Keystone pipeline decision could be delayed until after election

[highplainsdem]

Source: LA Times

Reporting from Washington—
The Obama administration is considering a move that could delay a decision on the controversial Keystone XL pipeline by requiring sponsors to reduce the project's environmental risks before it can be approved, according to people with knowledge of the deliberations.

The step might put off a decision until after the 2012 election and be a way for the White House to at least temporarily avoid antagonizing either the unions that support the pipeline or the environmental activists who oppose it as President Obama gears up for his campaign.

-snip-

The State Department is now determining whether the project is in "the national interest," a process that entailed holding hearings recently along the proposed route. As a result, some issues have become more "salient," said a State Department official familiar with the process, "including the routing issue in Nebraska."

"The State Department is committed to conducting a thorough, rigorous and transparent process that leads to a decision that is in the national interest, including, if needed, gathering and assessing additional information," said the official, who was not authorized to comment publicly about the issue and spoke on the condition of anonymity.

-snip-

Read more: http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/nation/la-na-keystone-pipeline-20111107,0,236919.story

[Turbineguy]

1. Hmmm.......

just like the jobs bill.

[Divernan]

2. "Thorugh, rigorous & transparent"? Political speak for "politically expedient"

It's not the unions supporting the pipeline which concern Obama. We've seen what he thinks of unions.

IT IS BIG OIL AND THEIR CAMPAIGN CONTRIBUTIONS.

The word has gone out to the State Department to stall and delay until after the 2012 election.

[truebrit71]

3. I am sure Obama would like that to be the case...

..i just don't see the pipeline company waiting around for another 12+ months for the decision...iirc they have already been threatening people along the suggested route with eminent domain snatches if they don't leave, so things appear to be too far down the road for a 12-month delay just to give the prevaricator-in-chief in the Oval Office some political cover...

[Hotler]

4. Do the unions really think they will be given the jobs.

My guess is that less than 5% of the jobs will be union workers. The number of jobs that will be created by the pipeline will be temporary and not enough to help the country as a whole.

[Vincardog]

12. The amount of jobs created by the waste line will be less than those cost by raising gas prices it

will induce.

[Doctor_J]

5. Man, he's getting to the point of being pathetic

remember Jed Bartlet hiding in the WH to avoid weighing in on the death penalty case? Which way to you think the president will decide once he doesn't have to politick the issue? Think Sierra's going to be fooled by this dodge?

So discouraging.

[leftyohiolib]

6. "reduce the project's environmental risks" blah blah blah

they've known about these risks all along and only "cares" now that it's close to election time. it's captain politics to the rescue again. fail b.o. fail

[olleander]

7. Charlie Browm

Hey, Charlie Brown.  I'll let you kick the football after the
election.  Really.  The Wall Street banker who is the
President's chief of staff must really think that Charlie
Brown is gullible.  Oh, that's right.  We are.

[XemaSab]

8. What?!?!?

Reducing environmental impacts and analyzing other routes are mandatory under NEPA, yet is the White House seriously trying to make it like they're doing these things as a response to protests? Also, these things were in the timeline from the beginning!

The chicanery here is galling! :o

[Kelvin Mace]

9. If they delay it

that means they will approve it after the election so there will be not "political" consequence.

Yeah, you could also see this as a plan to deny the plan after the election for the same reasons, but the administration's track record of kissing up to Wall Street makes that unlikely.

[Vincardog]

10. Why can't he kill this environmental disaster now? Because the Koch brothers son't let him

[Nihil]

11. Can't go upsetting the paymasters can he?

Especially when he's saving up for the next election ...


:argh: