Some Dems now supporting new Keystone Pipeline route

By VICTORIA JONES
Talk Radio News Service

WASHINGTON – TransCanada has revealed the route it would like to use to build the Keystone XL pipeline through Nebraska – to the east of the sensitive Sandhills region of northwestern Nebraska.

The concern raised by the Obama administraitno was what could happen if the thick, heavy oil leaked into the porous, sandy oils atop the Ogallala aquifer.

Nebraska Gov. Dave Heineman signed a bill to review a new version of the project quickly. If he signs off on the new route, TransCanada would have much of the backing it needs to win approval from the State Department for an international permit to build the pipeline.

There are still concerns about the pipeline. Opponents say moving it east won’t guarantee safety because other areas with sandy soils and high water tables could also be problematic.

Meanwhile, the House passed a short term transportation bill that included a provision that would pave the way for the pipeline, The bill passed 293-127, with 69 Democrats supporting it.  Republicans claim it will create at least 20,000 jobs.

This is a huge problem for President Obama because it’s going to go to conference (the Senate already passed a genuinely bipartisan transportation bill) and get worked out.  The Senate narrowly failed to approve Keystone before, only after Obama personally lobbied senators to vote no. Many Democratic senators support it.

* Will Obama veto a transportation bill with Keystone in it, and will he be overridden by Democrats? White House Press Secretary Jay Carney’s language changed subtly Thursday and my read is this is the beginning of a shift: “They seem to have taken a step in Nebraska to meet requirements set by the Nebraskan legislature…we anticipate a submission by TransCanada, and we’ll judge it accordingly.”  If he does veto, he will very likely be overridden.

Short URL: http://reportergary.com/?p=24247

Posted by Gary on Apr 20 2012. Filed under Economy/Business/Labor, Environment, Politics, US. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. Both comments and pings are currently closed.