Lucy Prepares to Pull the Keystone Pipeline Football

State Department to "Reconsider" Keystone Pipeline Approval

WASHINGTON — The State Department’s inspector general will conduct a special investigation of the handling of the pending decision on the proposed Keystone XL pipeline in response to reports of improper pressure on policy makers and possible conflicts of interest, according to documents released on Monday.

Harold W. Geisel, the senior official in the inspector general’s office, told top agency officials in a memorandum dated Friday that he would open the review “to determine to what extent the department and all other parties involved complied with federal laws and regulations” relating to the pipeline permit process.

The internal investigation could delay the Obama administration’s decision on whether to approve the $7 billion project, which would carry oil extracted from Canadian tar sands to refineries in Oklahoma and along the Gulf Coast. The State Department had set a deadline of year’s end to determine whether the pipeline is in the national interest, but officials suggested last week that the schedule could slip.

In late August, the Environmental Impact Statement for the pipeline came back with "No Significant Impact" on the environment, and it seemed likely that the State Department (who must sign off on a transborder pipeline) would approve it before the end of the year.  Immediately, so called "environmentalists", AGW true believers, and the usual cast of characters began to gin up opposition to the project.  It will bring in oil that will make more CO2 (well, duh)!  It might leak!  It will decrease our dependence on Venezuela and Mexico! (no seriously, they would rather have us pay for oil from Venezuela than Canada).  Obama is stuck between two parts of his base, the environmentalists who oppose it unconditionally, and the unions who would like to see it built for the jobs.  How can he continue to stroke both sides up until the election?  Put off the decision until after the election!

The pipeline will create thousands of jobs in the US, and bring a vital supply of oil to us from a relatively stable and friendly neighbor.  Until they make cars and truck that run on unicorn farts, oil is going to be an important part of our energy budget.  We should build it quick, before the Canadians make arrangements to sell it to China (their leading alternative).