Alexandria Clark

Montana is no stranger to large oil spills. In July 2011, an oil pipeline burst and poured 63,000 gallons of crude oil into the Yellowstone River. The same thing happened in January when another pipeline burst beneath the Yellowstone River and 50,000 gallons of crude oil leaked into the river again.

The Impact on Glendive Residents

Oil shone on the top of the water for dozens of miles. The small town of Glendive smelled of strong diesel. The local government told residents to avoid drinking the tap water because high levels of benzene contaminated the water supply. The municipal water plant cited that benzene levels were two to three times higher than what the Center for Disease Control considers a safe level to consume. This incident hurt many of those living in Glendive.

Residents flocked to their local grocery store and seized all of the remaining bottled water. Officials warned the town that it could be weeks before the water supply was safe to consume. It took Bridger Pipeline, the owner of the pipeline that burst, almost a week to bring in extra water for the citizens of Glendive.

The recent pipeline spill damaged many businesses in and around Glendive. The town benefits from the fish and farmland surrounding the Yellowstone River. The pipeline bursts changed the land forever by adding thousands of gallons of chemicals that are difficult and costly to clean up.

The Impact on Public Opinion

Following these two spills, many residents were concerned with the government’s recent approval of the Keystone XL Pipeline. The pipeline would be an extension of the current Keystone Pipeline, which would run over the Yellowstone River. Despite the opposition, some argue that the extension presents benefits for the members of the surrounding communities.

“The State Department has affirmed the safety of the Keystone XL Pipeline. It’s important this job-creating project is approved,” said Montana Senator Steve Daines in an article from Al  Jazeera.

While the new pipeline would be safer, nothing is perfect, and many are concerned that it will present just as many risks as the old one. Using oil stop valves may also be an option to safely stop fluids like oil from spilling.

Building the Keystone XL Pipeline would undoubtedly produce jobs, but many residents in surrounding areas do not believe the jobs are worth the environmental risks and costs. The area of Eastern Montana has been a prime spot for many companies engaging in fracking. The practice reduced unemployment throughout Montana but has lead to significant environmental risks that some believe will contribute to climate change if the operation continues at its current rate.

President Obama has vowed to veto the extension of the Keystone XL Pipeline, but it is yet to be determined whether or not he will follow through with his promises. The town of Glendive will continue to struggle with these pipeline spills if more care is not taken to reduce them. The Keystone XL Pipeline will present a safer option, but it will not end the environmental and economic risks associated with oil pipelines.

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As outlined in a previous CitizensReport article, the pipeline extension has created much controversy, pitting Republicans against environmentalists who are concerned about further exacerbating the ominous effects of climate change. However, with the plunging price of oil in the global market, analysts project that profits from the pipeline would no longer amount to enough to break even.

Via: Politico

Saudi Arabia’s Price War

While analysts believe that oil prices will continue to drop, Saudi Arabia plans to maintain current production in an effort to make “Canadian oil sands output too costly in the American marketplace.” According to The Fiscal Times, Canada is a threat to the nation’s industry dominance, causing them to wage a price war. Extracting oil from Canadian tar sands is extremely costly, and the competition from Saudi Arabia is an added impediment.

Republicans Refuse to Give Up

As the GOP moves to control both houses Congress in 2015, the bill becomes more likely to pass. Despite realistic protests from multiple interest groups, rising Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell announced that he plans on making the Keystone XL Pipeline bill his first piece of legislation, according to the Huffington Post.

The consensus for the GOP is that the receding prices are a temporary effect of market adjustment, and that the pipeline would create energy security and further the nation’s alliance with Canada.

“You cannot make major national policy decisions based upon the oil price of the day. We know from our own experience that oil prices will fluctuate and change up and down,” Gov. Chris Christie said in a CNN article. “This provides us with another foundational piece for strengthening the geopolitical position for North America.”

Via: Earth First Journal

Obama’s Federal Permit and Veto Power

Because the pipeline would terminate in Nebraska, the State Department has delayed releasing its environmental review until 2015 when a decision on a related lawsuit from the Nebraska Supreme Court is made. As an effect, Barack Obama has yet to issue a presidential permit that asserts the pipeline is in our national interest, allowing it to cross an international border.

However, Obama has been open about his skepticism, believing the project would only provide long-term economic benefits for Canada. He claims that it would not lower gas prices in America, and that the job creation would be temporary. As well, the president agrees that the pipeline would negatively affect the fight against climate change.

The Debate Rages On

The debate has political, environmental and economic implications. If the GOP-led Congress comes to a majority agreement, it could block Obama’s veto. Although much has changed in the six years that the project has been introduced, it may now possess the necessary political backing for authorization.

The debate about the intended benefits and consequences of the pipeline rages on. But without high oil prices, it seems that it is not feasible for TransCanada to earn profits from the project. However, the question of whether or not the Keystone XL Pipeline will actually be built still remains unanswered.

The post The Keystone XL Pipeline Debate Rages On Despite Profitless Projections appeared first on Citizens Report.

Keystone XL Pipeline

The Keystone XL pipeline is an extension of TransCanada’s existing Keystone pipeline. The extension would stretch across 1,664 miles and transport 830,000 of crude oil per day from Canada to Texas.

Keystone XL Pipeline Proponents

Some, like the Canadian government, oil companies and unions are in favor of the project and claim it will create jobs and facilitate the flow of oil from a friendly ally and neighbor into the United States. Refineries in the gulf coast are particularly attracted to receiving heavy crude from Canada because they’ve already invested a lot of money to upgrade their facilities to process the oil.
Local politicians and residents in North Dakota and Montana also heavily support the project because the pipeline would mean they could begin shipping shale oil – the stuff they are extracting from the Bakken Formation in each state – to the Texas refineries.

Keystone XL Pipeline Opposition

Many environmentalists and landowners along the proposed route oppose the pipeline because they feel it will contribute to the emission of greenhouse gases by expanding production in Canada’s oil sands. The extraction of bitumen emits roughly 15% more greenhouse gas emissions than the production of a typical barrel of crude oil we use here in the United States. Bitumen is a low-grade type of petroleum found in the oil sands. Climate experts argue that if oil is continuously extracted from the oil sands, it would be a “game over” situation as far as ever stabilizing the climate.

Opponents also feel the Keystone pipeline will make it incredibly difficult for America to transition away from fossil fuels and toward more sustainable energy sources like solar and wind power.

We Haven’t Heard the Last of the Keystone XL Pipeline

Though the debate seems to have ended, republicans have vowed to reopen the political wound in the new year, once they take control of Congress, and that will no doubt begin a very messy veto confrontation with President Obama.

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