He thinks chump change pandering will work after three years of betrayals?
"US ponders new route for pipeline from Canada" November 10, 2011|By Matthew Daly, Associated Press
WASHINGTON - The State Department is considering a plan that would reroute the proposed Keystone XL oil pipeline from Canada away from environmentally sensitive areas of Nebraska, an action that could delay a final decision on the project until after the 2012 election.
A US official said yesterday that rerouting the pipeline was a key issue that came up during public meetings in the six states through which it would run. The official asked not to be identified because no decision has been made....
President Obama risks angering environmental supporters if he approves the pipeline but could face criticism from labor and business groups for thwarting jobs if he rejects it. Some liberal donors have threatened not to fund Obama’s reelection campaign if he approves the pipeline.
Environmental groups say it would bring “dirty oil’’ that is extracted by using huge amounts of energy. They also worry that the pipeline could cause an environmentally disastrous spill.
Thousands of protesters gathered near the White House Sunday to oppose the pipeline.
And all they get is one sentence buried in the middle of the piece?
The State Department has authority over the project because it crosses an international border.
The pipeline would double the capacity of an existing one operated by TransCanada. Supporters say it could significantly reduce US dependence on Middle Eastern oil.
TransCanada has said that any delay in the approval process could cost it millions of dollars and deny jobs to thousands of people.
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"Obama officials delay decision on Canada pipeline; Administration will investigate alternate route" November 11, 2011|By Dan Frosch and John M. Broder, New York Times
WASHINGTON - The Obama administration delayed its decision on the contested Keystone XL pipeline while it studies an alternate route through Nebraska, effectively pushing any action well past the 2012 election and into 2013, according to a State Department announcement yesterday afternoon.
The agency has been reviewing the proposed project since 2008 to determine whether it is in the national interest....
The proposed project by a pipeline company in Canada had put President Obama in a political vise, squeezed between demands for secure energy sources and the thousands of jobs the project will bring, and the loud opposition of environmental advocates who have threatened to withhold electoral support next year if he approves it.
The $7 billion pipeline, which would run from Alberta to the Texas Gulf Coast, has generated intense opposition from environmentalists and public officials in Nebraska, who say that it threatens sensitive lands and underground water supplies along its 1,700-mile route. Critics also say that the oil extracted from sand formations in Canada will add to global warming and extend US dependence on fossil fuels.
The administration had in recent days been exploring ways to put off the decision until after the presidential election, fearing further alienation of environmental and health advocates who consider the pipeline decision a test of the Obama administration’s commitment to clean energy.
Environmental groups have expressed disappointment with several recent administration environmental decisions, including the rejection of a tougher new smog standard proposed by the Environmental Protection Agency and a five-year offshore drilling plan that opens new areas in the Arctic and Gulf of Mexico to exploration.
Related: Obama's Hot Air
Comes out every time he opens his mouth.
The statement said that the Sandhills region has a high concentration of wetlands of special concern, a sensitive ecosystem, and extensive areas of shallow groundwater that could be put at risk in the event of a rupture in the 36-inch diameter pipeline....
News of the project’s delay was not well received in Canada....
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Related:
"White House proposes expanded drilling" November 09, 2011|Associated Press
WASHINGTON - The Obama administration cautiously offered up more areas in the Gulf of Mexico and off Alaska’s coast to oil and gas drilling yesterday but didn’t go far enough to satisfy Republicans pushing to greatly expand drilling as a way to create jobs and wean the country off foreign oil....
The drilling plans are the latest iteration of President Obama’s strategy for energy production, which has continually shifted amid high gas prices and environmental disasters.
In a related development, the Coast Guard has approved a plan to end cleanup along the Gulf Coast from the BP oil spill, a move officials said opens a new phase of work for BP - restoring damaged areas.
Also see: Gone Fishin' in the Gulf
In the document obtained by the Associated Press yesterday, the Coast Guard spells out protocol for ending the cleanup, which has been going on since April 20, 2010.
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Related: Obama Fails to Learn From Gulf Gusher
