dozens of rivers and streams and run near a number of Native American reservations, sparking legal challenges and a judge’s recent order for a full environmental review.</div><div>
</div><div>If the pipeline gets final approvals and construction advances in the coming months, some are anticipating massive demonstrations similar to the fight against the Dakota Access pipeline (Dapl). That conflict galvanized a global movement, but also led to FBI monitoring and the prolonged prosecution of hundreds of activists.</div><div>
</div><div>Documents obtained by the ACLU of Montana and reviewed by the Guardian have renewed concerns from civil rights advocates about the government’s treatment of indigenous activists known as water protectors.</div><div>
</div><div> Treating protest as terrorism is highly problematic</div><div>Mike German, former FBI agent</div><div>
</div><div>Notably, one record revealed that authorities hosted a recent “anti-terrorism” training session in Montana. The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and theFederal Emergency Management Agency also organized a “field force operations” training to teach “mass-arrest procedures”, “riot-control formations” and other “crowd-control methods”.</div><div>
</div><div>A US justice department intelligence specialist told the Guardian the terrorism training was an annual presentation not specific to Keystone. But the ACLU noted that its records request was specifically about the pipeline protests, suggesting that authorities considered the session relevant to Keystone preparation.</div><div>
</div><div>The repeated mass arrests at Standing Rock led to a litany of charges, but hundreds were eventually dismissed due to lack of evidence. Police deployed water cannons, teargas grenades, bean bag rounds and a wide array of weapons in North Dakota.</div><div>
</div><div>“Many of our residents were in Standing Rock, and they saw the level of violence that could be visited on us,” said Remi Bald Eagle, the intergovernmental affairs coordinator of the Cheyenne River Sioux tribe, which is located along the Keystone route. “There’s a level of anxiety and fear because we don’t know what’s going to happen.”</div><div>
</div><div> A depot used to store pipes for the planned Keystone XL oil pipeline in North Dakota.</div><div>Facebook Twitter Pinterest  A depot used to store pipes for the planned Keystone XL oil pipeline in North Dakota. Photograph: Andrew Cullen/Reuters</div><div>
</div><div>The Resistance Now: Sign up for weekly news updates about the movement</div><div> Read more]</div><div>
</div><div>The ACLU of Montana, which filed a lawsuit this month against the government seeking Keystone records, earlier obtained a DHS report that said pipeline protesters were engaged in “criminal disruptions and violent incidents”. The report included two past cases of alleged “environmental rights extremists” committing violence.</div><div>
</div><div>But the events in question – a 2012 bombing and a 2015 shootout with police – had no clear links to any environmental protests, said Mike German, a former FBI agent and fellow with the Brennan Center for Justice.</div><div>
</div><div>“Treating protest as terrorism is highly problematic,” said German, noting that the US government has long labeled activism as “terrorism”, once claiming that filing public records requests was an “extremist” tactic. “It’s an effective way of suppressing protest activity and creating an enormous burden for people who want to go out and express their concerns.”</div><div>
</div><div>The “terrorist” and “extremist” labels can be used to justify brutality and a militarized operation, said Andrea Carter, an attorney with the Water Protector Legal Collective, a group that has represented Standing Rock defendants.</div><div>
</div><div> They are instant experts on quashing the indigenous insurgency. It’s very, very concerning</div><div>Rachel Lederman, civil rights lawyer</div><div>
</div><div>“It’s a really egregious tactic,” she said, noting that the labels also lay the groundwork for prosecutors to turn low-level misdemeanor cases into federal felony trials. “A lot of it has to do with public relations.”</div><div>
</div><div>The Montana documents have also shone a light on the coordination between governments across state lines, raising questions about how extensively law enforcement was devoting resources to Keystone protests before they had materialized. An email from the Montana fish, wildlife and parks department from earlier this year said state officials had conducted “extensive conversations with North Dakota to learn what worked and what didn’t work” when responding to Dapl demonstrations.</div><div>
</div><div>Montana authorities have done further training sessions on harnessing social media and have begun monitoring posts of anti-pipeline activists, a sheriff said at one meeting, according to a local news report.</div><div>
</div><div>The records also highlighted the existing relationships between law enforcement and TransCanada. A county sheriff included a TransCanada executive on communications about one law enforcement training. In August 2017, the Montana Petroleum Association, a trade group, also hosted a panel on “environmental activism” in the state, featuring three law enforcement officers alongside TransCanada’s senior security adviser. = FASCISM</div><div>
</div><div>Rachel Lederman, a civil rights lawyer representing Standing Rock activists in a civil case, said it was alarming to see that law enforcement from North Dakota was giving advice about future pipeline protests: “They are instant experts on quashing the indigenous insurgency. It’s very, very concerning, because what happened at Standing Rock was just a wholesale violation of civil rights.”</div><div>
</div><div>John Barnes, a Montana justice department spokesman, defended the preparation efforts, saying in an email to the Guardian that authorities were committed to protecting “the first amendment rights of everyone while also protecting private property and public safety”. He added: “In North Dakota, bad actors associated with the Dakota Access pipeline protests maliciously targeted public officials and law-enforcement personnel online, and so it is important that people be prepared here.”</div><div>
</div><div> A protests against the Keystone XL pipeline in Washington.</div><div>Facebook Twitter Pinterest  A protests against the Keystone XL pipeline in Washington. Photograph: Gary Cameron/Reuters</div><div>Some activists said the law enforcement tactics would not deter them from Keystone opposition efforts – whether in court or on the ground.</div><div>
</div><div>“We’ve got a lot against us. We’re the underdog,” said Lance Four Star, the Fort Peck Assiniboine council chairman, who recounted a recent incident of harassment and heckling by a pro-pipeline, pro-Trump group while the tribe was doing a ceremony. “I may never see the results of my efforts in my lifetime, but hopefully our grandchildren will. What we’re protecting now is this water we inherited.”</div><div>
</div><div>Peck said she was also concerned about a potential increase in violence against indigenous women, stemming from the “man camps” where oil workers live. But the Montana wildlife department appeared to minimize this concern in one of the records, saying, “Although man-camps bring a certain degree of law enforcement challenges, the primary enforcement focus is protest activity.”</div><div>
</div><div>Organizers have discussed a “variety of strategies” to oppose construction, including “prayer camps” similar to Standing Rock, said Cheyenne River Sioux tribal member Joye Braun, who organized against Dapl and has been involved in Keystone efforts. </div><div>
</div><div>“Clearly, they’re scared of the power of our movement,” she said, adding that she accepted the reality that she may be under surveillance when she travels the pipeline route to meet activists. “We haven’t gone anywhere, and we’re just building momentum.”</div><div>
</div><div>Native Americans know the risks are immense. But the “terrorism” label would not intimidate them, said Leoyla Cowboy, the wife of Little Feather, who was recently sentenced to three years in federal prison for “civil disorder” at Standing Rock.</div><div>
</div><div>“As indigenous people, it’s embedded in our DNA. It’s our obligation to stand up.”</div><div>no pix</div><div></div><a href="https://insideclimatenews.org/news/07092018/protester-surveillance-anti-terrorism-training-keystone-xl-pipeline-aclu-lawsuit-federal-law-enforcement">https://insideclimatenews.org/news/07092018/protester-surveillance-anti-terrorism-training-keystone-xl-pipeline-aclu-lawsuit-federal-law-enforcement</a><div class="content" style="box-sizing: inherit;"><div class="field field-name-body field-type-text-with-summary field-label-hidden" style="box-sizing: inherit;"><div class="field-items" style="box-sizing: inherit;"><div class="field-item even" property="content:encoded" style="box-sizing: inherit;">This story follows <a href="https://insideclimatenews.org/news/22082018/pipeline-protest-laws-felony-free-speech-arrests-first-amendment-oklahoma-iowa-louisiana" style="box-sizing: inherit; background-color: transparent; text-decoration-line: none;">an in-depth ICN report</a> on efforts to pass laws in 31 states to crack down on protests.The Keystone XL pipeline is expected to draw protests from indigenous and environmental activists when construction begins, and many activists are worried law enforcement agencies may be planning surveillance and a militarized response. Now, the American Civil Liberties Union is accusing federal agencies of trying to hide the extent of these preparations, which the group says are clearly underway.The ACLU and its Montana affiliate <a href="https://www.aclu.org/legal-document/aclu-v-dod-complaint-0" style="box-sizing: inherit; text-decoration-line: none; font-weight: bold;">sued several federal agencies</a> this week, including the Departments of Justice, Defense and Homeland Security, saying the agencies are withholding documents that discuss planning for the expected protests and any coordination among state and local authorities and private security contractors.Fears about the law enforcement response follow the 2016 armed crackdown on people protesting the Dakota Access Pipeline, where authorities used <a href="https://theintercept.com/2016/11/21/medics-describe-how-police-sprayed-standing-rock-demonstrators-with-tear-gas-and-water-cannons/" style="box-sizing: inherit; background-color: transparent; text-decoration-line: none; font-weight: bold;">tear gas</a> and turned <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/morning-mix/wp/2016/11/21/police-citing-ongoing-riot-use-water-cannons-on-dakota-access-protesters-in-freezing-weather" style="box-sizing: inherit; background-color: transparent; text-decoration-line: none; font-weight: bold;">water cannons</a> on protesters in freezing temperatures. Since then, <a href="https://insideclimatenews.org/news/22082018/pipeline-protest-laws-felony-free-speech-arrests-first-amendment-oklahoma-iowa-louisiana" style="box-sizing: inherit; background-color: transparent; text-decoration-line: none; font-weight: bold;">dozens of bills and executive orders</a> have been introduced in at least 31 states to clamp down on protests. Activists say the bills are part of a concerted campaign by energy companies and their allies in government to suppress these protests by increasing criminal penalties for minor violations and in some cases trying to use anti-terrorism laws against activists.The ACLU says documents it obtained from state agencies in Montana suggest law enforcement agencies have begun extensive trainings in preparation for the <a href="https://insideclimatenews.org/news/13072018/keystone-xl-pipeline-native-american-resistance-oil-spill-cheyenne-river-sioux-dakota-access-transcanada" style="box-sizing: inherit; text-decoration-line: none; font-weight: bold;">Keystone XL project</a>, and that federal agencies are involved.  The records raise concerns that law enforcement agencies are preparing to stifle any protests even before they've begun, said Alex Rate, legal director of the ACLU in Montana."What we're concerned about is the surveillance and crackdown on peaceful protesters," Rate said. The records suggest law enforcement officers were given anti-terrorism and social media trainings in preparation for anticipated construction of Keystone XL and any related protests. "I think it would come as news to many people that the government is doing this to prepare for environmental protests about legitimate issues," he said.The group submitted public records requests to six federal offices and agencies in January, but received only a small number of records in response so far. Some agencies have said they have no records matching the request, while others have yet to respond. The Army Corps of Engineers provided some records but withheld others, saying they were exempt from disclosure because they would interfere with a law enforcement proceeding, among other reasons.<h3 style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); box-sizing: inherit; margin: 0px 0px 0.5em; padding: 0px; font-weight: normal; line-height: 1.333;">Montana Official: We're Just Doing Our Jobs</h3>Documents that have been released suggest federal and state agencies have created an interagency team and have been conducting trainings for local law enforcement on how to handle the protests. <a href="https://www.aclu.org/other/foia-document-government-email-about-anti-terrorism-training-ahead-keystone-xl-pipeline" style="box-sizing: inherit; background-color: transparent; text-decoration-line: none; font-weight: bold;">One email</a> from an intelligence specialist in the U.S. Attorney's Office in Montana to a state official said the office would be hosting an anti-terrorism training event in August.A <a href="https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/4829859-EXHIBIT-3-to-Supplemental-Request.html" style="box-sizing: inherit; text-decoration-line: none; font-weight: bold;">January email</a> from David Loewen, head of the law enforcement division of Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks, said the state's Division of Criminal Investigations had been in touch with officials in North Dakota "to learn what worked and what didn't" at Standing Rock during the Dakota Access Pipeline protests. The email noted that while "man-camps" to house workers would come along with pipeline construction and bring law enforcement challenges, "the primary enforcement focus is protest activity."In an interview, Loewen said the ACLU's concerns about law enforcement agencies suppressing protests were "a bit silly.""Our job is to prepare and train, that's what law enforcement does all the time," he said. "If we have a protest coming, chances are things are going to be peaceful and fine and dandy. But on the outside chance that they're not, we want to be prepared."Leif Johnson, assistant U.S. attorney in Montana, confirmed the anti-terrorism training was held in August and said it was unrelated to Keystone XL. Burke Honzel, head of preparedness for Montana Disaster & Emergency Services, said his staff attended the training and that it "did not discuss Keystone XL or protests and was geared towards overseas terrorism tactics."<h3 style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); box-sizing: inherit; margin: 0px 0px 0.5em; padding: 0px; font-weight: normal; line-height: 1.333;">First Amendment Rights and Protester Arrests</h3>Environmental and indigenous activists have describe harsh treatment by law enforcement and security officers in Louisiana, where at least 13 people have been arrested under a new law since it went into effect on Aug. 1, including four activists who were detained on Tuesday.The law created a felony charge with up to five years in prison for anyone who trespasses on a pipeline easement, and <a href="https://insideclimatenews.org/news/24082018/pipeline-protests-new-louisiana-law-activist-arrests-oil-bayou-bridge-energy-transfer-partners" style="box-sizing: inherit; background-color: transparent; text-decoration-line: none; font-weight: bold;">many of the arrests</a> came under questionable circumstances. Activists posted photos and video of the most recent arrests on Facebook, including <a href="https://www.facebook.com/LeauEstLaVie/videos/462077807637601/" style="box-sizing: inherit; background-color: transparent; text-decoration-line: none; font-weight: bold;">a video showing two uniformed officers</a> assisting a man who was not in uniform and who is holding a protester against the ground, his arm across her throat, while putting her hands in cuffs behind her back.The records obtained by the ACLU in Montana echo others in Oklahoma, Louisiana, Virginia and other states that have shown law enforcement agencies focusing anti-terrorism resources on environmental activists and, in some cases, cooperating with private security companies employed by pipeline companies to surveil and arrest protesters.In a <a href="https://www.aclu.org/blog/free-speech/rights-protesters/government-planning-surveil-keystone-xl-protesters?redirect=blog/government-planning-surveil-keystone-xl-protesters" style="box-sizing: inherit; background-color: transparent; text-decoration-line: none; font-weight: bold;">blog post</a> announcing the organization's lawsuit, Jacob Hutt of the ACLU said the organization hopes to determine from the documents its requested how and whether federal agencies are "thwarting, surveilling, and otherwise engaging with indigenous and environmental activists" opposed to Keystone XL."The First Amendment protects political speech from the threat of undue government scrutiny, and the extent of such scrutiny is currently unknown," he wrote. "If the government is planning to prevent or monitor indigenous and environmental protests, the activists involved have a right to know about it."</div></div></div></div><div class="tagged-with" style="box-sizing: inherit; text-transform: uppercase; margin-bottom: 1em; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><label style="box-sizing: inherit; display: block; line-height: 1.2;">PUBLISHED UNDER:</label><div class="field field-name-field-topics field-type-taxonomy-term-reference field-label-hidden" style="box-sizing: inherit;"><div class="field-items" style="box-sizing: inherit;"><div class="field-item even" style="box-sizing: inherit; display: inline-block; padding-right: 0.5em;"><a href="https://insideclimatenews.org/topics/activism" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="" style="box-sizing: inherit; background-color: transparent; text-decoration-line: none;">ACTIVISM</a></div> <div class="field-item odd" style="box-sizing: inherit; display: inline-block; padding-right: 0.5em;"><a href="https://insideclimatenews.org/topics/oil-spillspipelines" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="" style="box-sizing: inherit; background-color: transparent; text-decoration-line: none;">OIL SPILLS/PIPELINES</a></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-tags field-type-taxonomy-term-reference field-label-hidden" style="box-sizing: inherit;"><div class="field-items" style="box-sizing: inherit;"><div class="field-item even" style="box-sizing: inherit; display: inline-block; padding-right: 0.5em;"><a href="https://insideclimatenews.org/tags/dakota-access-pipeline" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="" style="box-sizing: inherit; background-color: transparent; text-decoration-line: none;">DAKOTA ACCESS PIPELINE</a></div> <div class="field-item odd" style="box-sizing: inherit; display: inline-block; padding-right: 0.5em;"><a href="https://insideclimatenews.org/topic/keystone-xl" typeof="skos:Concept" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" datatype="" style="box-sizing: inherit; background-color: transparent; text-decoration-line: none;">KEYSTONE XL</a></div></div></div></div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">=</div>=<h1 class="widgetheadline h1" style="margin: 10px 0px 0px 10px; padding: 0px; cursor: pointer; overflow-wrap: break-word; line-height: 22px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><a class="widgetheadline-text custom-post-headline" href="https://www.ecowatch.com/keystone-xl-pipeline-environmental-review-2596431586.html" style="text-decoration-line: none; word-break: break-word; overflow-wrap: break-word; padding: 0px; margin: 0px; line-height: 31px;">Judge Orders Full Environmental Review of Keystone XL in Nebraska</a></h1><div class="body js-expandable clearfix js-listicle-body js-update-url" data-elid="2596431586" data-authors="Lorraine Chow" data-headline="Judge Orders Full Environmental Review of Keystone XL in Nebraska" style="margin: 10px; line-height: 24px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><div class="body-description"><div class="widgetbrief"><a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/tag/transcanada" style="text-decoration-line: none; overflow-wrap: break-word;">TransCanada</a>'s long-gestating <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/tag/keystone-xl" target="blank" style="text-decoration-line: none; overflow-wrap: break-word;">Keystone XL (KXL)</a> tar sands <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/tag/pipelines" style="text-decoration-line: none; overflow-wrap: break-word;">pipeline</a> was dealt another setback after a federal judge in Montana ruled Wednesday that the <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/tag/trump" style="text-decoration-line: none; overflow-wrap: break-word;">Trump</a> State Department must conduct a robust environmental review of the <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/keystone-xl-vote-2511009516.html" style="text-decoration-line: none; overflow-wrap: break-word;">alternative pipeline</a><a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/tag/pipelines" style="text-decoration-line: none; overflow-wrap: break-word;"> route through Nebraska.</a>U.S. District Court Judge Brian Morris sided with environmentalists, landowners and tribal plaintiffs in their challenge to the Trump administration. Pipeline opponents <a href="https://www.sierraclub.org/press-releases/2018/07/trump-administration-attempts-shortcut-get-keystone-xl-built" target="blank" style="text-decoration-line: none; overflow-wrap: break-word;">argued</a> that the State Department's approval of the KXL was based on an outdated Environmental Impact Statement from 2014 of the original route, and accused the administration of trying to <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/trump-state-dept-keystone-xl-pipeline-2591451415.html" target="blank" style="text-decoration-line: none; overflow-wrap: break-word;">short-cut the permitting process</a>....</div></div></div><div>=</div><h1 class="widgetheadline h1" style="margin: 10px 0px 0px 10px; padding: 0px; cursor: pointer; overflow-wrap: break-word; line-height: 22px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><a class="widgetheadline-text custom-post-headline" href="https://www.ecowatch.com/trump-state-dept-keystone-xl-pipeline-2591451415.html" style="text-decoration-line: none; word-break: break-word; outline: 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; padding: 0px; margin: 0px; line-height: 31px;">Trump State Dept. Attempts 'Shortcut' to Build KXL Pipeline, Groups Say</a></h1><div class="body js-expandable clearfix js-listicle-body js-update-url" data-elid="2591451415" data-authors="Lorraine Chow" data-headline="Trump State Dept. Attempts 'Shortcut' to Build KXL Pipeline, Groups Say" style="margin: 10px; line-height: 24px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><div class="body-description"><div class="widgetbrief">Environmentalists spoke out against President <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/tag/donald-trump" style="text-decoration-line: none; overflow-wrap: break-word;">Donald Trump</a>'s State Department after it found "no significant environmental impacts" in its review of TransCanada's long-gestating <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/tag/keystone-xl" style="text-decoration-line: none; overflow-wrap: break-word;">Keystone XL (KXL)</a> pipeline.The alternative route <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/keystone-xl-vote-2511009516.html" style="text-decoration-line: none; overflow-wrap: break-word;">approved by Nebraska regulators</a> in November would have "minor to moderate" impacts from its construction and operation, according to the 300-page <a href="https://keystonepipeline-xl.state.gov/dea/index.htm" target="blank" title="Link to Assessment" style="text-decoration-line: none; overflow-wrap: break-word;">draft report</a> released Monday. It said the route would not have a major impact on the state's water resources, soils or wildlife. It may cause minor impacts on cultural resources such as Native American graves.</div></div></div>=<a href="https://insideclimatenews.org/news/13072018/keystone-xl-pipeline-native-american-resistance-oil-spill-cheyenne-river-sioux-dakota-access-transcanada">https://insideclimatenews.org/news/13072018/keystone-xl-pipeline-native-american-resistance-oil-spill-cheyenne-river-sioux-dakota-access-transcanada</a>The company building the long-contested Keystone XL oil pipeline notified the Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe in a letter this week that it will start stockpiling equipment along the pipeline's route this month in preparation for construction.Tribal Chairman Harold Frazier sent back a sharp, one-line <a href="https://twitter.com/CRSTChairman/status/1017544831566921728" style="box-sizing: inherit; background-color: transparent; text-decoration-line: none; font-weight: bold;">response</a>: "We will be waiting."The Cheyenne River tribe has opposed the Keystone pipeline since it was first proposed in 2008, and it has seen how pipeline protests can play out.Just to the north of the tribe's land in central South Dakota, protests against the Dakota Access pipeline drew international attention as thousands of demonstrators established semi-permanent camps starting in the summer of 2016 near where the pipeline would cross under the Missouri river just upstream from the Standing Rock Indian Reservation.<input type="text" name="b_7c733794100bcc7e083a163f0_29c928ffb5" tabindex="-1" value="" style="box-sizing: inherit; line-height: 1rem; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; margin: 0px; width: 250px; max-width: 100%; border-width: 1px; border-style: solid; border-color: rgb(231, 231, 231); border-radius: 6px; padding: 0.75rem 1rem;" />The Cheyenne River tribe helped fight that pipeline, and it is in a similar geographic situation now—its reservation is just downstream from where the Keystone XL pipeline would cross the Cheyenne River.Like Standing Rock, the tribe fears a tar sands oil spill from the pipeline could contaminate its waters.... =ponca land back<a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/nebraska-farmers-keystone-xl-2578444895.html">https://www.ecowatch.com/nebraska-farmers-keystone-xl-2578444895.html</a><a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/keystone-xl-approval-2538558599.html">https://www.ecowatch.com/keystone-xl-approval-2538558599.html</a><div class="headline-container" style="margin-top: 10px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><h1 class="headline h1" style="margin: 10px; padding: 0px; position: relative; line-height: 31px;">Inside the Trump Admin's Fight to Keep the Keystone XL Approval Process Secret</h1></div><div id="utm_campaign" style="margin-top: 10px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><div class="body js-expandable clearfix js-listicle-body js-update-url" data-elid="2538558599" data-authors="DeSmogBlog" data-headline="Inside the Trump Admin's Fight to Keep the Keystone XL Approval Process Secret" style="margin: 10px; line-height: 24px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><div class="body-description">By Steve HornAt a <a href="https://www.desmogblog.com/sites/beta.desmogblog.com/files/Order%20on%20Confidentiality%20Order%20Hearing.pdf" target="blank" style="text-decoration-line: none;">Feb. 21 hearing</a>, a U.S. District Court judge ruled that the Trump administration must either fork over documents showing how the U.S. Department of State reversed an earlier decision and ultimately came to approve the <a href="https://www.desmogblog.com/directory/vocabulary/5857" target="blank" style="text-decoration-line: none;">Keystone XL pipeline</a>, or else provide a substantial legal reason for continuing to withhold them. The federal government has an <a href="https://apnews.com/2b64dbbfd05d4674972c64b8ec4cfd4d/Judge-orders-gov't-review-of-Keystone-pipeline-documents" target="blank" style="text-decoration-line: none;">order to deliver the goods</a>, one way or the other, by March 21.DeSmog has reviewed the court evidence from the environmental groups bringing the case, records which help illuminate their argument that the government is, in fact, withholding such documents. The judge will decide if those documents, legally, should be made public.The case, which <a href="https://www.desmogblog.com/sites/beta.desmogblog.com/files/IEN%20v.%20State%20Department%20Complaint.pdf" target="blank" style="text-decoration-line: none;">began in March 2017</a>, pits the Indigenous Environmental Network and the North Coast River Alliance against the State Department, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the U.S. Department of interior and <a href="https://www.desmogblog.com/directory/vocabulary/5420" target="blank" style="text-decoration-line: none;">TransCanada</a>, the owner of Keystone XL. During his first week in office, <a href="https://www.desmogblog.com/donald-trump" target="blank" style="text-decoration-line: none;">Donald Trump</a> signed a <a href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/presidential-actions/presidential-memorandum-regarding-construction-keystone-xl-pipeline/" target="blank" style="text-decoration-line: none;">memorandum</a>calling for the State Department to perform an expedited 60-day permit review of the pipeline. Two months later, the State Department gave Keystone XL the <a href="https://keystonepipeline-xl.state.gov/documents/organization/269323.pdf" target="blank" style="text-decoration-line: none;">permit it needed</a> to cross the U.S.-Canada border.Under the Obama administration, the Keystone XL pipeline, which would carry oil from Alberta's <a href="https://www.desmogblog.com/directory/vocabulary/2632" target="blank" style="text-decoration-line: none;">tar sands</a>, underwent a years-long environmental review process which culminated in President Barack Obama <a href="https://www.desmogblog.com/2015/11/06/victory-obama-rejects-scandal-ridden-keystone-xl-tar-sands-pipeline" target="blank" style="text-decoration-line: none;">nixing it in November 2015</a>. For the better part of the past decade, the pipeline has served as a central mobilizing force for the environmental movement.Dispute Over RecordsAt the center of this case is a dispute over the administrative records of federal agencies, which in other lawsuits are routinely made public as part of the pre-trial process.Generally, releasing such documents gives a snapshot of the full deliberative process behind federal agencies' decisions. DeSmog, in fact, <a href="https://www.desmogblog.com/2015/04/20/emails-state-department-secretly-approved-expansion-enbridge-keystone-xl-clone" target="blank" style="text-decoration-line: none;">published a story on such documents</a> in 2015 related to a different tar sands pipeline project, which involved Enbridge's <a href="https://www.desmogblog.com/directory/vocabulary/12487" target="blank" style="text-decoration-line: none;">Alberta Clipper</a> (also known as Line 67), part of a broader pipeline system DeSmog calls the "<a href="https://www.desmogblog.com/directory/vocabulary/17587" target="blank" style="text-decoration-line: none;">Keystone XLClone</a>."In the TransCanada case, the State Department has argued for keeping these pre-trial records sealed while the plaintiffs, the environmental groups, have argued they should be made public. These documents, which might include emails and memos, would offer the plaintiffs and the general public an idea of how the Trump administration decided to approve the Keystone XL.The plaintiffs say that not all of those records have been turned over."Federal Defendants have wrongly omitted an unknown number of emails and other internal communications considered by the agencies during their review of the Keystone XL pipeline," the plaintiffs in the case argued in court documents on Jan. 8.In an <a href="https://www.desmogblog.com/sites/beta.desmogblog.com/files/Declaration%20of%20Cecilia%20Segal%20.pdf" target="blank" style="text-decoration-line: none;">affidavit exhibited</a> as part of that filing, Cecilia Segal, an attorney for one of the plaintiffs, cited a Dec. 19 phone call she had with the federal defendants, in which they said that agency emails and other records do not need to be disclosed as part of the case.Another letter exhibited as part of the Jan. 8 filing, <a href="https://www.desmogblog.com/sites/beta.desmogblog.com/files/CBD%20Nov%2030%20Letter.pdf" target="blank" style="text-decoration-line: none;">written on Nov. 30 by attorneys</a> for the Center for Biological Diversity, further complained that the documents already handed over were not adequately comprehensive or organized in a manner useful for the case. And many documents, they allege, seem to be missing entirely and without explanation."We are concerned that both the State Department and Service have withheld records as privileged without identifying and certifying them on a privilege log," wrote the attorneys."The State Department Administrative Record includes very few emails and inter-agency communications, even though such materials are typically included in administrative records that are compiled for litigation by federal agencies. Yet the State Department has provided no descriptions of these records, or even acknowledged the existence of these and other records that have been withheld in their entirety, let alone provided a log with basic details about what these records are, who generated them, and why the State Department is evidently hoping to shield them from judicial review."A <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Privilege_log" target="blank" style="text-decoration-line: none;">privilege log</a> is a document, submitted to a judge and made part of the court record, which details both the nature of documents pertinent to a case and a legal rationale for keeping them out of the public court record."Because they have refused to provide a privilege log, it is impossible for Plaintiffs and the Court to determine how extensive the withholdings are and whether they are appropriate," wrote the plaintiffs in their Jan. 8 filing. "Accordingly, the Court should order Federal Defendants to produce a privilege log that adequately describes the withheld materials, identifies the basis for their withholding, and substantiates any claimed privileges."'Fishing Expedition'The State Department and TransCanada, for their part, have come to a different legal conclusion, saying that the documents in question are "deliberative" in nature and not part of any official administrative process. They argue that the plaintiffs are attempting to turn the administrative records <a href="https://www.desmogblog.com/sites/beta.desmogblog.com/files/State%20Department%20Response%20Letter%20to%20CBD.pdf" target="blank" style="text-decoration-line: none;">into a Freedom of Information Act request</a>, positing that pre-decisional documents should not be included among those disclosed in the case."The bare fact that predecisional, deliberative materials were generated during the decisionmaking processes, does not transform those materials into documents that were before the decisionmaker in any relevant sense and therefore part of the administrative record, any more than documents reflecting a trial court's predecisional deliberations, such as bench memos, other communications between judges and their staff, and drafts of decisions, are part of the trial record," <a href="https://www.desmogblog.com/sites/beta.desmogblog.com/files/State%20Dept%20Motion%20vs.%20Lifting%20Confidentiality%20Order.pdf" target="blank" style="text-decoration-line: none;">wrote Department of Justice attorneys</a> in a Jan. 22 court filing.They also argued in that filing that the plaintiffs are on a "fishing expedition" styled as a mission to "complete the record." Ultimately, it will be for Judge Brian Morris to decide which argument has more merit in the coming months.'Smoke and Mirrors'At least one group believes the entire premise of the dispute amounts to a cause for celebration. The climate advocacy organization 350.org—which has long led the movement opposing Keystone XL—says it believes this development is a sign the pipeline may never be built. Along those lines, it showed excitement over the judge's decision in a press release:"The Trump administration's approval of the Keystone XL pipeline has been nothing but smoke and mirrors," <a href="https://www.commondreams.org/newswire/2018/02/22/350org-judge-ordering-review-documents-related-trumps-keystone-xl-decision" target="blank" style="text-decoration-line: none;">said 350.org Executive Director May Boeve</a>. "The truth is undeniable. Every shred of scientific evidence shows this pipeline is a threat to our climate, and to the lands, waters, and lives in its path."Reposted with permission from our media associate <a href="https://www.desmogblog.com/2018/02/22/judge-trump-documents-keystone-xl-decision" target="blank" style="text-decoration-line: none;">DeSmogBlog</a>.<div class="around-the-web"><div class="around-the-webheadline" style="font-weight: 700; text-transform: uppercase;">RELATED ARTICLES AROUND THE WEB</div><ul class="around-the-weblist" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; list-style: none;"><li class="around-the-webitem"><a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/keystone-xl-leak-nebraska-2510255974.html" class="around-the-weblink" target="blank" style="text-decoration-line: none; line-height: normal; display: inline-block; margin-top: 10px;">Massive Pipeline Leak Shows Why Nebraska Should Reject ... ›</a></li><li class="around-the-webitem"><a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/exxon-california-becerra-2537146030.html" class="around-the-weblink" target="blank" style="text-decoration-line: none; line-height: normal; display: inline-block; margin-top: 10px;">Time's Up for California AG Becerra to Investigate #ExxonKnew and ... ›</a></li></ul></div></div></div><a href="http://www.slate.com/blogs/the_slatest/2017/01/24/trump_s_green_lighting_of_keystone_and_dapl_is_a_power_play_that_won_t_create.html">http://www.slate.com/blogs/the_slatest/2017/01/24/trump_s_green_lighting_of_keystone_and_dapl_is_a_power_play_that_won_t_create.html</a>On Tuesday, President Donald Trump signed executive orders that will allow the Keystone XL and Dakota Access Pipeline projects to move forward, as he <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2016/oct/26/donald-trump-dakota-access-pipeline-investment-energy-transfer-partners" target="blank" style="text-decoration-line: none; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">assured voters</a> he would do on the campaign trail. Both of these projects were halted by the Obama administration and have been widely criticized by activists. As <a href="http://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-trump-pipeline-idUSKBN15820N" target="blank" style="text-decoration-line: none; font-weight: bold; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">Reuters</a> reports:<div class="text-2 text parbase section" style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><blockquote style="margin: 0px 40px 0px 0px; border-left: 2px solid rgb(102, 0, 51); padding-left: 18px; line-height: 2; padding-top: 8px; padding-bottom: 8px;">[A] restart of the projects would mark a defeat for Native American tribes affected by the $3.8 billion Dakota Access pipeline. Protesters had rallied for months against plans to route the $3.8 billion pipeline beneath a lake near the Standing Rock Sioux reservation, saying it threatened water resources and sacred Native American sites.</blockquote></div><div class="text-3 text parbase section" style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><blockquote style="margin: 0px 40px 0px 0px; border-left: 2px solid rgb(102, 0, 51); padding-left: 18px; line-height: 2; padding-top: 8px; padding-bottom: 8px;">Environmental activists broadly opposed the Keystone XL pipeline and campaigned against it for more than seven years.</blockquote></div><div class="text parbase text-4 section" style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><blockquote style="margin: 0px 40px 0px 0px; border-left: 2px solid rgb(102, 0, 51); padding-left: 18px; line-height: 2; padding-top: 8px; padding-bottom: 8px;">The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers in January said it would begin an environmental assessment that could delay the Dakota project further. It was not clear if Trump’s order supersedes that move.</blockquote></div><div class="text parbase text-5 section" style="">In November 2015, Trump said he would approve the Keystone XL pipeline on the condition that the United States government would receive 25 percent of the profits. He <a href="http://www.politico.com/story/2016/06/donald-trump-keystone-canada-energy-224204" target="blank" style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); text-decoration-line: none; font-weight: bold;">reiterated this proposal</a> in May. <a href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/2017/01/24/presidential-memorandum-regarding-construction-keystone-xl-pipeline" target="blank" style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); text-decoration-line: none; font-weight: bold;">Tuesday's executive order</a>, which invites Keystone developer TransCanada to resubmit its application for a construction permit from the State Department, includes no such stipulations.

The Keystone XL project, which will take <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2017/01/24/us/politics/keystone-dakota-pipeline-trump.html" target="blank" style="text-decoration-line: none; font-weight: bold;">800,000 barrels of oil a day</a> from Canada to the Gulf Coast, was the subject of a largely symbolic battle [?!} waged by climate activists opposed to the continued development of fossil fuel infrastructure. It was torpedoed by President Obama in 2015, a month before the Paris Climate Summit. “America is now a global leader when it comes to taking serious action to fight climate change,” he said upon <a href="https://obamawhitehouse.archives.gov/the-press-office/2015/11/06/statement-president-keystone-xl-pipeline" target="blank" style="text-decoration-line: none; font-weight: bold;">rejecting a permit</a> for the pipeline's construction. “And frankly, approving this project would have undercut that global leadership.”</div><div class="text text-6 parbase section" style="">Construction of the Dakota Access Pipeline, which will carry <a href="http://www.cnn.com/2016/09/07/us/dakota-access-pipeline-visual-guide/" target="blank" style="text-decoration-line: none; font-weight: bold;">470,000 barrels per day</a> across the Dakotas into Iowa and Illinois was halted after the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers denied Energy Transfer Partners, the company behind the pipeline, permission to tunnel under a portion of land north of the Standing Rock Sioux reservation without further environmental impact assessments. Construction of the pipeline was close to completion before protests against it halted progress.</div><div class="text parbase text-7 section" style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">Trump used to be invested in Energy Transfer Partners, the company developing the Dakota Access Pipeline, but he <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/energy-environment/wp/2016/11/23/trump-dumped-his-stock-in-dakota-access-pipeline-owner-over-the-summer/?utm_term=.3335a3d97af9" target="blank" style="text-decoration-line: none; font-weight: bold;">sold his $50,000 stake</a> last summer. Energy Transfer Partners CEO Kelcy Warren <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/energy-environment/wp/2016/11/23/trump-dumped-his-stock-in-dakota-access-pipeline-owner-over-the-summer/?utm_term=.3335a3d97af9" target="blank" style="text-decoration-line: none; font-weight: bold;">donated $100,000</a> to the Trump Victory Fund, a joint fundraising effort by the Trump campaign, the Republican National Committee, and state Republican parties.</div><div class="text parbase text-8 section" style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">Despite Trump's framing of the pipelines as job creators, the economic benefits of both are minimal. In signing the order approving Keystone XL, Trump said the pipeline would create 28,000 jobs. In fact, a 2014 State Department report found that the pipeline would create <a href="http://www.politifact.com/punditfact/statements/2014/feb/10/van-jones/cnns-van-jones-says-keystone-pipeline-only-creates/" target="blank" style="text-decoration-line: none; font-weight: bold;">35 permanent jobs</a> post-building, with a mix of 42,100 temporary and nonconstruction jobs created over the course of the pipeline’s construction. As Jonathan Thompson wrote in November, the economic impact of the Dakota Access Pipeline <a href="http://www.slate.com/articles/health_and_science/climate_desk/2016/11/the_dakota_access_pipeline_will_not_create_jobs_or_energy_independence.html" style="text-decoration-line: none; font-weight: bold;">will be similar</a>:</div><div class="text parbase text-9 section" style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><blockquote style="margin: 0px 40px 0px 0px; border-left: 2px solid rgb(102, 0, 51); padding-left: 18px; line-height: 2; padding-top: 8px; padding-bottom: 8px;">Construction on the pipeline is about 85 percent complete and it has, indeed, put people to work. Yet it is not clear <a href="http://mediad.publicbroadcasting.net/p/wium/files/Dakota_Access_Fact_Sheet.pdf" target="blank" style="text-decoration-line: none;">how many</a> new jobs have been created since the jobs are spread out over 1,000 miles. Rural towns along the pipeline’s corridor have <a href="http://www.wkow.com/story/33492268/2016/10/26/cherokee-ia-gets-economic-boost-from-dakota-access-pipeline-construction" target="_blank" style="text-decoration-line: none;">reported</a> a boost in hotel and campground occupancy rates as the contractors move through. That, in turn, generates sales and lodging tax revenues for the local governments. The boost, however, won’t last. In a few months, when (and if) construction is complete, the workers and their spending money will depart. The finished pipeline will require just 40 permanent maintenance and operational jobs along its entire stretch.</blockquote></div><div class="text parbase text-10 section" style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">Thompson also writes that the Dakota pipeline will not spur domestic production enough to measurably offset the 5.2 million barrels of oil the United States imports each day and will thus fail to bring America substantially closer to energy independence. Keystone XL's completion would similarly do little to insulate the United States from the volatility of global oil prices. And, of course, both projects reinforce American dependence on carbon-emitting fossil fuels....

Trump's approval of the pipelines will mainly accomplish two things—deliver profits to their backers and deliver a base-satisfying blow to environmentalists and activists concerned over the pipelines' impacts on surrounding lands and carbon emissions. “If, for the first time, this nation can listen and hear us, they’ll understand that this is about climate change,” Standing Rock Sioux chairman David Archambault II <a href="http://www.slate.com/articles/health_and_science/cover_story/2016/12/standing_rock_epitomizes_the_conflict_between_short_term_and_long_term_priorities.html" style="text-decoration-line: none; font-weight: bold;">said in December</a>. “We all have to take a good look at ourselves and say, ‘Are we dependent on fossil fuels?’ If we say yes, we’re creating the demand for the Dakota Access Pipeline and for future pipelines." On Tuesday, Trump said yes.</div><div class="text-12 text parbase section" style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><a href="http://www.slate.com/topics/d/dakota_access_pipeline.html" style="text-decoration-line: none;">Read more in Slate about the Dakota Access Pipeline.</a></div>=8/17<div>
</div><div><a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/keystone-xl-hearing-2469081732.html">https://www.ecowatch.com/keystone-xl-hearing-2469081732.html</a></div><div>
</div><div>The Nebraska Public Service Commission (NPSC)—the <a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2017-08-04/keystone-xl-foes-duck-the-c-word-in-red-state-pipeline-battle" target="blank" style="text-decoration-line: none; word-wrap: break-word;">Republican-dominated</a> state board deciding the fate of <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/tag/transcanada" style="text-decoration-line: none; word-wrap: break-word;">TransCanada's</a> long-delayed <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/tag/keystone-xl" style="text-decoration-line: none; word-wrap: break-word;">Keystone XL</a> pipeline—have barred experts and homeowners from testifying over potential spills or whether the <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/tag/tar-sands" style="text-decoration-line: none; word-wrap: break-word;">tar sands</a> pipeline is <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/keystone-xl-trump-2295008676.html" style="text-decoration-line: none; word-wrap: break-word;">even necessary</a> during final hearings next week.The <a href="http://www.omaha.com/news/nebraska/judge-keystone-xl-opponents-can-t-testify-about-pipeline-s/article_e4777e6b-169a-5311-96be-680672aee366.html" target="blank" style="text-decoration-line: none; word-wrap: break-word;">Omaha World-Herald</a> reports that former Lancaster County District Judge Karen Flowers, who was hired by NPSC to conduct the hearings, issued more than 30 rulings based on objections filed by TransCanada.She ruled that issues such as safety or if the U.S. even needs Canadian oil are out of the commission's scope of authority. "The (Nebraska Major Oil Pipeline) Siting Act specifically prohibits the commission from considering safety considerations, including the risk of spills and leaks," Flowers wrote in her ruling. 
Nebraska law requires the NPSC to approve a pipeline construction application if it is "in the public interest." The commission—made up of four Republicans and one Democrat—will <a href="http://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-pipeline-keystone-idUSKBN1AK16D?il=0" target="blank" style="text-decoration-line: none; word-wrap: break-word;">mainly consider</a> issues that impact the local economy such as jobs and revenues.Pipeline opponent <a href="http://priceofoil.org/" target="blank" style="text-decoration-line: none; word-wrap: break-word;">Oil Change International</a> spoke out against the hearing officer's ruling, as it bars the testimony of 15 outside experts and more than 25 landowners.For instance, the decision barred the planned testimony of <a href="http://priceofoil.org/about/staff/" target="blank" style="text-decoration-line: none; word-wrap: break-word;">Lorne Stockman</a>, senior research analyst at Oil Change International. Stockman's testimony, which was submitted ahead of the hearings and thus part of the official record, would have stressed how changing market conditions and realities in the tar sands industry negates the need for Keystone XL pipeline."There is simply no need for the Keystone XL pipeline based on the current market conditions, which even TransCanada has <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/keystone-xl-solar-2467531989.html" style="text-decoration-line: none; word-wrap: break-word;">admitted</a>," he said, noting recent statements by TransCanada representatives who have cast doubt in finding sufficient shippers to fill the pipeline."Those conditions," Lockman [sic, cf maine]continued, "include an end to growth in the tar sands sector and stagnant global oil demand, headwinds that look set to end the reckless proliferation of tar sands pipelines. Given all of the risks to Nebraskans inherent in the building and operation of this pipeline, the fact that there's no compelling need to build it should be a critical element of the commission's deliberations.""My testimony exposes that the Keystone XL pipeline is not only a disaster for our climate and communities, but also that TransCanada has no business case to it to be built in the first place. It's no wonder they don't want me to testify," Lockman concluded. 
<a href="http://boldnebraska.org/" target="blank" style="text-decoration-line: none; word-wrap: break-word;">Bold Nebraska</a> founder <a href="https://www.ecowatch.com/jane-kleeb-2468688230.html" style="text-decoration-line: none; word-wrap: break-word;">Jane Kleeb</a>, a prominent critic of the Keystone XL project, said legal action against the NPSC's decision to bar expert and landowner testimonies could be necessary."They're headed for a very tough court fight," Kleeb told the World-Herald.A recent <a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2017-08-04/keystone-xl-foes-duck-the-c-word-in-red-state-pipeline-battle" target="blank" style="text-decoration-line: none; word-wrap: break-word;">Bloomberg</a> report highlighted how during the hearings, Keystone opponents will focus on the issue of eminent domain, which Republicans traditionally oppose in favor of landowner property rights. Keystone proponents, meanwhile, will focus on job creation, which the GOP also supports.<div id="AdThrive_Content_2_desktop" class="adthrive-ad adthrive-dynamic adthrive-content" data-google-query-id="CKuP2LjsvdUCFVCNaQodwnkE1g" style="text-align: left; margin-top: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); overflow-x: visible !important;">
</div>TransCanada's proposed pipeline would carry 830,000 barrels of tar sands oil from Canada into the U.S. daily.
=</div>350 bill m Jane Kleeb with Bold Alliance, Wayne Frederick, Rosebud Sioux Tribe Council, Michael Brune from Sierra Club, Lindsey Allen from the Rainforest Action Network and Eriel Deranger from Indigenous Climate Action. <a href="https://insideclimatenews.org/news/23032017/keystone-xl-pipeline-donald-trump-rex-tillerson-state-department-nebraska">https://insideclimatenews.org/news/23032017/keystone-xl-pipeline-donald-trump-rex-tillerson-state-department-nebraska</a><p dir="ltr" id="docs-internal-guid-5a6c47e6-000f-5f78-263a-dcc8520c7e87" style="box-sizing: inherit; margin: 0px 0px 1.5em; padding: 0px; font-family: " open="Open" sans="Sans" sans-serif="sans-serif" font-size="font-size" px="px" background-color="background-color" rgb="rgb">The White House's approval of the <a href="https://insideclimatenews.org/topic/keystone-xl" target="blank" style="box-sizing: inherit; background-color: transparent; text-decoration: none; font-weight: bold;">Keystone XL pipeline</a> Friday opens a fierce, new battle over a project that has become a front in the fight against <a href="https://insideclimatenews.org/topic/climate-change" target="blank" style="box-sizing: inherit; background-color: transparent; text-decoration: none; font-weight: bold;">climate change</a>.<p dir="ltr" style="box-sizing: inherit; margin: 0px 0px 1.5em; padding: 0px; font-family: " open="Open" sans="Sans" sans-serif="sans-serif" font-size="font-size" px="px" background-color="background-color" rgb="rgb">President <a href="https://insideclimatenews.org/tags/donald-trump" target="blank" style="box-sizing: inherit; background-color: transparent; text-decoration: none; font-weight: bold;">Donald Trump</a> made reviving the 1,200-mile pipeline, which will transport heavy crude oil from tar sands mines in Canada to refineries on the Gulf Coast, a key plank of his fossil fuel-focused energy plan. He promised in January to reverse President Barack Obama's rejection of the TransCanada project, one of Obama's signature environmental decisions, within 60 days. The president just beat that <a href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/2017/01/24/presidential-memorandum-regarding-construction-keystone-xl-pipeline" style="box-sizing: inherit; background-color: transparent; text-decoration: none; font-weight: bold;">deadline</a>."It's going to be an incredible pipeline, the greatest technology known to man or woman," Trump said Friday in a signing of the project's presidential permit, flanked by TransCanada officials, pipe suppliers and union leaders. "It's a great day for American jobs and a historic moment for North America and energy independence."<p dir="ltr" style="box-sizing: inherit; margin: 0px 0px 1.5em; padding: 0px; font-family: " open="Open" sans="Sans" sans-serif="sans-serif" font-size="font-size" px="px" background-color="background-color" rgb="rgb">The Trump administration's hasty approval is expected be the basis for court challenges by environmentalists. Groups say they will argue the administration sidestepped the law by failing to conduct a new and thorough environmental analysis with public comment before making its decision. The approval, they say, was based on an Obama environmental review when oil prices were much higher than they are today.<p dir="ltr" style="box-sizing: inherit; margin: 0px 0px 1.5em; padding: 0px; font-family: " open="Open" sans="Sans" sans-serif="sans-serif" font-size="font-size" px="px" background-color="background-color" rgb="rgb">"Whenever Congress or TransCanada or its lobbyists have tried to create shortcuts to expedite approval, it tended to backfire and cause the process to be longer," said Anthony Swift, director of the Natural Resources Defense Council's Canada project. "We're seeing that again with the [administration] making a decision on the basis of an incredibly outdated environmental review."<p dir="ltr" style="box-sizing: inherit; margin: 0px 0px 1.5em; padding: 0px; font-family: " open="Open" sans="Sans" sans-serif="sans-serif" font-size="font-size" px="px" background-color="background-color" rgb="rgb">Meanwhile in Nebraska, long ground zero of the opposition, landowners who do not want the pipeline near their property will argue their case before the state Public Service Commission in hearings this spring on whether the proposed route protects the public interest. Years of  resistance there led TransCanada to move the 830,000-barrel-a-day pipeline out of the Nebraska Sandhills, a fragile ecosystem that overlies the Ogallala aquifer. Many wanted the project scrapped altogether.<p dir="ltr" style="box-sizing: inherit; margin: 0px 0px 1.5em; padding: 0px; font-family: " open="Open" sans="Sans" sans-serif="sans-serif" font-size="font-size" px="px" background-color="background-color" rgb="rgb">Protests are scheduled to take place on Friday in front of the White House as well as Trump International Hotel in New York. "This pipeline won't be built," the grassroots climate action group 350.org <a href="https://twitter.com/350/status/844978683064541184" target="blank" style="box-sizing: inherit; background-color: transparent; text-decoration: none; font-weight: bold;">said on Twitter</a>. "People stopped it once & will again."<p dir="ltr" style="box-sizing: inherit; margin: 0px 0px 1.5em; padding: 0px; font-family: " open="Open" sans="Sans" sans-serif="sans-serif" font-size="font-size" px="px" background-color="background-color" rgb="rgb">President Obama rejected the project in November 2015, largely on grounds that the carbon-heavy tar sands crude it would transport would contribute millions of tons of extra carbon dioxide to the atmosphere each year. "If we're going to prevent large parts of this earth from becoming not just inhospitable, but uninhabitable...we must act not later, not someday, but right here, right now," Obama said.<p dir="ltr" style="box-sizing: inherit; margin: 0px 0px 1.5em; padding: 0px; font-family: " open="Open" sans="Sans" sans-serif="sans-serif" font-size="font-size" px="px" background-color="background-color" rgb="rgb">His administration also said blocking the project would send a powerful signal to the world of the U.S. commitment to the Paris climate treaty.<p dir="ltr" style="box-sizing: inherit; margin: 0px 0px 1.5em; padding: 0px; font-family: " open="Open" sans="Sans" sans-serif="sans-serif" font-size="font-size" px="px" background-color="background-color" rgb="rgb">When asked if approval of the pipeline would undermine U.S. climate leadership, State Department spokesman Mark Toner said, "That's not fair. This administration is conducting a review of climate change policy, but our record on this issue speaks for itself. We have been a leader addressing climate change globally, regardless of this decisions that's made with respect to the Keystone application."<p dir="ltr" style="box-sizing: inherit; margin: 0px 0px 1.5em; padding: 0px; font-family: " open="Open" sans="Sans" sans-serif="sans-serif" font-size="font-size" px="px" background-color="background-color" rgb="rgb">Since arriving in Washington, the Trump administration has mounted a relentless campaign to defeat climate policies needed to meet the Paris treaty's goal of shifting rapidly away from fossil fuels. The Keystone XL is seen as a test of the nation's commitment to action.<p dir="ltr" style="box-sizing: inherit; margin: 0px 0px 1.5em; padding: 0px; font-family: " open="Open" sans="Sans" sans-serif="sans-serif" font-size="font-size" px="px" background-color="background-color" rgb="rgb">...<a href="http://www.ecowatch.com/state-department-approve-kxl-2326597009.html">http://www.ecowatch.com/state-department-approve-kxl-2326597009.html</a>omgNearly a decade after it first applied for a presidential permit, TransCanada is getting the green light from the Trump administration for its $8 billion <a href="http://www.ecowatch.com/tag/keystone-xl" target="blank" style="text-decoration: none; word-wrap: break-word;">Keystone XL pipeline</a>.<a href="http://www.politico.com/story/2017/03/state-department-to-approve-keystone-pipeline-permit-236414" target="blank" style="text-decoration: none; word-wrap: break-word;">POLITICO</a> reported Thursday that the U.S. State Department's undersecretary for political affairs, Tom Shannon, will approve by Monday the cross-border permit needed for the project to proceed.<a href="http://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-pipeline-keystone-idUSKBN16V1BR" target="blank" style="text-decoration: none; word-wrap: break-word;">Reuters</a> reported an update Friday saying President Trump will announce the approval of the tar sands pipeline at the White House today with the CEO of TransCanada.Sec. of State <a href="http://www.ecowatch.com/tag/rex-tillerson" style="text-decoration: none; word-wrap: break-word;">Rex Tillerson</a>, former <a href="http://www.ecowatch.com/tag/exxon" style="text-decoration: none; word-wrap: break-word;">ExxonMobil</a> CEO, recused himself from the Keystone decision since Exxon stands to profit from the pipeline.The Keystone XL was <a href="http://www.ecowatch.com/breaking-president-obama-rejects-keystone-xl-pipeline-1882117930.html" style="text-decoration: none; word-wrap: break-word;">blocked by President Obama</a> two years ago because the pipeline would "not serve the national interests" of the United States. 
But the November election changed everything. On Jan. 24, <a href="http://www.ecowatch.com/trump-watch/" style="text-decoration: none; word-wrap: break-word;">President Trump</a> signed an <a href="http://www.ecowatch.com/trump-dakota-access-pipeline-2211697835.html" target="blank" style="text-decoration: none; word-wrap: break-word;">executive order</a> that invited TransCanada to reapply for a presidential permit. The company did so two days later.Environmental groups and grassroots citizens have long opposed the pipeline, painting it as a symbol of the threat of <a href="http://ecowatch.com/climate-change-news/" target="blank" style="text-decoration: none; word-wrap: break-word;">climate change</a>.Once complete, the 1,200-mile pipeline will carry Alberta tar sands to processing and export facilities in the southern U.S.
"Keystone carries Canada's oil through an unnecessary pipeline <a href="http://www.ecowatch.com/keystone-xl-trump-steel-2297095119.html" style="text-decoration: none; word-wrap: break-word;">likely made of foreign steel</a>, all while polluting our heartland, treading on the rights of Indigenous people and private landowners," said <a href="http://www.greenpeace.org/usa/" target="blank" style="text-decoration: none; word-wrap: break-word;">Greenpeace USA</a> climate campaign specialist Diana Best in reaction to today's development."It isn't what this country wants or needs. President Obama rejected the Keystone Pipeline because of public outcry," she said. "We cannot let the Trump administration undo the progress that people all over the country have made to ensure we avoid catastrophic climate change."Best suggested that the president should shift his energy policy to prioritize <a href="http://www.ecowatch.com/renewable-energy/" style="text-decoration: none; word-wrap: break-word;">renewables</a> instead."Instead of pushing bogus claims about the potential of pipelines to create jobs, Trump should focus his efforts on the clean energy sector, the key to America's future growth," Best said. "Trump's energy plan is more of the same—full of giveaways to his fossil fuel cronies at a time when renewable energy is surging ahead. Renewable energy is not only the future, but the only just economy for today. Keystone, the Dakota Access Pipeline, and fossil fuel infrastructure projects like them will only make billionaires richer and make the rest of us suffer."
"We will resist these projects with our allies across the country and across borders, and we will continue to build the future the world wants to see," she concluded. 
Greenpeace is asking the State Department to provide documentation about the justification for Tillerson's recusal and any waivers obtained or requested.Although TransCanada might have secured the permit, POLITICO noted that the company still needs approval from the Nebraska Public Service Commission to build the pipeline through the state.
Additionally, Jane Kleeb, the president of <a href="http://boldalliance.org/" target="blank" style="text-decoration: none; word-wrap: break-word;">Bold Alliance</a> and Nebraska Democrat Party chair told the publication that construction will likely be delayed from landowners in the state who are unhappy with TransCanada's use of eminent domain along the route."Trump's decision will galvanize Americans, and further stiffen resistance to Trump's campaign to sacrifice our planet for Big Oil profits," <a href="http://www.foe.org/" target="blank" style="text-decoration: none; word-wrap: break-word;">Friends of the Earth</a> President Erich Pica said. "The fight over Keystone XL is not over."Greenpeace USA Executive Director Annie Leonard agreed. "It takes money to build a pipeline, and the opposition movement to stop fossil fuel projects like Keystone will do everything it can to deprive TransCanada of any new funding for this ill-fated and unnecessary pipeline," Leonard said."TransCanada may have a permit, but can they find the funding? Financial institutions should have learned by now that it's risky to hitch themselves to a project that already faces historic on-the-ground opposition from private landowners and Indigenous sovereign nations and could unlock a massive environmental, health and climate disaster. Keystone was stopped once before, and it will be stopped again."<a href="http://www.sierraclub.org/" target="blank" style="text-decoration: none; word-wrap: break-word;">Sierra Club</a> Executive Director Michael Brune shared the same sentiment. "This project has already been defeated, and it will be once again. The project faces a long fight ahead in the states, but the fact remains that the American people do not want more fossil fuels, we do not want our private and public lands destroyed by a pipeline carrying the dirtiest fuel around, and we do not want our future and our children's future to continue be threatened by climate change."Putin's Ties to the Keystone XL PipelineFeb. 14, 2017 01:32PM EST  DeSmogBlogBy Steve Horn and Itai Vardi
Believe it or not, there's a key connection to Russia and its president, Vladimir Putin, in the fight over North America's controversial Keystone XL pipeline.One of President Donald Trump's first actions in office was to sign an executive order on Jan. 24 expediting the approval of the Keystone XL. Owned by TransCanada, this tar sands oil pipeline was halted by former President Barack Obama in November 2015. Trump signed another order on Jan. 24, calling for steel for U.S. pipelines to be made in the U.S. to the "maximum extent possible" and two days later TransCanada filed a new presidential permit application for Keystone XL with the U.S. Department of State.Critics, such as John Kemp of Reuters, pounced on the caveat language in Trump's steel order and noted that it appears "designed to preserve lots of wiggle-room." In fact, a DeSmog investigation reveals that much of the steel for Keystone XL has already been manufactured and is sitting in a field in rural North Dakota.DeSmog has uncovered that 40 percent of the steel created so far was manufactured in Canada by a subsidiary of Evraz, a company partly owned by Russian oligarch Roman Abramovich, who is a close ally of Putin and a Trump family friend. Evraz has also actively lobbied against provisions which would mandate that Keystone XL's steel be made in the U.S.Abramovich is described in the 2004 book Abramovich: The Billionaire from Nowhere by British journalists Dominic Midgley and Chris Hutchins as "one of the prime movers behind the establishment of the only political party that was prepared to offer its undiluted support to Putin when he fought his first presidential election in late 1999. When Putin needed a shadowy force to act against his enemies behind the scenes, it was Abramovich whom he could rely on to prove a willing co-conspirator."Evraz describes itself as "among the top steel producers in the world based on crude steel production of 14.3 million tonnes in 2015."DeSmog's findings comes as Trump is under scrutiny from Congress, U.S. intelligence agencies and others for his personal and presidential campaign team's ties to Russia. The Office of the Director of National Intelligence concluded in January that Russian state-sponsored actors had hacked into the email databases of both the Democratic National Committee and presidential candidate Hillary Clinton's campaign in order to influence the election in favor of Trump.Meet Roman Abramovich
After helping launch Putin's presidency in Russia, Abramovich also was instrumental in the vetting and picking of Putin's cabinet, according to Midgley and Hutchins in their book. They also reveal that Abramovich was instrumental in the creation of Putin's political party, Unity.
Abramovich bought a 41 percent stake in the steel producer Evraz in 2006. Prior to that, he owned a 72 percent stake in the Russian state-owned oil company Sibneft, which was eventually purchased for $13 billion by the state-owned company Gazprom and became known as Gazprom Neft.
Before this, however, Sibneft merged in 2003 with the company Yukos, then owned by Russian oligarch Mikhail Khodorkovsky, in an attempt to create what was envisioned as a competitor to the likes of ExxonMobil. Had it materialized, the resulting company, called Yukos-Sibneft, would have been at that point the fourth largest oil producer in the world.
Under pressure from Putin, however, and with what was reported as the helping hand of Abramovich, the deal was called off and Khodorkovsky ended up arrested and then jailed for eight years for alleged tax evasion and fraud. Abramovich's personal wealth doubled as a result of the later Sibneft-Gazprom merger.
The Telegraph reported that Abramovich met with Putin before the Yukos-Sibneft deal was tossed to the curb.
"The revelation of the meeting will fuel suggestions that the Kremlin is closely involved with the fate of the two companies," The Telegraph wrote at the time. "Many industry commentators saw [the] decision to halt the merger as a government-backed effort to further weaken Mikhail Khodorkovsky, the former chief executive of Yukos and its largest shareholder."
Abramovich's influence would continue in the years ahead. The 2010 book The Crisis of Russian Democracy: The Dual State, Factionalism and the Medvedev Succession, written by Richard Sakwa, further describes Abramovich as someone "whose wealth in the Putin years increased at least tenfold and he remained one of Putin's closest confidants" while Putin carried out his first term as president.<a href="http://www.democracynow.org/2016/1/7/headlines/transcanada_files_15b_nafta_claim_against_us_over_keystone_xl">http://www.democracynow.org/2016/1/7/headlines/transcanada_files_15b_nafta_claim_against_us_over_keystone_xl</a>TransCanada Corporation has sued the U.S government over its rejection of the Keystone XL pipeline. On Wednesday, it filed a lawsuit in U.S. federal court alleging President Obama’s rejection of the pipeline exceeded his power under the U.S. Constitution. TransCanada also filed legal action under the North American Free Trade Agreement, or NAFTA, claiming the pipeline permit denial was "arbitrary and unjustified." It’s seeking $15 billion as part of its NAFTA claim. President Obama rejected the cross-border crude oil pipeline in November, after years of review and one of the most vocal grassroots campaigns this country has seen in decades. We’ll have more on this story after headlines.also so dakota=Breaking: TransCanada’s Hopes For “Zombie” Keystone XL Pipeline Revived As South Dakota Validates Expired PermitThe South Dakota Public Utility Commission (PUC) voted unanimously to keep TransCanada’s hopes for the Keystone XL pipeline alive by validating its permit certification that expired in 2014.. whoohoo <a href="http://www.alternet.org/news-amp-politics/obama-rejects-keystone-xl-pipeline-victory-environmental-activists"> http://www.alternet.org/news-amp-politics/obama-rejects-keystone-xl-pipeline-victory-environmental-activists</a><a href="http://www.democracynow.org/2015/5/13/as_internal_docs_show_major_overreach">http://www.democracynow.org/2015/5/13/as_internal_docs_show_major_overreach</a><h1 class="pageTitle" itemprop="name" style="margin: 0px 0px 15px 20px; padding: 0px; direction: ltr; line-height: 28px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">As Internal Docs Show Major Overreach, Why Is FBI Spying on Opponents of Keystone XL Pipeline?</h1><div><div id="content-item-summary" itemprop="description" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; direction: ltr; clear: right; line-height: 1.5em; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">A new report confirms for the first time that the FBI spied on activists in Texas who tried to stop the construction of the Keystone XL pipeline. Documents from the FBI reveal it failed to get approval before it cultivated informants and opened its investigation, which was run from its Houston field office. The files document "substantial non-compliance" with Department of Justice rules. The Tar Sands Blockade mentioned in that report was one of the main groups targeted by the FBI. Agents in Houston office also told TransCanada they would share "pertinent intelligence regarding any threats" to the company in advance of protests. We are joined by Adam Federman, contributing editor to Earth Island Journal and co-author of the new investigation published by The Guardian, "Revealed: FBI violated its own rules while spying on Keystone XL opponents." In February, he also revealed how the FBI has recently pursued environmental activists in Texas, Pennsylvania, Oregon, Washington and Idaho for "little more than taking photographs of oil and gas industry installations."</div><div id="story-body" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; direction: ltr; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><div id="transcript" class="collapsed" style="margin: 15px 0px 0px; padding: 0px; direction: ltr; clear: right; line-height: 1.5em; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><h2 class="section-header" style="margin: 0px 0px 10px; padding: 5px 10px 5px 0px; direction: ltr; line-height: normal; overflow: auto; font-stretch: normal; text-transform: uppercase; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-size: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial;">TRANSCRIPT</h2><div id="story-rush-transcript" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; direction: ltr; font-style: italic;">This is a rush transcript. Copy may not be in its final form.</div>JUAN GONZÁLEZ: A new <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2015/may/12/revealed-fbi-spied-keystone-xl-opponents" style="text-decoration: none; outline: 0px;">report</a> confirms for the first time that the FBI spied on activists in Texas who tried to stop the construction of the Keystone XL pipeline. The report is based on FBI documents obtained by The Guardian and the Earth Island Journal. The documents also reveal that the FBI failed to get approval before it cultivated informants and opened its investigation, which was run from its Houston field office. The files document, quote, "substantial non-compliance" with Department of Justice rules. Much of the FBI’s surveillance took place between November of 2012 and June 2014.AMY GOODMAN: The Tar Sands Blockade mentioned in the report was one of the main groups targeted by the FBI. Agents in Houston also told TransCanada they would share, quote, "pertinent intelligence regarding any threats" to the company in advance of protests.For more, we are joined by Adam Federman, contributing editor to Earth Island Journal, co-author of this new <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2015/may/12/revealed-fbi-spied-keystone-xl-opponents" style="text-decoration: none; outline: 0px;">investigation</a> that was published by The Guardian. It’s headlined "Revealed: FBI Violated Its Own Rules While Spying on Keystone XL Opponents." In February, he also revealed how the FBI has recently pursued environmental activists in Texas, Pennsylvania, Oregon, Washington and Idaho for, quote, "little more than taking photographs of oil and gas industry installations."Adam Federman, thank you so much for joining us from Burlington, Vermont. Talk about this most recent exposé. How do you know the FBI was spying on those who are opposed to the Keystone XL?</div></div>XL map<a href="http://ecowatch.com/2015/03/05/koch-brothers-connection-keystone-xl/">http://ecowatch.com/2015/03/05/koch-brothers-connection-keystone-xl/</a>

ICN on Mayflower <a href="http://insideclimatenews.org/news/20130716/exxons-secrecy-over-ruptured-pipeline-could-mask-national-dangers">http://insideclimatenews.org/news/20130716/exxons-secrecy-over-ruptured-pipeline-could-mask-national-dangers</a>

Another week, another instance comes to light of governments targeting peaceful environmental activists. <a href="http://static.guim.co.uk/ni/1424799125861/south-africa-ssa-foreign-in.pdf" style="box-sizing: border-box; text-decoration: none; line-height: inherit; background: transparent;">This latest document leak</a> finds that South Korea asked for an assessment from South Africa of whether Greenpeace International Executive Director Kumi Naidoo constituted a “security threat against the president of South Africa during the G20 summit to be held in South Korea.”The cables are part of a leaked cache from South Africa’s spy agency that shows efforts by a number of countries to keep close tabs on dissenters. The request was made in the run-up to the 2010 summit, and listed Naidoo alongside two other “dangerous persons” who were later arrested during a terrorist raid in Pakistan. In an otherwise unamusing document, Naidoo’s first name is amusingly misspelled “Kimi.”Another document in the cache alluded to some sort of cooperative effort between the CIA and intelligence agencies in the U.K., Australia, and South Africa “to provide the CIA with a deeper understanding of the potential for ramping up renewable and clean energy in key parts of the world and a better understanding of the collection capabilities and interests on renewables in the UK, South Africa and Australia.” From <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/environment/2015/feb/24/spy-cables-greenpeace-kumi-naidoo-targeted-security-threat-g20-seoul" style="box-sizing: border-box; text-decoration: none; line-height: inherit; background: transparent;">The Guardian</a>:<blockquote style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 1.25rem; padding: 0.5625rem 1.25rem 0px 1.1875rem; border-left: 1px solid rgb(221, 221, 221); line-height: 1.6; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">The reasons for the CIA’s interest are not clear. It may see climate change as a potential source of conflict and want to explore possible consequences. Some see a potentially more sinister motivation.A senior US climate scientist, Alan Robock, based at Rutgers University in New Jersey, expressed concern this month that the CIA and other intelligence agencies were funding climate change research to learn if new technologies could be used as potential weapons.</blockquote>The document casting Naidoo as a potential terroristic threat puts South Korea among a host of governments recently discovered to be targeting Greenpeace. The Indian government <a href="http://grist.org/climate-energy/india-invites-obama-over-but-wants-350-org-and-sierra-club-to-stay-home/" style="box-sizing: border-box; text-decoration: none; line-height: inherit; background: transparent;">cracked down on the group</a>, as well as other international environmental NGOs, ahead of Obama’s <a href="http://grist.org/climate-energy/india-and-u-s-agree-on-some-energy-deals-but-no-emission-cuts/" style="box-sizing: border-box; text-decoration: none; line-height: inherit; background: transparent;">recent visit</a> to the country, and the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, irked by the group’s anti-Keystone activism, <a href="http://grist.org/news/mounties-claim-anti-oil-activists-are-a-threat-to-canada/" style="box-sizing: border-box; text-decoration: none; line-height: inherit; background: transparent;">named Greenpeace</a> alongside the Sierra Club and Tides Canada in a leaked document outlining potentially violent threats to Canadian infrastructure.Environmental activists have also faced some heat in the States recently. Grist’s own <a href="http://grist.org/climate-energy/the-fbi-is-targeting-tar-sands-activists-should-that-worry-you/" style="box-sizing: border-box; text-decoration: none; line-height: inherit; background: transparent;">Heather Smith wrote last month</a> that FBI agents have been paying visits to anti-Keystone activists, asking for information while also saying that there’s no investigation underway. <a href="http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2015-02-24/on-terror-alert-inside-big-oil-s-fight-to-build-keystone" style="box-sizing: border-box; text-decoration: none; line-height: inherit; background: transparent;">Bloomberg reported</a> this week that the intelligence behind those FBI visits could be coming from TransCanada, the company that wants to build the Keystone XL pipeline. Reporter Isaac Arnsdorf writes that local authorities along the pipeline’s route had been warned that homegrown extremists were targeting the project:<blockquote style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 1.25rem; padding: 0.5625rem 1.25rem 0px 1.1875rem; border-left: 1px solid rgb(221, 221, 221); line-height: 1.6; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">That risk assessment, laid out in documents obtained through open-records requests, wasn’t provided by law enforcement. It was provided by TransCanada Corp., the Calgary-based company that has waged a long campaign to sell America on Keystone XL and the Canadian crude it would carry. President Barack Obama vetoed Congress’s approval of extending the pipeline, but the fight is far from over.Few understand the threats facing corporations better than corporations, and few could argue with putting safety first. Yet the alarms TransCanada raised in Nebraska … were part of a broad campaign for Keystone XL, the documents suggest. Time and again, in private e-mails and closed-door meetings with federal, state and local law enforcement, the Canadian company characterized peaceful opponents engaged in constitutionally protected protest as dangerous radicals or worse. …TransCanada representatives have met with law-enforcement officers in at least two states. Hundreds of pages of meeting logs, police e-mails and other documents obtained by Bloomberg suggest TransCanada provided intelligence on protesters’ activities and, at times, helped guide law enforcement’s response.</blockquote>Kumi “Kimi” Naidoo, for his part, said he wasn’t particularly surprised that spy agencies were keeping tabs on him. “Sadly, the assumption that we make, especially after the Edward Snowden leaks and the Wikileaks information came out, is that we are heavily monitored and under constant surveillance,” <a href="http://www.aljazeera.com/news/2015/02/spy-cables-greenpeace-intelligence-targets-150224115107221.html" style="box-sizing: border-box; text-decoration: none; line-height: inherit; background: transparent;">he told Al Jazeera</a>. “But it’s one thing assuming that it’s happening; it’s a little numbing and chilling to have it confirmed.”T?en Democratic senators have voted with Republicans to allow the progress of a bill to extend the Keystone oil pipeline, placing more political pressure on the White House to reconsider its proposed veto of the legislation.
The procedural motion was passed by 63 votes to 32, comfortably clearing the three-fifths majority needed to avoid a filibuster and falling just short of the two-thirds majority that would be needed to overcome a presidential veto when it comes to a final vote.
But some of the Democrats, who were also joined by Maine independent Angus King, may switch votes in future to avoid embarrassing Barack Obama who has said he is opposed to Congress interfering in a long-running administration review of the pipeline extension.

Keystone has become a symbolic battlefield for the administration’s climate change policy, with critics insisting that it will encourage the exploitation ofheavily-polluting Canadian tar sands and supporters claiming it will createthousands of jobs.
The bill will now see various amendments added over the coming weeks, a process which could ultimately decide on its level of support among Democrats.
It was approved by the House of Representatives last week by 266-152 votes, a margin also short of the two-thirds majority in both chambers needed to overcome White House opposition.
The Obama administration has stood by its decision to reject the bill, even though a Nebraska court decision in favour of the Keystone route removed one of its remaining objections.
The Democrats who joined senator King in voting for cloture on the motion to proceed included: Michael Bennet of Colorado, Tom Carper of Delaware, Bob Casey of Pennsylvania, Joe Donnelly of Indiana, Heidi Heitkamp of North Dakota, Joe Manchin of West Virginia, Claire McCaskill of Missouri, Jon Tester of Montana, Tom Udall of New Mexico and Mark Warner of Virginia. King has said he would vote against final passage, and five senators have not voted at all yet.==

1/15

In a move that surprised exactly no one, the Republican-dominated U.S. House of Representatives voted today for the tenth time to approve the construction of the <a href="http://ecowatch.com/news/energy-news/keystone-xl-pipeline-2/" onclick="__gaTracker('send', 'event', 'outbound-article-int', 'http://ecowatch.com/news/energy-news/keystone-xl-pipeline-2/', 'Keystone XL pipeline');" style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; transition: color 0.2s linear; background: transparent;">Keystone XL pipeline</a>. Following a short floor discussion that reiterated all the familiar arguments pro and con, the House voted 266-153 in favor of the project

The vote took place only four days after the current session opened, <a href="http://ecowatch.com/2015/01/02/keystone-xl-center-stage-congress/" onclick="__gaTracker('send', 'event', 'outbound-article-int', 'http://ecowatch.com/2015/01/02/keystone-xl-center-stage-congress/', 'rejecting pleas');" style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; transition: color 0.2s linear; background: transparent;">rejecting pleas</a> from some Democrats to give the matter more consideration. But it’s not like the result was ever in doubt; with an enhanced Republican majority in the House, it passed by an even bigger margin that in the previous votes.

“The only folks who think the first major act of Congress should be to force approval of the Keystone XL <a href="http://ecowatch.com/news/energy-news/oil-tar-sands/" onclick="gaTracker('send', 'event', 'outbound-article-int', 'http://ecowatch.com/news/energy-news/oil-tar-sands/', 'tar sands');" style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; transition: color 0.2s linear; background: transparent;">tar sands</a> pipeline are those in the pocket of oil and gas billionaires,” <a href="http://content.sierraclub.org/press-releases/2015/01/sierra-club-statement-house-vote-keystone-xl" onclick="gaTracker('send', 'event', 'outbound-article', 'http://content.sierraclub.org/press-releases/2015/01/sierra-club-statement-house-vote-keystone-xl', 'said');" style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; transition: color 0.2s linear; background: transparent;">said</a> Sierra Club executive director <a href="http://ecowatch.com/author/mbrune/" onclick="__gaTracker('send', 'event', 'outbound-article-int', 'http://ecowatch.com/author/mbrune/', 'Michael Brune');" style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; transition: color 0.2s linear; background: transparent;">Michael Brune</a>. “That explains why 266 members of the House voted to try and do just that. Big polluters are getting the Congress they paid for, and they are now trying to make everyone else pay the price.”

On the Senate side, the Energy and Natural Resources Committee approved the pipeline by a vote of 13-9 and passed it on to the full Senate for a vote. Senator majority leader Mitch McConnell, who has said repeatedly that <a href="http://ecowatch.com/2015/01/06/keystone-xl-vote-friday-house/" onclick="gaTracker('send', 'event', 'outbound-article-int', 'http://ecowatch.com/2015/01/06/keystone-xl-vote-friday-house/', 'approving the pipeline would be his first priority');" style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; transition: color 0.2s linear; background: transparent;">approving the pipeline would be his first priority</a> in the new Congress, said that a cloture vote will take place Monday night. With 60 sponsors, the bill will easily clear that hurdle and go on for a guaranteed-to-pass vote, following its <a href="http://ecowatch.com/2014/11/13/keystone-xl-senate-vote-landrieu/" onclick="gaTracker('send', 'event', 'outbound-article-int', 'http://ecowatch.com/2014/11/13/keystone-xl-senate-vote-landrieu/', 'failure to pass');" style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; transition: color 0.2s linear; background: transparent;">failure to pass</a> the Senate in November by one vote. It will then be the first item that the new Congress sends to President Obama to sign, which he’s indicated lately that he would <a href="http://ecowatch.com/2015/01/06/obama-veto-keystone-xl-pipeline/" onclick="__gaTracker('send', 'event', 'outbound-article-int', 'http://ecowatch.com/2015/01/06/obama-veto-keystone-xl-pipeline/', 'veto the bill');" style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; transition: color 0.2s linear; background: transparent;">veto the bill</a>.

Stirring up the rhetoric on the already heated issue, the Nebraska Supreme Court this morning<a href="http://ecowatch.com/2015/01/09/nebraska-supreme-court-keystone-xl/" onclick="gaTracker('send', 'event', 'outbound-article-int', 'http://ecowatch.com/2015/01/09/nebraska-supreme-court-keystone-xl/', 'failed to find in favor');" style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; transition: color 0.2s linear; background: transparent;">failed to find in favor</a> of local landowners trying to block the state from implementing the route chosen by TransCanada, the company building the pipeline. Obama has given as one of his reasons—pipeline supporters’ coordinated talking point today is that this was an “excuse” rather than an actual reason—that the Nebraska court case was pending. But it was <a href="http://ecowatch.com/2014/12/09/obama-colbert-keystone-xl/" onclick="gaTracker('send', 'event', 'outbound-article-int', 'http://ecowatch.com/2014/12/09/obama-colbert-keystone-xl/', 'far from the only reason');" style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; transition: color 0.2s linear; background: transparent;">far from the only reason</a> he’s offered in recent weeks. The State Department review of the project is still pending and concerns about its environmental impacts remain.

“We take risk to our lands, the American people face threats to their health, and TransCanada gets to reap the rewards,” said Arizona Congressman Raul Grijalva, co-chair of the Congressional Progressive Caucus. “That’s not a winning formula for our country or the economy.”

And despite the Nebraska ruling, it appears Obama is still not inclined to let the Keystone XL project proceed.

“Regardless of the Nebraska ruling today, the House bill still conflicts with longstanding executive branch procedures,” <a href="http://thehill.com/blogs/floor-action/house/229039-house-passes-bill-to-approve-keystone-pipeline" onclick="_gaTracker('send', 'event', 'outbound-article', 'http://thehill.com/blogs/floor-action/house/229039-house-passes-bill-to-approve-keystone-pipeline', 'said White House spokesman');" target="blank" style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; transition: color 0.2s linear; background: transparent;">said White House spokesman</a> Eric Schultz. “If presented to the president, he will veto the bill.”

While an additional three Democrats are said to support the bill in addition to its 60 sponsors, the Senate would need 67 votes to override the President’s veto.

==

possible 2x:

may 2012

<h1 class="title" style="font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0px; letter-spacing: -1px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">Koch Brothers' Political Activism Protects Their 50-Year Stake in Canadian Heavy Oils</h1>

... icn: These sources reveal that Koch Industries has touched virtually every aspect of the tar sands industry since the company established a toehold in Canada more than 50 years ago. It has been involved in mining bitumen, the hydrocarbon resin found in the oil sands; in pipeline systems to collect and transport Canadian crude; in exporting the heavy oils to the U.S.; in refining the sulfurous, low-grade feedstock; and in the subsequent distribution and sale of a variety of finished products, from jet fuel to asphalt. The company has also created or collaborated with other companies that have become leading players in the development of Alberta's oil resources, and it remains deeply invested in western Canada’s oil patch.

...

<a href="http://insideclimatenews.org/news/20120510/koch-industries-brothers-tar-sands-bitumen-heavy-oil-flint-pipelines-refinery-alberta-canada">http://insideclimatenews.org/news/20120510/koch-industries-brothers-tar-sands-bitumen-heavy-oil-flint-pipelines-refinery-alberta-canada</a>

==

WASHINGTON –- Senate supporters of the Keystone XL pipeline say they think they have enough votes to pass a bill that would force the approval of the controversial project. A group of 56 senators -- all 45 Republicans plus 11 Democrats –- introduced legislation on Thursday that would bypass the Obama administration and grant approval for the pipeline.

Sens. John Hoeven (R-N.D.) and Mary Landrieu (D-La.) <a href="http://big.assets.huffingtonpost.com/JAC14173.pdf" target="_hplink" sl-processed="1" style="box-sizing: border-box; text-decoration: none; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">introduced the bill on Thursday</a>. Democrats Heidi Heitkamp (D-N.D.), Mark Begich (D-Alaska), Mark Pryor (D-Ark.), Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.), Joe Donnelly (D-Ind.), Claire McCaskill (D-Mo.), Mark Warner (D-Va.), Jon Tester (D-Mont.), John Walsh (D-Mont.), and Kay Hagan (D-N.C.) are cosponsoring it.

===

<a href="http://insideclimatenews.org/news/20140415/keystone-advocates-inject-ukraine-pipeline-debate">http://insideclimatenews.org/news/20140415/keystone-advocates-inject-ukraine-pipeline-debate</a>

<h1 class="title" style="font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0px; text-transform: none; letter-spacing: -1px; font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; line-height: normal; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">Keystone Advocates Inject Ukraine Into Pipeline Debate</h1>

<h3 style="font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0.5em;">ANALYSIS: Controversial project included in wish list of actions industry says would send more oil and gas to vulnerable Ukraine and Europe.</h3>

</div>

===

letter: The following Senators joined Baucus, Hoeven and Tester's <a href="http://www.baucus.senate.gov/11162012Baucus_HoevenLetterCallingonPresidentforKeystoneMeeting.pdf" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; background-color: transparent; text-decoration: none;">letter</a>: Richard Lugar (R-Ind.), Republican Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.), Kent Conrad (D-N.D.), Kay Bailey Hutchison (R-Texas), Mary Landrieu (D-LA), Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska), Mark Pryor (D-Ark.), David Vitter (R-La.), Jim Webb (D-VA), Jon Tester (D-Mont.), John Barrasso (R-Wyo.), Mike Johanns (R-Neb.), Kay Hagan (D-N.C.), Mark Begich (D-Alaska), Joe Manchin (D-W.V.), Rob Portman (R-Ohio).

===

<a href="http://www.prwatch.org/print/12402">http://www.prwatch.org/print/12402</a>

Posted by THE PRW STAFF [1] on February 28, 2014

Keystone PipeLIES Exposed: The Facts on Petroleum Politicians, Crude Money and Media Spin [2]

-- by Dave Saldana, Director, Writer, and Producer of "Keystone PipeLIES Exposed [3]," a new short film that is a production of the Center for Media and Democracy Investigative Fund. (An excerpt of this article is featured in the April issue of The Progressive [4].)

U.S. Representative Joe Barton - Texas"TransCanada set out to build this pipeline five years ago, and they still haven't. That's saying something about the efforts of activists throughout the country, in spite of all of the money invested in seeing it happen," Natural Resources Defense Council analyst Anthony Swift says.

"In the southern portion of the pipeline, we saw ranchers, we saw longtime Texas farmers joining with the climate justice activists from Tar Sands Blockade, working to block the tar sands," says Kevin Zeese, co-director of It's Our Economy [5]. "And they did a good job. They slowed it down and made it more difficult and more expensive. And they're effective; a big French investor pulled out [6] because it was getting too expensive."

The effort that goes into street-level organizing is as much a matter of necessity as it is anything else. Facing one of the most profitable industries [7] in the world, KXL opponents know they can't compete in the Washington arena using the traditional weapons of choice: campaign contributions and lobbying budgets.

"Our opposition is quite formidable," says Jason Kowalski of 350.org "The fossil fuel industry has made more money in the history of money in recent years. If we win, it's because of our bodies and our spirits and our courage and our numbers. We know we have the moral high ground, and that's how we are going win this thing."

The American Petroleum Institute Is the "Fourth Branch of Government"

Moral high ground and strength in numbers are going to have to when the day Keystone opponents, because there is no way -- no way -- that they could compete financially. In addition to the millions of dollars [8] TransCanada has spent lobbying [9] for the KXL project, the American Petroleum Institute (API) has spent millions more [10].

That kind of spending carries a lot of clout.

"You cannot move a piece of legislations through Congress in the year 2013 unless the American Petroleum Institute proposes it," says Public Citizen Energy Program director Tyson Slocum. "You cannot move legislation without their consent. They are a de facto fourth branch of government."

"They are one of the most profitable industries in the world, and they're throwing that money into Washington, DC," says Kate Colarulli of the Sierra Club. "They're buying politicians. When we see politicians that vote the oil the agenda, we see 500 times as much contributions coming from oil companies than we see going to politicians who don't vote the oil agenda."

For example, look to South Carolina, where Republican Senator Tim Scott, who sits on the Energy and Natural resources Committee, gave the GOP's weekly address and offered his full-throated support [11] to KXL. Of course, he also decried opponents of the pipeline for killing jobs in favor of the environment.

Why was a newly appointed [12] senator from South Carolina, a state not known for its thriving petroleum industry, stumping to build a foreign corporation's pipeline that doesn't come anywhere near his home state? Possibly because the oil and gas industry is among his largest sources [13] of campaign contributions.

The $153,000 Scott has received from oil and gas contributors is a comparatively low take for a legislator willing to do the industry's bidding. In Washington, DC, a city where climate denial is something of a cottage industry, those who are willing to toe the corporate line can make out very well indeed.

The list of climate deniers in Congress [14] is not a short one, but looking at the top achievers [15] in the field shows a strong correlation between vehemence and campaign cash, just as Colarulli describes.

Take the grand poobah of climate deniers, Senator James Inhofe. The Oklahoma Republican is widely recognized [16] as a leading light in benighted views on climate change, having authored a book [17] claiming that climate change is a vast global hoax. (As a measure of its credibility, consider that the book's publisher is WorldNetDaily [18], a media outlet known for its dogged attachment to Birtherism, Islamophobia, homophobia, and xenophobia.)

Not content to "debunk" mountains of peer-reviewed climate science, Inhofe also enjoys spreading unsubstantiated theories [19] on how the climate works.

Though this might be a chicken-and-egg matter -- does he say crazy things because he gets money, or does he get money because he says crazy things? -- it's well worth noting that Inhofe has pocketed more than $1.5 million [20] from the oil and gas industry in his congressional career.

Consider also Senator Roger Wicker, the Mississippi Republican who recently made headlines with his heartfelt plea for understanding. "I think it's time for some tolerance in the public discourse [21] regarding the many scientific viewpoints on climate change. Respect should be shown to those who have done the research and come to a different conclusion," he said.

He was not speaking of the 97 percent of global climate scientists [22] who have sounded the alarm on the ongoing global crisis, whom his colleagues routinely deride as swindlers [23], incompetents [24], and one-government co-conspirators [25], but for the relentless minority whose delusional tenacity threatens the rest of us.

Witter's career haul from the oil and gas industry? Just shy of $650,000 [26].

Senator John Barrasso (R-WY) famously quipped [27] in a July 2013 hearing on climate change that President Obama and the Democrats "are willing to bet the economy today on an uncertain [prediction] about the future." Which is easy for him to say, considering he's gambling with $530,000 in oil-industry house money [28].

Lest you believe that pay-for-play is a game for senators only, U.S. Representative Joe Barton of Texas has 1.76 million reasons [29] to convince you otherwise. A water carrier for the oil industry for the bulk of his 30 years in the House, Barton is remembered for apologizing to British Petroleum for the fines they would face for the Deepwater Horizon spill. He also claims that the Flood story [30] in the Bible is evidence that climate change is not caused by fossil fuels.

See also Representative Lee Terry of Nebraska, who describes himself as "light green" and calls himself "a renewable Republican." But that doesn't mean he is willing to accept facts as they are on climate science. "Is it really 97 to 3?" Terry asked Esquire [31]. "I don't think so."

While Terry has collected more than $330,000 [32] in oil industry cash, his constituents at Bold Nebraska celebrated his receipt of the "#1 Climate Denier Award [33]."

Terry isn't the only member of Congress whose position on KXL is at odds with his constituents. In South Dakota, Senator John Thune and Representative Kristi Noem, both Republicans, have been backing the project, which will run through thousands of acres a valuable ranch land. The ranchers they represent in Washington are disappointed that families in South Dakota may suffer to advance someone else's cause.

"They want to push this agenda with these jobs and look good," rancher Dwayne Vig told the Rapid City Journal [34]. "But they are not ranchers. I know John [Thune] comes from a ranching family, but he's not a rancher."

He's also not a scientist, but that doesn't stop soon from pushing a project that research indicates will result in catastrophic climate change.

"It's dismaying to see that there are still so many members of the House of Representatives who actually denied that climate change is happening, and then even more who may say, 'oh it's happening, but we shouldn't do anything about it,'" says Tiernan Sittenfeld of the League of Conservation Voters. "That is in our view absolutely outrageous -- people out of touch with basic facts, with science, with reality."

In fairness, one must point out that politicians don't merely parrot industry claims and spout junk-science rationalizations purely for the campaign cash it brings in. Some, like Iowa Representative Steve King, who gets little campaign money from Big Oil, do it just because it's a cheap sop to constituents [35] who might be persuaded that climate change could do them some good, in that "we'd probably raise a little more corn."

Even those who are not "true believers" in climate denial find it best to remain agnostic, even in the face of staggeringly compelling evidence. To wit, New Jersey Governor Chris Christie (R), who saw his state's coast get pounded into rubble [36] by Superstorm Sandy [37] in 2012, has maintained steadfast refusal to acknowledge that climate change may have contributed to the destruction his constituents suffered. Although Christie rarely shies from controversy, he contends that human-caused climate change is "a scientific discussion and debate that I'm simply not engaged [38] in."

(American politicians haven't cornered the market on head-in-the-sand climate obliviousness: Canadian Natural Resources Minister Joe Oliver, the parliamentarian pushing the KXL project from the other side of the border, said NASA scientist Hansen's warning of "game over for the climate" was "nonsense [39]" and that Hansen "should be ashamed.")

It's hard to ignore the fact that climate deniers in Congress uniformly come from one political party [40] (although support for KXL is more bipartisan [41]). It's troubling to recognize that many of them are on particularly powerful committees [42]. But it wasn't always this way.

The Bipartisanship that Has Sailed

For much of America's history with environmentalism, the Republican Party plays a very prominent role. Recall that president Abraham Lincoln signed the law that preserved Yosemite Valley [43] for public use; Pres. Theodore Roosevelt signed the Antiquities Act that would allow later presidents to protect natural resources [44] by declaring them national monuments; and it was Pres. Richard Nixon who created the Environmental Protection Agency [45] and signed the Clean Air Act.

America's bipartisan concern for the environment has an even more recent history. Remember that former House Speakers Newt Gingrich (R-GA) and Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) sat together [46] in 2008 for a public service announcement on climate change, proclaiming that putting a stop to the crisis reached beyond party politics.

It's telling that three years later, while in the midst of a run for the GOP presidential nomination, Gingrich denounced the ad. He called it "the dumbest thing [47] I've done in the last four years."

What was behind Gingrich's change of heart? Could it be his position was "misconstrued," as he suggested as he furiously backpedaled from the idea that climate change should not be a partisan issue?

More likely, the Republican base veered sharply to the right, reflexively rejecting anything Democrats might support even though it could hurt them [48] long term. Perhaps also, others suggest, Republicans' close ties to corporations make them more likely to curry favor through favorable legislation.

"We have seen some members of Congress who are likely to side with big oil over or to vote for various legislation to approve the Keystone XL pipeline," says Sittenfeld. "Clearly they're getting their contributions from the Koch brothers or Karl Rove or the Chamber [of Commerce], or they've had runs ads run on their behalf. ... We've seen corporate profits really influencing the decisions that get made."

Politicians Make for a Great Return on Investment

From a purely economic standpoint, political contributions are an astonishingly good investment for oil companies.

"One of the most profitable investments they make, one of the biggest returns they get on their money is the money that they pay into campaign contributions to politicians -- pay a few million dollars and they get back billions on those investments," says Oil Change International research director Lorne Stockman.

The Center for American Progress backs up Stockman's assertion. Its research finds that for every dollar the top five oil companies spent lobbying in Washington, they got back $30 in tax breaks [49]. That translates to a 3000-percent return on investment.

Of course, they don't limit their contributions to the federal level. If the pipeline is approved, state governments will have much to say about how it's routed, how construction will take place, and how landowners will be compensated when their property is seized. Many states are willing to pay for that privilege.

"States offer property tax breaks for pipeline companies to build pipelines through their states. So we see very favorable property tax terms on the state level for these kind of projects," says Stockton.

Of Course ALEC Is Involved in the Keystone Cash

Not willing to leave anything to chance, the oil industry is taking action to make sure state legislators see things their way. As the Center for Media and Democracy (which publishes PRWatch) reported, the American Legislative Exchange Council [50] (ALEC) sent nine state legislators on an industry-paid field trip [51] to the Alberta tar sands in 2012.

ALEC, which receives funding from TransCanada, the Koch brothers (whose Canadian subsidiary has tar sands investments [52]), and other fossil fuel corporations, set up the event to put legislators in the same room as the industry lobbyists who paid for the lavish private-jet travel and fine dining. ALEC also prompted each of the nine legislators to send their corporate sponsors a thank you note, with a reminder of what the lobbyists had paid for the tour.

CMD also uncovered emails between TransCanada's lobbyist and Ohio state Rep. John Adams in which the lobbyist provided Adams with a model bill in support of KXL [53], with Adams swiftly introduced in the legislature. The bill was co-sponsored by another participant in ALEC's Alberta field trip.

Politicians Prey on the Poor's Jobs Hopes

Big Oil's influence extends even to, and perhaps most powerfully in, local politics. Port Arthur, Texas, where the KXL pipeline is slated to terminate, is essentially a one-industry town. What few jobs there are, are in the refineries that dominate the city's landscape, or in the small businesses that serve them. And with one in five people unemployed, and one in four living in poverty, those with jobs are unwilling to put their livelihoods at risk. Activists say that includes elected officials.

Community organizer and environmental activist Hilton Kelley says what success his organization has had has come with little help from local politicians.

"A lot of times local government stands as a stumbling block in the way of local activists that are pushing for clean air and clean water, because they get the biggest part of their tax base from these industries," he says. "Maybe one or two council members had the heart to stand up in city council in Port Arthur say something but they're soon ousted. They don't get reelected the following year."

Kelley recognizes that his independence from the refineries is a rare luxury in Port Arthur, and it allows him to take the lead. "I have no connections to the plants," he says, "therefore they can't really hurt me like they could someone who retired from the plant someone who has a kid who works at the plant."

"They could possibly lose their job and all they'd tell them is, 'We don't need you anymore,' or, 'We cut that position.' But the reason they're letting them go is because their mother or dad was seen on TV protesting with me. I don't hold any animosity toward those who are really intimidated to stand with me, because I understand the dilemma."

American Dreams Denied in American "Sacrifice Zones"

That dilemma is often exploited by industries that use economic desperation in the communities they occupy. In exchange for a few jobs, the companies get to pollute. It's a phenomenon called "sacrifice zones [54]."

"Oftentimes front-line communities, which tend to be low-income and minority communities, are left out of the conversation, ignored, and they bear the brunt," says Colarulli of the Sierra Club. "They're often called 'sacrifice zones' these places where people are living in [squalid] conditions. This is not the American dream. This is not the way we should have people living in America."

Of course none of this could happen without the media's acquiescence. We're not even talking about right-wing talkers like Rush Limbaugh, 2011 winner of Media Matters' "Climate Change Misinformer of the Year [55]" award who recently told his listeners that they cannot concurrently believe in God and climate change [56]. We're talking about the mainstream media that have given very little time to the issue of climate change and how KXL could impact it.

Where's the Media?

The mainstream media's failure to confront climate change is more a sin of omission then one of commission. The Daily Climate [57], an online publication that monitors news coverage of climate issues, has been tracking total coverage of climate change for the past several years. What they have found is shrinking coverage as the crisis has escalated.

Despite the devastation of Superstorm Sandy, a drought that wrought havoc [58] on more than half of the US, California's current epochal drought, and the fact that 2012 was the hottest year on record [59], total reporting on climate change dropped two percent [60] from 2011. And climate coverage in 2011 was 20 percent less [61] than in 2010, and just over half the amount of reportage in 2009, the year when the issue got the most attention in the mainstream media.

Last year, the New York Times, "the paper of record," and "All the news that's fit to print," shut down [62] its environmental reporting desk and its Green blog. Though the editors offered assurances that the paper would cover environmental issues with just as much vigor, reassigning the reporters and terminating two editorial positions makes that difficult to believe.

Evidence indicates skepticism about those promises is well founded. On August 5, the American Geophysical Union [63] and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration [64] each released major climate report. Neither garnered a mention [65] in the Gray Lady.

The Times is not alone in cutting back on specialized environmental reporting. Inside Climate News, a Pulitzer Prize-winning online news outlet, reports that among the top five US newspapers by circulation, there are approximately a dozen reporters [66] on the environment beat.

(To its credit, the recently launched and unjustly attacked [67] cable network Al Jazeera America dedicated a half-hour of its inaugural day [68] to climate change, which propelled it to the fore of media outlets paying attention to the issue, topping Fox News' and CNN's combined total [69] for the preceding four months.)

When activist organizations can't get their issues covered in the mainstream media, they sometimes turn to the old-fashioned alternative: buying publicity. But for Green organizations, it appears that their money is not green enough to buy a seat at the table for the debate on KXL.

Think Progress reports that the NBC television station in Washington DC rejected an advertisement [70] by a group opposing KXL, despite the organization's assurance that its ad complied with all station policies. A station spokesman said it violated the policy against personal attacks.

The group, NextGen Climate Action, [71] wanted the ad to run in conjunction with President Obama's August 2013 appearance on "The Tonight Show." It parodies [72] the specious and suspect claims made by TransCanada in its ads, such as the one that aired during the preceding Sunday's "Meet the Press" on the very same NBC station that rejected the parody.

All the News That's Fit to Print, on One Side?

The result in this case is a debate in which only one side gets to make its case.

"If you have a large enough bank account you can create a multifaceted campaign that involves buying politicians, influence peddling, and writing the story of energy policy from your perspective," says Public Citizen's Slocum. "That is invaluable if you get to tell the story on your terms about climate change, if you don't have to have a rebuttal, and you don't have to have a fact check."

TransCanada and the API have very large bank accounts. And they've been willing to open their checkbooks (to the tune of $153 million [73] leading up to the 2012 election, or nearly four times what clean-energy groups spent) to tell the story their way. According to their adversaries, that story has what Slocum politely calls "credibility problems." Others offer a more blunt assessment.

"TransCanada has lied repeatedly throughout this process, and unfortunately, some of their lies have been printed," LCV's Sittenfeld says.

(Nation of Change has compiled a lengthy, but not exhaustive, list of misleading and/or unethical conduct [74] on behalf of the KXL project.)

NEXT: Tar Sands, corporate profits, and stopping "game over" for the climate.

===

another BS report: icn 2/14?

The analysis of greenhouse gas emissions presented by the State Department in its new environmental impact statement on the Keystone XL pipeline includes dozens of references to reports by <a href="http://www.jacobsconsultancy.com/" target="_blank" style="text-decoration: none; outline: none;">Jacobs Consultancy</a>, a group that is owned by a big tar sands developer and that was hired by the Alberta government—which strongly favors the project.

In the end, the environmental review took into account much of the Jacobs group's work—though not quite as much as the Alberta government wanted. The<a href="http://keystonepipeline-xl.state.gov/finalseis/index.htm" target="_blank" style="text-decoration: none; outline: none;">State Department report</a> will play a crucial role in the Obama administration's decision about whether to approve the Canada-to-Texas tar sands pipeline.

The Jacobs Consultancy is a subsidiary of <a href="http://www.jacobs.com/" target="blank" style="text-decoration: none; outline: none;">Jacobs Engineering</a>, a giant natural resources development company with extensive operations in Alberta's tar sands fields. The engineering company has worked on dozens of major projects in the region over the years. Its most recent contract, with Canadian oil sands leader Suncor, <a href="http://www.jacobs.com/News.aspx?id=6720" target="blank" style="text-decoration: none; outline: none;">was announced in January</a>.

"The Alberta Oil Sands are a very important component of our business," the parent company said in late 2011, announcing seven new contracts in the region. "Jacobs has a strong history in the area, and we are pleased to support our clients in these initiatives."

Jacobs's deep involvement with the expansion of the tar sands extends beyond its engineering activity. Jacobs Consultancy has carried out influential studies assessing the oil sands' carbon footprint—research that has played a role in in the Obama administration's review of the Keystone XL.

Two of its widely cited reports were paid for by government agencies in Alberta that are devoted to oil sands expansion.

One, done in 2009, was among a handful of studies chosen by the State Department in its Jan. 31 environmental impact statement to represent a range of estimates of the tar sands' greenhouse gas impact.

As a rule, the Jacobs carbon footprint estimates of the tar sands oil that would move through the Keystone XL were considerably lower than alternative estimates produced by the U.S. National Energy Technology Laboratory, or NETL, which is part of the Energy Department and is independent of tar sands commercial interests.

Rather than choose a single figure, the State Department presented a range of estimates. Compared to other sources of oil, it said, annual incremental emissions of tar sands oil moving from Alberta to the Gulf Coast through the Keystone would fall between 1.3 million tons of carbon dioxide and 27.4 million tons.

The 1.3 million figure came from Jacobs; the 27.4 million figure from NETL.

A spokesman for Jacobs did not return a call.

The research is significant because President Obama has said he will base his decision on whether the project will "significantly exacerbate" climate-changing pollution.

Alberta has made extensive use of the Jacobs data when its officials have lobbied governments and politicians against imposing strict limits on tar sands imports because of the fuel's heavy carbon footprint, including in California and in Europe.

The Jacobs Factor

Jacobs may be an unfamiliar name to the public, but it is one of the best-known and often-cited sources by researchers studying the emissions of carbon dioxide from the tar sands and how they compare to other types of fuel. The<a href="http://www.fas.org/sgp/crs/misc/R42537.pdf" style="text-decoration: none; outline: none;">Congressional Research Service</a>, for example, cited the Jacobs studies in its own survey of the tar sands' carbon footprint, and they have figured in past environmental impact statements about other tar sands pipelines.

When Alberta sent the State Department its official comments last year seeking tweaks to the Keystone draft environmental report, which was still under review, the name Jacobs occurred two dozen times, on six of the Canadian letter’s 19 pages.

Alberta's repeated invocations of the Jacobs group's expert opinions centered on the two influential studies the group wrote in recent years, one published in 2009 and the other in 2012. Both had to do with measuring the carbon footprint of Canada's tar sands crude oil.

The 2009 study, in particular, has been widely cited since its publication in just about every report examining how much dirtier the tar sands fuel is than other fuels from anywhere in the world.

In the State Department's final environmental impact statement, as in the draft, the Jacobs group's work is mentioned repeatedly in the same breath as work by the National Energy Technology Laboratory.

But as Alberta's government sought to influence the conclusions in the lead-up to the crucial final State Department review, provincial officials wanted the contractors writing the agency's environmental study to pay more attention to the 2012 Jacobs study than the 2009 one.

The 2012 study contained more recent data, the Canadians pointed out.

It also presented a prettier picture of pollution from the tar sands as compared to pollution from other sources of oil.

Alberta's government also wanted the State Department in its final review to correct one citation of Jacobs in its bibliographic list of references. It had to do with who funded the 2012 study.

The citation said the 2012 study, like the 2009 study, had been conducted for the Alberta Energy Research Institute, an arm of the provincial government sponsoring research on behalf of tar sands enterprises.

Not so, Alberta noted. Rather, the later work had been commissioned by the Alberta Petroleum Marketing Commission, the province's other arm—devoted to pushing tars sands as well.

Either way, Alberta had been paying for research to advance its strategic interest in producing more oil from the tar sands and shipping it to more new markets.

That has been a traditional role for Jacobs. Often, its work has been cited—twisted, according to some pipeline opponents—by the governments of Alberta and Canada or by sympathetic research institutes to further the cause of expanding the tar sands and building new corridors for sending its oil abroad, such as the Keystone XL.

Alberta Half Loses

In the end, the final environmental impact statement for the Keystone XL pipeline leaned more heavily on Jacobs's 2009 study than the 2012 one preferred by Alberta.

The 2009 study was deemed more useful for dealing with the Keystone XL situation, as it compared Canadian crude oil to typical U.S. crudes. The 2012 study was more useful in Canada's fight to tear down the European Union's fuel quality directive, a law that would effectively discourage tar sands shipments to refineries in Europe if is carried out.

"Because Jacobs Consultancy (2012) focuses on the European market, this analysis continued to use Jacobs Consultancy (2009)," the final State Department report explained in a footnote....

==

<a href="http://desmogblog.com/2014/02/05/keystone-xl-northern-leg-fracked-oil-pipeline-tar-sands">http://desmogblog.com/2014/02/05/keystone-xl-northern-leg-fracked-oil-pipeline-tar-sands</a>

On January 31, President Barack Obama's U.S. <a href="http://www.desmogblog.com/2014/01/31/keystone-xl-final-environmental-impact-statement-released-still-flawed">State Department released its Final Environmental Impact Statement</a> [1] (FEIS) for the northern leg of <a href="http://desmogblog.com/directory/vocabulary/5420">TransCanada</a> [2]'s proposed Keystone XL <a href="http://www.desmogblog.com/directory/vocabulary/2632">tar sands</a> [3] pipeline.

The State Department's FEIS argues that the northern half of <a href="http://www.desmogblog.com/directory/vocabulary/5857">Keystone XL</a> [4], if built, "remains unlikely to significantly impact the rate of extraction in the oil sands, or the continued demand for heavy crude oil at refineries in the United States."

But flying under the media's radar so far, the State Department review also highlights the prospect that Keystone XL will not only carry tar sands, but also be tapped to carry up to 100,000 barrels per day of oil extracted via <a href="http://www.desmogblog.com/fracking-the-future">hydraulic fracturing ("fracking")</a> [5] from North Dakota's <a href="http://www.desmogblog.com/directory/vocabulary/7174">Bakken Shale</a> [6] basin.

"[Keystone XL] would have the capacity to deliver up to 830,000 bpd, of which 730,000 bpd of capacity has been set aside for [tar sands] and the remaining 100,000 bpd of capacity set aside for [Bakken] crude oil," <a href="http://s3.documentcloud.org/documents/1011311/keystone-report.pdf">the report details</a> [7].

"[TransCanada] has represented that it has firm commitments to transport approximately 555,000 bpd of [tar sands], as well as 65,000 bpd of crude oil from the Bakken."

A smaller proposed <a href="http://www.transcanada.com/bakken.html">project owned by TransCanada called the Bakken MarketLink pipeline</a> [8] and <a href="http://www.bizapedia.com/ok/KEYSTONE-MARKETLINK-LLC.html">incorporated as Keystone Marketlink LLC in February 2011</a> [9], would ship the fracked oil to Keystone XL's northern leg as an "on ramp."

"This project would include a 5-mile pipeline, pumps, meters, and storage tanks to supply Bakken crude oil to the proposed pipeline," <a href="http://s3.documentcloud.org/documents/1011311/keystone-report.pdf">explains the FEIS</a> [7].

<h3 style="font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">For Bakken Fracked Oil, 'No' on KXL Means Rail</h3>

<p style="font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><a href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/wonkblog/wp/2013/04/24/if-keystone-xl-gets-blocked-can-trains-save-canadas-tar-sands/">Many doubt that rail could ever replace pipeline</a> [10] as a viable marketing mechanism for Alberta's tar sands. But few could argue the fact that rail reigns supreme for bringing Bakken fracked oil to market.

"Last November, rail shipped 71 percent — nearly 800,000 barrels of oil a day — of the Bakken’s oil, much of it on lines across Minnesota and Wisconsin, while pipelines shipped just 22 percent, according to estimates from the North Dakota Pipeline Authority," <a href="http://www.duluthnewstribune.com/event/article/id/290504/">explains the Duluth News Tribune</a> [11].

The State Department FEIS suggests that if Keystone XL were never completed, the oil industry will instead ship the Bakken crude via rail. Both Union Pacific and Burlington Northern Santa Fe (BNSF) are mentioned by name as the potential corporate beneficiaries.

"One new rail loading terminal would be needed in Epping [in ND] to ship Bakken crude oil," <a href="http://s3.documentcloud.org/documents/1011311/keystone-report.pdf">reads the FEIS</a> [7]. "Sufficient off-loading rail facilities currently exist or are proposed in the Gulf Coast area such that no new terminals would need to be built under this scenario."

On December 30, 2013, a <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UNR7XxhF7W0">BNSF freight rail train carrying Bakken fracked oil exploded in Casselton, ND</a> [12], <a href="http://www.startribune.com/business/239948631.html">spilling over 400,000 gallons of oil</a> [13]. In July 2013, 47 people were killed in Lac-Mégantic, Quebec by another "bomb train" carrying Bakken crude. ...

===

15. Koch brothers could make $100 billion profit from Keystone pipeline

Approval of the Keystone XL pipeline could generate $100 billion in profits for billionaire brothers Charles and David Koch, according to a <a rel="nofollow" target="_blank" href="http://kochcash.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/Embargo_Report.pdf" style="line-height: 1.2em; outline: none;">report released Sunday</a>, which revealed the extent to which the Kochs would benefit from the tar sands development the proposed pipeline would help spur.

A progressive think tank called the <a rel="nofollow" target="blank" href="http://www.ifg.org/" style="line-height: 1.2em; outline: none;">International Forum on Globalization</a> completed <a rel="nofollow" target="blank" href="http://kochcash.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/Embargo_Report.pdf" style="line-height: 1.2em; outline: none;">the study</a>, which found that the Kochs and their privately-owned company, Koch Industries, hold up to 2 million acres of land in Alberta, Canada, the proposed starting point of the Keystone XL.

Read the full story: <a rel="nofollow" target="_blank" href="http://americablog.com/2014/01/koch-brothers-make-100-billion-profit-keystone-pipeline.html" style="line-height: 1.2em; outline: none;">http://americablog.com/2014/01/koch-brothers-make-100-billion-profit-keystone-pipeline.html</a>

==

<div class="byline environment"><a href="http://www.dailykos.com/">Daily Kos</a> [1] / By <a href="http://www.alternet.org/authors/meteor-blades">Meteor Blades</a> [2]</div>

<h1 property="dc:title" datatype="" class="node-title">Koch Brothers Could Earn $100 Billion in Tar Sands Profit if Keystone XL Pipeline Is Approved</h1>

</div>

<div class="story-date">October 21, 2013  |  </div>

Authors of a 40-page <a href="http://kochcash.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/Embargo_Report.pdf">report</a> [3] by the liberal think-tank <a href="http://www.ifg.org/">International Forum on Globalization</a> [4] have concluded that the billionaire duo, David and Charles Koch, stand to make as much as $100 billion in profits from their holdings in the tar sands of Alberta if President Obama approves the Keystone XL pipeline. Because it would cross the boundary between Canada and the United States, the pipeline, which would connect the tar sands to refineries on the Texas gulf coast, requires a presidential permit based on U.S. national interest. Given the mandates of the review process, a decision isn't likely until early 2014.

Boiled down to the essentials of its executive summary, the IFG report—<a href="http://kochcash.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/Embargo_Report.pdf">Billionaires' Carbon Bomb: The Koch Brothers and the Keystone XL Pipeline</a> [3]—states:

By better connecting Canadian tar sands to U.S. refineries and their growing export markets, KXL will create a cash cow on steroids for the Kochs. KXL would worsen today's chances for controlling carbon by enormously expanding the Kochs' financial war chest thereby increasing their ability to influence U.S. carbon pollution policymaking and undermine urgent global climate cooperation.

IFG's special report reveals that Koch Industries' role in KXL includes:

2 million or more potential acres in Alberta with tar sands (and emissions) exceeding Exxon, Chevron and ConocoPhillips combined;

$53 million in Koch Cash for front groups and politicians who are pushing to fast-track KXL;

$100 billion in potential profits due to KXL, or 1 million times more than the average KXL worker's wage over the life of the pipeline.

The resulting rise in the pace and scale of Canadian crude oil consumption will make more money faster for the Kochs, who stand to personally profit from KXL more than any other individuals, even Exxon executives.

</blockquote>

Approval of the pipeline, the report's authors add, would give the Kochs "more money to ramp up their already successful attacks against Americans' voting rights, labor rights, pollution controls, and other public interest protections."

The Kochs, with a combined net worth of $92 billion, have been the leaders in financial support for climate change denialist propaganda, surpassing even Exxon's massive support for such lies, as well as denying candidates and lobbying meant to spur lawmakers away from pollution controls.

The authors conclude:

<blockquote>No single permit or pipeline will itself solve our Earth's deepening crisis of economic inequality and ecological collapse, but rejecting both can build awareness and popular pressure to reduce the role of private money polluting politics, the underlying problem obstructing our global economic transition from today's delusion of endless industrial growth to ecological sustainability and social justice.</blockquote>

KGrandia has a diary up on the subject <a href="http://www.dailykos.com/story/2013/10/20/1249110/-New-Study-Koch-s-Could-Make-100-Billion-on-Keystone-XL-Pipeline-Deal">here</a> [5].</div>

<div class="tags">See more stories tagged with:

</div>

<div class="print-source_url" style="text-align: left;">Source URL: <a href="http://www.alternet.org/environment/koch-brothers-could-earn-100-billion-tar-sands-profit-if-keystone-xl-pipeline-approved">http://www.alternet.org/environment/koch-brothers-could-earn-100-billion-tar-sands-profit-if-keystone-xl-pipeline-approved</a></div>

==

A DeSmogBlog investigation reveals that <a href="http://www.desmogblog.com/2013/05/03/obama-anita-dunn-public-relations-keystone-xl-pipeline-tar-sands-rail-transport" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; letter-spacing: 0.03em; line-height: 1.5em;">Robert Bauer</a>, former White House Counsel and President Barack Obama's personal attorney, works at the corporate law firm <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Perkins_Coie" target="blank" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; letter-spacing: 0.03em; line-height: 1.5em;">Perkins Coie LLP</a>, which does legal work for TransCanada's <a href="http://www.gasline.alaska.gov/newsroom/Presentations/SCLNG%20-%20HRES%20Lunch%20%26%20Learn%202.19.13.pdf" target="blank" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; letter-spacing: 0.03em; line-height: 1.5em;">South Central LNG Project</a>, formerly known as <a href="http://thealaskapipelineproject.com/" target="_blank" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; letter-spacing: 0.03em; line-height: 1.5em;">Alaska Gas Pipeline Project</a>.

Furthermore, <a href="http://dnr.alaska.gov/commis/sullivan.htm" target="_blank" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; letter-spacing: 0.03em; line-height: 1.5em;">Dan Sullivan</a>, current Commissioner of Alaska's Department of Natural Resources, and former Alaska Attorney General and former Assistant Secretary of State in the Bush Administration, is a former Perkins attorney.

These findings come in the immediate aftermath of a recent investigation revealing the contractor hired by Obama's U.S. State Department to do the Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement (SEIS) for the northern half of TransCanada's<a href="http://priceofoil.org/2013/07/11/keystone-xl-the-key-to-crude-exports-new-report/" target="blank" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none;">Keystone XL tar sands export pipeline</a> - Environmental Resources Management, Inc. (ERM Group) - <a href="http://www.desmogblog.com/2013/07/10/state-dept-contractor-erm-lied-about-transcanada-ties" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none;">lied on its June 2012 conflict-of interest filing</a>. ERM Group checked the box on the form saying it had <a href="http://keystonepipeline-xl.state.gov/documents/organization/205729.pdf" target="blank" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none;">no current business ties to TransCanada</a>.

In fact, <a href="http://www.desmogblog.com/2013/06/27/api-22-million-keystone-xl-lobbying-erm" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none;">ERM -</a><a href="http://www.desmogblog.com/2013/06/27/api-22-million-keystone-xl-lobbying-erm" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none;"> a member of the American Petroleum Institute (API)</a>, which has <a href="http://www.desmogblog.com/2013/06/27/api-22-million-keystone-xl-lobbying-erm" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none;">spent over $22 million lobbying on tar sands and Keystone XL</a> since 2008 - does maintain business ties to TransCanada, the investigation revealed. This includes an ongoing consulting relationship with South Central LNG, co-owned by TransCanada, ExxonMobil, BP and ConocoPhillips.

Under 18 USC § 1001, making a "materially false, fictitious, or fraudulent statement or representation...[to the] executive, legislative, or judicial branch of the Government of the United States" is a <a href="http://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/18/1001" target="_blank" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none;">crime punishable by up to five years in jail</a>.

On top of his job at Perkins Coie, Bauer - a well-known architect of <a href="http://washingtonindependent.com/95343/good-government-groups-raise-questions-about-new-white-house-ethics-czar" target="_blank" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; letter-spacing: 0.03em; line-height: 1.5em;">bending campaign finance law to allow more corporate money</a> to flood into electoral races - served as general counsel to President Obama’s 2012 reelection campaign. He also serves as general counsel to the Democratic National Committee and did electoral law work for John Kerry's 2004 presidential campaign.

His wife, <a href="http://www.desmogblog.com/2013/05/03/obama-anita-dunn-public-relations-keystone-xl-pipeline-tar-sands-rail-transport" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; letter-spacing: 0.03em; line-height: 1.5em;">Anita Dunn</a> is the co-owner of SDKnickerbocker, former Obama Communications Director, senior advisor for Obama's 2012 re-election campaign and is the former communications director for the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee under then-Senator Kerry. She's <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2012/10/20/us/politics/anita-dunn-both-insider-and-outsider-in-obama-camp.html?pagewanted=all&r=0" target="blank" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none;">met with top Obama administration officials more than 100 times</a> since leaving in 2009, according to a recent New York Times investigation.

Dunn currently does public relations work on behalf of TransCanada and freight rail industry <a href="http://www.opensecrets.org/lobby/clientsum.php?id=D000046852&year=2010" target="blank" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; letter-spacing: 0.03em; line-height: 1.5em;">lobbying group, American Association of Railroads (AAR)</a>. The <a href="http://insideclimatenews.org/news/20130603/map-another-major-tar-sands-pipeline-seeking-us-permit" target="blank" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none;">tar sands pipeline boom</a> comes alongside a <a href="http://www.desmogblog.com/warren-buffett-exposed-oracle-omaha-and-tar-sands" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none;">freight rail boom to carry tar sands</a> crude and <a href="http://www.businessweek.com/articles/2013-06-13/amid-u-dot-s-dot-oil-boom-railroads-are-beating-pipelines-in-crude-transport" target="_blank" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none;">fracked oil from North Dakota's Bakken Shale</a>.

==

While the Obama administration <a href="http://grist.org/news/obama-may-delay-keystone-decision-until-2014/" style="border: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; font-style: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; text-decoration: none; max-width: 100%;">dithers</a> over<a href="http://grist.org/news/obama-points-out-economic-downsides-of-keystone-xl/" style="border: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; font-style: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; text-decoration: none; max-width: 100%;">whether</a> to approve TransCanada’s planned Keystone XL pipeline, the pipeline builder announced Thursday that it will pursue an even bigger project connecting Alberta’s tar-sands oil fields with refineries in the nation’s east.

The 2,700-mile, $12 billion <a href="http://www.energyeastpipeline.com/about/the-project/" target="_blank" style="border: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; font-style: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; text-decoration: none; max-width: 100%;">Energy East Pipeline</a> would carry 1.1 million barrels per day, making it more than a third larger than Keystone XL, which is intended to carry 800,000 bpd.

==

<div style="text-align: left;"><a href="http://grist.org/news/arkansas-tar-sands-spill-was-an-accident-60-years-in-the-making/" style="font-family: " times="Times" new="New" roman="Roman" font-size="font-size" large="large">http://grist.org/news/arkansas-tar-sands-spill-was-an-accident-60-years-in-the-making/</a></div><div style="text-align: left;"> </div>

desmog;

<div style="text-align: left;">The State Department's decision to hand over control to the oil industry to evaluate its own environmental performance on the proposed Keystone XL tar sands pipeline has led to a colossal oversight.</div><div style="text-align: left;">
</div>

<div style="text-align: left;">Neither Secretary of State John Kerry nor President Barack Obama could tell you the exact route that the pipeline would travel through countless neighborhoods, farms, waterways and scenic areas between Alberta's tar sands and oil refineries on the U.S. Gulf Coast.</div>

<div style="text-align: left;">A letter from the State Department denying an information request to a California man confirms that the exact route of the Keystone XL <a target="blank" href="http://www.mcclatchydc.com/2013/04/25/189680/oil-from-proposed-keystone-pipeline.html#.Udk0nNNeuuE" style="font-family: " times="Times" new="New" roman="Roman" font-size="font-size" large="large" letter-spacing="letter-spacing" em="em" line-height="line-height">export pipeline</a> remains a mystery, as DeSmog <a href="http://www.desmogblog.com/2013/06/27/obama-state-dept-leaving-citizens-in-dark-exact-keystone-xl-route" style="font-family: " times="Times" new="New" roman="Roman" font-size="font-size" large="large" letter-spacing="letter-spacing" em="em" line-height="line-height">recently revealed</a>.</div><div style="text-align: left;">
</div><div style="text-align: left;">Generic maps exist on both the <a target="blank" href="http://ens-newswire.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/20130416_pipelinemap.jpg" style="letter-spacing: 0.03em; line-height: 1.5em;">State Department</a> and <a target="_blank" href="http://keystone-xl.com/home/route-maps/" style="letter-spacing: 0.03em; line-height: 1.5em;">TransCanada</a> websites, but maps with precise GIS data remain the proprietary information of TransCanada and its chosen oil industry contractors. </div>

<div style="text-align: left;">Thomas Bachand, a San Francisco-based photographer, author, and web developer discovered this the hard way. A year and a half after he first filed a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request seeking the GIS data for his <a target="_blank" href="http://keystone.steamingmules.com/" style="font-family: " times="Times" new="New" roman="Roman" font-size="font-size" large="large">Keystone Mapping Project</a>, Mr. Bachand received a troubling response from the State Department denying his request.</div><div style="text-align: left;">
</div>

<div style="text-align: left;">In the letter, the State Department admits that it doesn't have any idea about the exact pipeline route - and that it never asked for the basic mapping data to evaluate the potential impacts of the pipeline. </div>

</div>

===

<a href="http://www.prwatch.org/print/12160"> http://www.prwatch.org/print/12160</a>

<h1 class="print-title" style="text-align: left;">Keystone Academy: Where Legislators Learn the Etiquette of Serving Special Interests</h1>

<div class="meta" style="text-align: left;">by <a href="http://www.prwatch.org/users/35314/nick-surgey" title="View user profile.">Nick Surgey</a> [1] — July 1, 2013 - 9:18am</div>

<ul>

<li class="vocabulary-2" style="text-align: left;">Topics: <a href="http://www.prwatch.org/topics/public-relations/front-groups">Front Groups</a> [2], <a href="http://www.prwatch.org/topics/energy">Energy</a> [3], <a href="http://www.prwatch.org/topics/environment">Environment</a> [4]</li>

</ul>

</div>

<ul>

<li class="vocabulary-9" style="text-align: left;">Projects: <a href="http://www.prwatch.org/projects/alec-exposed">ALEC Exposed</a> [5]</li>

</ul>

</div>

<a class="da2a_button" href="http://www.addtoany.com/share_save?linkurl=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.prwatch.org%2Fnews%2F2013%2F07%2F12160%2Fkeystone-academy-where-legislators-learn-etiquette-serving-special-interests&linkname=Keystone%20Academy%3A%20Where%20Legislators%20Learn%20the%20Etiquette%20of%20Serving%20Special%20Interests" id="da2a_1"><img src="/82a4dd50-544e-531d-b53d-b3f82dec5de9.png"/> Share this</a> [6]

In October 2012, nine U.S. state legislators went on an industry paid trip to explore the Alberta tar sands. Publicly described as an "ALEC Academy," documents obtained by CMD show the legislators were accompanied on a chartered flight by a gaggle of oil-industry lobbyists, were served lunch by Shell Oil, dinner by the Canadian Association of Petroleum Producers, and that the expenses of the trip were paid for by TransCanada and other corporations and groups with a direct financial interest in the Alberta tar sands and the proposed Keystone XL (KXL) pipeline.

2012 <div style="text-align: left;">Among the nine legislators on the tour was the new ALEC national chairman, Representative John Piscopo from Connecticut, and Senator Jim Smith from Nebraska who has sponsored legislation in his state to speed up the building of the Nebraska segment of KXL. Email records obtained by CMD show that after the trip, legislators were asked by ALEC to send "thank you notes" to the lobbyists for their generosity in Alberta.</div>

Far better than a mere "thank you," Rep. John Adams from Ohio returned from the trip and sponsored a bill given to him by a TransCanada lobbyist calling for the approval of KXL. As <a href="http://www.prwatch.org/news/2013/04/12049/seven-state-keystone-xl-resolutions-where-are-environmentalists" target="_blank">previously reported by CMD</a> [7], similar legislation, reflecting both an ALEC "model" bill and language taken from a TransCanada set of talking points, has been introduced in seven states in 2013.

The tar sands of Alberta are estimated to be the third largest reserve of crude oil on the planet. But the process of turning the tar-like bitumen into a refined product that can be used as fuel is extremely energy intensive and highly polluting. The former NASA scientist James Hansen, warned that the extraction and use of Canadian tar sands would mean "game over" for the climate. TransCanada is the operator of the proposed KXL pipeline, which would carry the tar sands to Texas for processing and likely for exports to markets abroad.

<h2 style="text-align: left;">In Private Jets and "Petroleum Club" Dinners, U.S Politicians Get the Dirt on Canadian Tar Sands</h2>

Officially, ALEC organized the Alberta tour as an "ALEC Academy." In ALEC's description of <a href="http://www.prwatch.org/files/Ex.D_ALEC_sponsorship_rates.pdf" target="blank">corporate sponsorship opportunities</a> [8], this type of event is described as being "an intensive, two--day program for legislators that focus on a specific area of policy." It comes with an <a href="http://www.prwatch.org/files/Ex.D_ALEC_sponsorship_rates.pdf" target="blank">$80,000 fee to sponsor</a> [8]. Unofficially however, and made clear to legislators on the trip in emails from ALEC obtained by CMD, the expenses were paid for by lobbyists from the oil-industry and by the government of Alberta. In an email sent to Ohio representative John Adams ahead of the trip, ALEC staffer Karla Jones reassured participants that all transportation, accommodation costs and meals would be paid for.

According to a copy of the <a href="http://www.prwatch.org/files/ALEC_Invitation_Alberta.pdf" target="_blank">trip itinerary</a> [9] obtained via a public records request, legislators flew into Alberta on Tuesday October 16, 2012, and were met by TransCanada lobbyists who took them on a tour of their facilities in Calgary.

TransCanada, which is a member of ALEC, sponsored ALEC's Spring Task Force Summit in Oklahoma City in May 2013, alongside other corporations with tar sands interests including BP, Devon Energy and Koch Industries. TransCanada's Vice President Corey Goulet presented to legislators at the conference during a session called <a href="http://www.prwatch.org/files/Embracing_American_Energy%20.pdf" target="_blank">"Embracing American Energy Opportunities.</a> [10]"

Dinner on the first night was at the up-market Ruth's Chris Steakhouse in downtown Calgary, paid for by American Fuel and Petrochemical Manufacturers (AFPM). The dinner included a presentation to the captive audience of lawmakers from AFPM about Low-Carbon Fuel Standards (LCFS), a mechanism designed to reduce the carbon intensity of transportation fuels. As CMD has <a href="http://www.prwatch.org/news/2013/06/12133/alec-tours-tar-sands-works-industry-groups-block-low-carbon-fuel-standards" target="blank">reported recently</a> [11], LCFS is considered a real threat to the tar sands industry, because it might restrict the U.S. market for fuels derived from the tar sands. AFPM, which has funded one of the other groups on the tour -- the Consumer Energy Alliance (CEA) -- to work to oppose LCFS legislation, would successfully sponsor an ALEC "model" bill on this issue just weeks after the trip, called "<a href="http://www.alec.org/model-legislation/restrictions-on-participation-in-low-carbon-fuel-standards-programs/" target="blank">Restrictions on Participation in Low-Carbon Fuel Standards Programs</a> [12]."

On Wednesday morning, after breakfast at the hotel, legislators were taken to the airport where a private charted plane was waiting to fly them around a number of different tar sands operations. Accompanying the legislators and ALEC staffer Karla Jones, were lobbyists from AFPM, TransCanada, Devon Energy, CEA, Shell Oil, and the Government of Alberta. The flight was chartered by the Alberta Government, at a cost of $22,000, with the costs split evenly between them and another unknown entity.

During the day, legislators toured facilities owned by Shell -- which also provided lunch -- and Devon Energy, where they viewed the massive "Jackfish" tar sands projects. At these facilities, Devon utilizes Steam Assisted Gravity Drainage (SAGD), an energy intensive process that injects steam into the dirty bitumen to access otherwise inaccessible deposits too deep for mining. This process is expected to open up further areas of Alberta for tar sands extraction, including by Koch Industries subsidiary <a href="http://www.kochexploration.ca/canada/default.aspx" target="blank">Koch Exploration Canada</a> [13] which has a <a href="https://albertacanada.com/files/albertacanada/AOSID_QuarterlyUpdate_Winter2013.pdf" target="blank">pending permit request </a>[14]in Alberta to utilize SAGD.

Dinner on Wednesday night was served at the Petroleum Club, sponsored by the Canadian Association of Petroleum Producers. On the Thursday morning, just before their return flight, legislators did have a brief meeting with a representative from the Pembina Institute, an Alberta environmental group that calls for responsible exploitation of the tar sands. According to the <a href="http://www.prwatch.org/files/ALEC_Invitation_Alberta.pdf" target="_blank">ALEC trip itinerary</a> [9], this was to "provide the opposing point of view."

Although Pembina does represent a different view from those that want completely unrestrained extraction of the tar sands, the group is not representative of those that oppose tar sands extraction. There are plenty of organizations that could have provided alternative viewpoints, particularly First Nation tribal leaders who are campaigning vigorously on this issue, but perhaps unsurprisingly they were not included. Even Pembina's -- somewhat limited -- opposing voice was not wanted during the tour of the oil sands facilities, and they were not invited to the lobbyist-sponsored dinners.

<h2 style="text-align: left;">ALEC as Emily Post</h2>

A month after the trip, the Director of International and Federal Relations at ALEC, Karla Jones, sent participants an email helpfully reminding them of what each industry lobbyist had paid for on the tour. CMD obtained a copy of that communication via a public records request, which included a spreadsheet containing the names, telephone numbers and mailing addresses of each of the lobbyists on the trip. The <a href="http://www.prwatch.org/files/ALEC_sponsors.pdf" target="_blank">ALEC email</a> [15] also prompted legislators to send each of the sponsoring corporations a "thank you note."

The phenomenon of ALEC legislators sending such letters to lobbyists is something CMD has<a href="http://prwatch.org/news/2012/05/11443/cmd-special-report-alecs-scholarship-scheme-helps-corporations-fund-legislator-tr" target="_blank"> previously reported on</a> [16]. Ohio Rep. Adams, for example, sent at least a dozen letters to corporate lobbyists in 2010, thanking them for writing checks to the ALEC scholarship fund, which paid his and his colleagues way to an ALEC conference.

"Because of your help and others like you, the trip to ALEC was made possible for our legislators," Adams wrote to AT&T lobbyist Bob Blazer.

"Rather than sending thank you notes to their corporate lobbyist sponsors, these legislators should instead consider an apology to their constituents," Stephen Spaulding, Staff Counsel for the good government group Common Cause told CMD. "I doubt lobbyists want thank you notes in return for bankrolling legislators' international vacations -- they would rather a bright, shiny souvenir in the form of corporate-drafted legislation."

<h2 style="text-align: left;">Better Than a Thank You Note, Payback in Ohio</h2>

After the trip to Alberta, Rep. Adams, the Assistant Majority Floor Leader and Ohio ALEC state chair, led the calls in Ohio for the approval of the KXL pipeline, sponsoring a bill (<a href="http://openstates.org/oh/bills/130/HCR9/" target="blank">HCR 9)</a> [17] and <a href="http://www.ohiohouse.gov/john-adams/press/rep-adams-applauds-passage-of-keystone-pipeline-resolution" target="blank">talking publicly</a> [18] about the proposed pipeline. "It is of the upmost importance that we strongly urge the U.S. government to take the necessary steps towards operation of the Keystone Pipeline," Adams wrote in March 2013 while promoting his bill. Rep. Rosenberger, the other Ohio legislator on the ALEC trip to Alberta, accordingly co-sponsored the Adams bill.

According to documents CMD obtained from public record requests in Ohio, a draft bill was sent to Adams on January 23, from Steve Dimon of 21 Consulting LLC, who represents TransCanada. The bill was sent as an attachment to the Dimon email.

The email message itself simply read, "<a href="http://www.prwatch.org/files/Dimon_email1_0.pdf" target="_blank">Thank you so much!</a> [19]"

Dimon stayed in touch with Adams' office over the proceeding months, <a href="http://www.prwatch.org/files/Dimon_email2_0.pdf" target="_blank">providing his staff with further materials</a> [20] about Keystone XL, including a set of talking points stamped with the TransCanada logo.

By February 14, Adams had an updated draft that had been reviewed by the Ohio legislative service commission, the non-partisan body that assists legislators with drafting legislation. Adams staffer Ryan Crawford <a href="http://www.prwatch.org/files/Eshenbaugh_email1_0.pdf" target="blank">sent this language to Rob Eshenbaugh</a> [21], a lobbyist with Ohio Petroleum Council, the state affiliate of the American Petroleum Institute. "Please let me know if I can be of further assistance," Crawford wrote to the lobbyist. Eshenbaugh <a href="http://www.prwatch.org/files/Eshenbaugh_email2_0.pdf" target="blank">responded with some requested changes</a> [22], which Crawford then incorporated into the bill.

All this occurred prior to Adams sharing the bill with his fellow legislators, which didn't happen until February 20. Adams finally introduced his bill in the Ohio Assembly on <a href="http://openstates.org/oh/bills/130/HCR9/" target="_blank">March 9</a> [17], without any public statement about his involvement with the ALEC Academy or that the source of the bill was a tar sands lobbyist.

The route of the proposed KXL pipeline takes it through Montana, South Dakota, Nebraska, Kansas, Oklahoma, and Texas. This is a long way from Ohio, but the debate over the KXL project has become a national issue. The ALEC Academy, and subsequent lobbying from the oil-industry, demonstrates that TransCanada sees value in developing a list of states supportive of the project to influence the federal debate over KXL approval.

The precise details of the ALEC tour, including the trip being part-sponsored by TransCanada, are not mentioned in Adams' financial disclosures, which only reports his expenses as being from ALEC and the Alberta Government. Adams is not breaking the law here. This is because of the way ALEC works to fund legislator travel. Its scholarship system allows corporations to "sponsor" legislator's expenses, which are then simply disclosed as being a payment from "ALEC" and not from the sponsoring corporations or groups. CMD documented the ALEC scholarship fund in a 2012 report released jointly with Common Cause: "<a href="http://www.alecexposed.org/w/images/f/fa/BUYING_INFLUENCE_Main_Report.pdf" target="_blank">How the American Legislative Exchange Council Uses Corporate-Funded "Scholarships" to Send Lawmakers on Trips with Corporate Lobbyists</a> [23]."

Graduates of the Keystone Academy appear to be learning a lot about how ALEC works behind the scenes to promote special interest legislation while keeping the public entirely in the dark.

</th><th style=" width: 68px;">

</th></tr></thead></table>

<table id="attachments" class="sticky-enabled sticky-table"><thead class="tableHeader-processed"><tr><th>Attachment</th><th>Size</th></tr></thead><tbody><tr class="odd"><td><a href="http://www.prwatch.org/files/ALECLegislators.png">ALECLegislators.png</a> [24]</td><td>1.2 MB</td></tr><tr class="even"><td><a href="http://www.prwatch.org/files/ALEC_sponsors.pdf">ALEC_sponsors.pdf</a> [15]</td><td>77.45 KB</td></tr><tr class="odd"><td><a href="http://www.prwatch.org/files/Embracing_American_Energy%20.pdf">Embracing_American_Energy .pdf</a> [10]</td><td>1.33 MB</td></tr><tr class="even"><td><a href="http://www.prwatch.org/files/ALEC_Invitation_Alberta.pdf">ALEC_Invitation_Alberta.pdf</a> [9]</td><td>165.32 KB</td></tr><tr class="odd"><td><a href="http://www.prwatch.org/files/Dimon_email1_0.pdf">Dimon_email1.pdf</a> [19]</td><td>17.17 KB</td></tr><tr class="even"><td><a href="http://www.prwatch.org/files/Dimon_email2_0.pdf">Dimon_email2.pdf</a> [20]</td><td>695.13 KB</td></tr><tr class="odd"><td><a href="http://www.prwatch.org/files/Eshenbaugh_email1_0.pdf">Eshenbaugh_email1.pdf</a> [21]</td><td>174.29 KB</td></tr><tr class="even"><td><a href="http://www.prwatch.org/files/Eshenbaugh_email2_0.pdf">Eshenbaugh_email2.pdf</a> [22]</td><td>193.03 KB</td></tr></tbody></table>

note API ups game:

<h3 style="text-align: left;">Energy Forums</h3>

The API Sponsors nearly identical "Energy Forums" in almost every state. Most are simply labeled "State Energy Forum" (examples include <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://www.nebraskaenergyforum.com/">Nebraska Nebraska</a> <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://www.nevadaenergyforum.com/">Nevada</a> and <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://www.azenergyforum.com/">Arizona</a>) but a few feature more nuanced titles, such as Ohio's <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://www.buckeyeenergyforum.com/">Buckeye Energy Forum</a> and Pennsylvania's <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://keystoneenergyforum.com/">keystone energy forum</a>.

Each Energy Forum claims to represent "A group of concerned citizens", and each runs articles in support of <a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Hydrofracking" title="Hydrofracking" class="mw-redirect">Hydrofracking</a>], the <a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Keystone_XL_pipeline&action=edit&redlink=1" class="new" title="Keystone XL pipeline (page does not exist)">Keystone XL pipeline</a>, and expanded offshore drilling.<a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/American_Petroleum_Institute#cite_note-4">[5]</a> <a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/American_Petroleum_Institute#cite_note-5">[6]</a> <a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/American_Petroleum_Institute#cite_note-6">[7]</a>

<h3 style="text-align: left;">Vote4Energy</h3>

In December, 2011, an API TV ad campaign titled "Vote4Energy" was prematurely exposed by the Checks and Balances Project and Greenpeace, which both sent representatives to attend a Vote4Energy commercial shoot.<a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/American_Petroleum_Institute#cite_note-7">[8]</a> <a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/American_Petroleum_Institute#cite_note-8">[9]</a> Audio recordings from inside the Vote4Energy commercial shoot reveal how the commercials will debut on CNN in January, 2012 during presidential debates, and how oil industry talking points were fed to actors on set to be repeated, contrasting API's public relations campaigns aimed at demonstrating authentic grassroots support for the oil industry's political priorities.

The Vote4Energy Campaign also launched a <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://vote4energy.org/">website</a> which argues that "A Vote For Energy is a vote for more jobs, higher government revenues and greater energy security." the site features a state-by-state breakdown of how states could be impacted by adopting their policies. According to Vote4Energy's <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://vote4energy.org/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/Policy-Perspectives.pdf">"Policy Perspectives"</a> sheet, they support opening federal areas that currently do not allow drilling, such as the Alaska National Wildlife Refuge, the removal of certain EPA regulations (which the sheet implies are not based on "sound science") and the approval of the <a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Keystone_XL_Pipeline" title="Keystone XL Pipeline">Keystone XL Pipeline</a>.

<h3 style="text-align: left;">Oil Sands Fact Check</h3>

In July 2012 the Houston Chronicle reported that API had created the front group <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://oilsandsfactcheck.org/">Oil Sands Fact Check</a> (OSFC) to promote the <a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Keystone_XL&action=edit&redlink=1" class="new" title="Keystone XL (page does not exist)">Keystone XL</a> pipeline and tar sands crude as a "safe and secure energy resource."<a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/American_Petroleum_Institute#cite_note-9">[10]</a>

Source: Desmogblog (<a rel="nofollow" class="external free" href="http://s.tt/1hrAy">http://s.tt/1hrAy</a>)

<h2 style="text-align: left;">Responses to Obama administration actions</h2>

<h3 style="text-align: left;">2012 election spending</h3>

In the 2012 election cycle API gave nearly half a million to the following groups running political ads against Democrats and in support of Republicans:<a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/American_Petroleum_Institute#cite_note-10">[11]</a>

<ul>

<li style="text-align: left;">$50,000 to <a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Americans_for_Prosperity" title="Americans for Prosperity">Americans for Prosperity</a>’s 501(c)(4) group, which ran ads against President Obama and congressional Democrats.</li>

<li style="text-align: left;">$412,969 to <a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Coalition_for_American_Jobs" title="Coalition for American Jobs">Coalition for American Jobs</a>’ 501(c)(6) group, a <a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Front_group" title="Front group" class="mw-redirect">front group</a> set up by API lobbyists to air ads.</li>

<li style="text-align: left;">$25,000 to the <a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Sixty_Plus_Association&action=edit&redlink=1" class="new" title="Sixty Plus Association (page does not exist)">Sixty Plus Association</a>’s 501(c)(4), which ran ads against congressional Democrats.</li>

</ul>

In addition, API president <a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Jack_Gerard" title="Jack Gerard" class="mw-redirect">Jack Gerard</a> was a close ally to the Mitt Romney campaign.

<h3 style="text-align: left;">Center for Offshore Safety</h3>

In March 2011 the board of directors of the American Petroleum Institute approved the creation of the Center for Offshore Safety to address industry safety and environmental performance. <a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/American_Petroleum_Institute#cite_note-11">[12]</a> This action follows recommendations made by the Presidential Oil Spill Commission investigations in response to the BP <a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Deepwater_Horizon" title="Deepwater Horizon">Deepwater Horizon</a> / Macondo oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico that occurred in 2010. Some industry analysts question whether the center, which will be headquartered in Houston and is funded by API and its oil and gas industry members, can remain independently objective. <a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/American_Petroleum_Institute#cite_note-12">[13]</a><a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/American_Petroleum_Institute#cite_note-13">[14]</a>

<h3 style="text-align: left;">Other climate policy-related actions</h3>

In April 2009, API sent a letter to members of Congress, in Gerard's name, that slammed the <a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Obama_administration" title="Obama administration" class="mw-redirect">Obama administration</a>. It stated: "The US oil and natural gas industry has the expertise and technology to produce the energy we need to fuel economic growth, create jobs, generate significant revenues for local, state and federal governments, and bolster our national security. However, our companies cannot do so if held back by harmful, counter-productive taxes and are restricted from access to domestic oil and natural gas resources that the country urgently needs. ... If imposed, these taxes and fees could have a debilitating effect on our economy, when our nation can least afford it. They would reduce investment in new energy supplies, meaning less energy produced for American consumers. We cannot tax our way out of our energy problems.” <a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/American_Petroleum_Institute#cite_note-14">[15]</a>

The same month, API protested the <a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Environmental_Protection_Agency" title="Environmental Protection Agency" class="mw-redirect">Environmental Protection Agency</a>'s finding that greenhouse gas emissions endangered public health and could be regulated under the <a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Clean_Air_Act" title="Clean Air Act">Clean Air Act</a>. "The Clean Air Act was created to address local and regional air pollution, not the emission of carbon dioxide and other global greenhouse gases," said API's Jack Gerard. <a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/American_Petroleum_Institute#cite_note-15">[16]</a>

<h3 style="text-align: left;">2008 elections</h3>

In response to the November 2008 election of Democrats <a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Barack_Obama" title="Barack Obama">Barack Obama</a> as President and <a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Joe_Biden" title="Joe Biden" class="mw-redirect">Joe Biden</a> as Vice-president, API released a statement in the name of their CEO, <a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Jack_Gerard" title="Jack Gerard" class="mw-redirect">Jack Gerard</a>, saying: "The American people have spoken loud and clear that they want politicians to put aside partisan bickering. ...The oil and natural gas industry stands ready to help put America's vast energy resources to good use, strengthening our nation's economy and energy security, and providing good jobs for Americans across the country." <a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/American_Petroleum_Institute#cite_note-16">[17]</a>

Earlier, Gerard had criticized Obama's platform, saying "Obama's plan to impose a windfall-profits tax on oil companies would harm one of the few industries that are thriving" in the economic crisis. <a href="http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/American_Petroleum_Institute#cite_note-17">[18]</a>

===

Environmental advocates are mounting pressure against the U.S. State Department over a Keystone XL review process they say is "plagued by conflicts of interest."

"Imagine if the surgeon general was replaced with a tobacco executive," Robin Mann, past president and board member of the Sierra Club, said during a press call on Tuesday. "At the State Department, we're seeing something just as outrageous."

The advocacy group filed a lawsuit on Monday asserting that the State Department is withholding key documents related to the latest Keystone XL environmental impact statement, including evidence related to potential conflicts of interest at Environmental Resources Management (ERM), the third-party contractor hired to conduct the analysis of the fiercely-debated proposal to ferry heavy crude from Alberta's oil sands to the U.S. Gulf Coast.

During the press call on Tuesday, advocates pushed for a State Department investigator general analysis of the impact statement. Mann added that ERM is a "dues-paying member" of the American Petroleum Institute, the largest U.S trade association for the oil and natural gas industry.

An API spokesman said the group had not yet reviewed the lawsuit and therefore would not comment. ERM deferred HuffPost's inquiry to the State Department....

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/06/11/keystone-xl-lawsuit-sierra-club-state-department_n_3422849.html?view=print&comm_ref=false

<h1 class="title-news" style="text-align: left;">TransCanada Whistleblower Warns Of Shoddy Pipeline Practices</h1>

<div class="comments_datetime_new border_none relative v05" data-beacon="{" p="p" mnid="mnid" entrybyline="entryByline" style="text-align: left;">Posted: 06/11/2013 7:37 am EDT </div>

Former TransCanada Corp. employee Evan Vokes' impassioned testimony before a Canadian Senate committee last week painted "a very, very bleak picture of the pipeline industry in Canada, and probably by extension, the States," according to Sen. Betty Unger.

Vokes' allegations on Thursday against TransCanada, the Canadian company leading the controversial proposal to send tar sands oil from Alberta to the Gulf Coast via the <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/04/05/keystone-xl-pipeline-people-environment-health-map_n_3016383.html?utm_hp_ref=keystone-pipeline" target="_hplink">Keystone XL pipeline</a>, were sobering: a "culture of noncompliance" and "coercion," with "deeply entrenched business practices that ignored legally required regulations and codes" and carries "significant public safety risks."

"It's organized crime, in my opinion," Vokes, an expert in pipeline welding and now whistleblower against his ex-employer, told The Huffington Post after the hearing. "The source of revenue is legal, but how they go about it isn't legal."

TransCanada quickly came to its own defense after learning of the attack.

"We take great exception to the claims by Mr. Vokes that we do not take safety and compliance issues seriously," company spokesman Shawn Howard told HuffPost. "Our track record and the safety of our energy infrastructure network shows that we do."

Vokes worked for TransCanada for five years until May 2012, when he said he was fired without cause. From his first days at the company, Vokes recalled raising concerns, or as he put it, "pointing out the obvious." He provided the Canada Senate with evidence supporting complaints of what he said were shoddy safety practices, including management pressure to retract a welding code violation on a natural gas line feeding a tar sands project in Alberta, and the use of "substandard materials" in the original Keystone pipeline that carried the heavy, molasses-like oil into U.S. Midwest markets.

"What I have documented is a mix of politics and commercial interests that has resulted in the false public claims of exceptional industry practice," Vokes told the Senate committee.

Today, Vokes said, he sees the same "breaches of construction quality" in portions of TransCanada's Keystone XL already laid in Texas. The advocacy group Public Citizen Texas posted a <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Uf0Vi3dp5bc&feature=youtu.be&noredirect=1" target="hplink">video</a> highlighting what it says are dents, faulty welds and other anomalies that have been <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.ca/2013/06/05/keystone-xl-anomalies-transcanada_n_3391840.html?ir=Green&ref=topbar" target="hplink">unearthed</a> in recent weeks.

"What else are they cutting corners on? No one knows," said Vokes.

Damon Hill, spokesman for the U.S. Department of Transportation Pipeline and Hazardous Safety Administration, said the agency is "in contact with TransCanada to discuss the results of recent inspections, the excavations of certain portions of the newly constructed pipeline, and to monitor the operator's activities to make any necessary repairs."

The anomalies that have been uncovered don't raise immediate concern for Richard Kuprewicz, president of the Redmond, Wash.-based pipeline safety firm Accufacts Inc. Still, Kuprewicz suggested that the industry is far from immune to safety issues.

"There is a tendency that the bigger the project, the harder it is to maintain control," Kuprewicz said. "You're just trying to do more things and so you've got to be sure management team has appropriate quality-control checks and balances."

One pressure, Kuprewicz added, is the "time value of money." The $7 billion Keystone XL project has now been stalled for three years as it awaits a permit from the Obama administration for the northern portion that crosses the U.S.-Canada border.

"Cash is only flowing when you're moving oil," Kuprewicz said.

Vokes said this industry reality showed itself to him as pressure to "step into unsound practice" and to "stop investigations." He said TransCanada managers forced him to take "stress leave" before he could finish submitting all of his documentation during an internal audit at the company.

"When he brought issues forward, TransCanada took Mr. Vokes' concerns seriously and believes it has treated him fairly and appropriately," said Howard, who would not provide a reason for Vokes' dismissal. "For legal reasons, we are unable to comment any further."

Don Wishart, a senior operations and major projects adviser at TransCanada, spoke in front of the same Canadian Standing Senate Committee on Energy, the Environment and Natural Resources on Feb. 12. In response to questions about an unnamed whistleblower, Wishart said the allegations were "administrative." He went on to suggest that tar sands oil "floats on water," which <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/04/01/keystone-xl-pipeline-oil-spill-kalamazoo-mayflower-nebraska_n_2989628.html" target="_hplink">some scientists refute</a>.

"What they presented to the Canadian Senate was a lie," Vokes told HuffPost.

"You don't know you're a whistleblower until the retaliation starts," he said. "The wrong-doers in positions of authority will do everything they can to discredit you."

Kuprewicz acknowledged the whistleblower label is something people "want to be careful about seeking," adding that it typically "doesn't go well in industry."

The Canadian senators expressed similar sentiments as they questioned Vokes on Thursday.

"I have enormous respect for you and the courage it's taken to come forward," said Sen. Judith Seidman. "I'm worried about Canadian safety as we look at building an increasingly larger infrastructure across the country."

At the same time, senators also demonstrated the <a href="http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424127887323582904578487242641612834.html" target="_hplink">Canadian government's push</a> to get more tar sands oil flowing. "It's important for this country to get bitumen to the U.S.," said Sen. Michael MacDonald. "I also think it's important to do it safely."

On this point, Vokes doesn't disagree. He called oil and gas the "lifeblood" and said he believes it is possible to pipe it all safely. "I don't have a problem with what's in pipeline," said Vokes. "I have a problem if it comes outside the pipeline."

In an interview in April, Joe Oliver, Canada's minister of natural resources, told HuffPost that <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/04/23/keystone-xl-facts-joe-oliver-epa-state-department-comments_n_3139951.html" target="_hplink">99.9996% of oil </a>going through U.S. pipelines is delivered safely.

Unger underscored this safety record, and asked Vokes to "rationalize" his seemingly incongruous allegations.

"I've been on several projects that were very nearly disasters. I'm surprised there aren't more accidents," Vokes responded, noting that <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/04/10/arkansas-oil-spill-health-n_3045610.html" target="hplink">pipeline problems may not result in accidents until decades later</a> -- often "long after designers and those that constructed them have retired."

"There's thousands of cracks in the system -- it's just which ones will become the problem? It's low probability, high consequence," Vokes said.

"Regardless of my poor experiences with some individuals, there are still a lot of people that would like to do it right," added Vokes. "That's the only thing that is saving us."

</div>

<div>

</div>

</div>

<a href="http://insideclimatenews.org/news/20130523/analysis-bill-fast-track-keystone-pipeline-loses-democratic-support-why">http://insideclimatenews.org/news/20130523/analysis-bill-fast-track-keystone-pipeline-loses-democratic-support-why</a>

==

transcanada uses law against protesters http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/05/07/keystone-xl-transcanda_n_3229958.html?ir=Green&utm_campaign=050713&utm_medium=email&utm_source=Alert-green&utm_content=Photo

==

<div style="text-align: left;">epa renews crit; <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/04/22/epa-keystone-xl-pipeline-state-department_n_3135117.html" style="font-family: " times="Times" new="New" roman="Roman" font-size="font-size" large="large">http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/04/22/epa-keystone-xl-pipeline-state-department_n_3135117.html</a></div><div style="text-align: left;"> </div>

===

Joe Nocera of The New York Times is back with <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2013/04/25/opinion/nocera-canadas-oil-minister-unmuzzled.html?hp" target="_hplink">another column</a> in support of building Keystone XL. I counted four errors or willful oversights in Nocera's piece, although I'm sure I missed some. Let's review.

1. Speaking about KXL's importance: "Energy independence is a long-sought national goal. We would no longer need OPEC, a cartel of countries with values, in many cases, antithetical to ours."

First, it remains unclear how "energy independence" can be achieved by continuing our reliance on fossil fuels and the corporations that supply them. Exxon <a href="http://energy.aol.com/2013/02/07/exxon-paid-roughly-twice-the-income-tax-as-apple-last-year/" target="hplink">made $45 billion last year</a>; its CEO Rex Tillerson <a href="http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/04/12/us-exxon-proxy-idUSBRE83B1ME20120412" target="hplink">made $100,000 a day</a> by supplying our fossil fuel addiction. If Joe wants to keep lining their pockets and strengthening their grip over our democracy that's his deal, but you can't argue in favor of independence if you want to keep a supplier from whom you can't shake loose. Second, no one that I know of seriously thinks that the Keystone XL export pipeline would lead to us no longer needing OPEC. The only way to do that is to drop Big Oil and petro states once and for all. And the only way to do that is to get serious about green energy which Nocera treats like a punch line. I wonder if they are laughing in Iowa now that they are getting 25 percent of their electricity from wind?

2. "That oil is coming here anyway -- by rail and boat, where spills are common, and via pipelines that are older, and hence less safe, than Keystone would be."....

<h1 property="dc:title" datatype="" class="node-title" style="text-align: left;">Revealed: How the Keystone XL Pipeline Would Hasten Climate Change</h1>

</div>

<div class="story-date" style="text-align: left;">April 17, 2013  |  </div>

WASHINGTON, DC, April 16, 2013 (ENS) – In a new report, “Cooking the Books: How The State Department Analysis Ignores the True Climate Impact of the Keystone XL Pipeline,” environmental groups and scientists opposed to the pipeline warn of “climate disaster” if President Barack Obama allows it to cross the Canada-U.S. border, carrying tar sands bitumen from Alberta to Nebraska.

“This is simply incorrect,” states “<a href="http://priceofoil.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/Cooking_the_Books_FINAL-SCREEN.pdf" target="blank">Cooking the Books.</a> [2]”In its <a href="http://keystonepipeline-xl.state.gov/" target="blank">latest environmental analysis</a> [3] of the pipeline, issued March 1, the State Department asserts that if the pipeline is not built, the Alberta tar sands will be exploited one way or another and carbon dioxide will be emitted anyway.

The Keystone XL tar sands pipeline would send at least 181 million metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent each year into the atmosphere, warming the Earth’s climate, finds the report’s authors Steve Kretzmann, Lorne Stockman, David Turnbull and Paulina Essunger of Oil Change International.

These emissions compare to the emissions from 51 coal-fired power plants or the tailpipe emissions from more than 37.7 million cars – more cars than are now registered in California, Washington, Oregon, Florida, Michigan, and New York combined, calculates the report, which was issued by some of the nation’s largest and most influential environmental groups: Natural Resources Defense Council, 350.org, Environment America, National Wildlife Federation, Friends of the Earth, Sierra Club, Greenpeace and Oil Change International.

Alberta-based TransCanada Keystone Pipeline, LP has applied for a Presidential Permit authorizing the Keystone XL pipeline to cross the U.S.-Canada border carrying 830,000 barrels of diluted bitumen per day from the tar sands of northern Alberta to an existing pipeline in Steele City, Nebraska.

The proposed project would consist of 1,204 miles of 36-inch-diameter pipeline, with 329 miles of pipeline in Canada and 875 miles in the United States. It would cross the international border between Saskatchewan and Montana.

It is the State Department’s responsibility to determine if granting a permit is in the national interest. President Obama will make the final decision.

“This announcement is not a judgment on the merits of the pipeline, but the arbitrary nature of a deadline that prevented the State Department from gathering the information necessary to approve the project and protect the American people,” Obama said then. “I’m disappointed that Republicans in Congress forced this decision, but it does not change my administration’s commitment to American-made energy that creates jobs and reduces our dependence on oil.”On January 18, 2012 President Obama rejected TransCanada’s first permit application, refusing to be pushed by Congressional Republicans who tied the pipeline decision to a bill providing a payroll tax cut extension.

House Republicans are still trying to force a decision favorable to the $7 billion pipeline. They plan to vote by Memorial Day on legislation that would go around President and give congressional approval to TransCanada.

House Energy and Commerce Committee Chairman Fred Upton Upton, a Michigan Republican, is a coauthor of the legislation – the Northern Route Approval Act (H.R. 3) – which would clear regulatory and legal hurdles, and remove the project’s requirement for a Presidential Permit.

Upton told a House subcommittee April 10, “We have an historic opportunity with the Keystone XL pipeline to create thousands of good-paying American jobs and reduce our reliance on overseas energy.” Upton did not mention the pipeline’s impact on the planetary temperature.

Environmentalists dispute the “thousands” of jobs to which Upton refers, saying only a few dozen permanent jobs would be created.

The State Department has issued two Environmental Impact Statements, both of which find that the Keystone XL pipeline is “not likely result in significant adverse environmental effects,” and “no substantive change in global greenhouse gas emissions.”

Scientists and environmental groups disagree with those conclusions....

<a href="http://">http://www.alternet.org/print/environment/revealed-how-keystone-xl-pipeline-would-hasten-climate-change</a>

</div>

==

<div style="text-align: left;">IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES</div>March 15, 2013