GOP Nebraska gov. asks Obama to stop tar sands pipeline

Actress Daryl Hannah is arrested by U.S. Park Police in front of the White House in Washington, Tuesday, Aug. 30, 2011, during a protest against the Keystone oil pipeline.

/ AP Photo/ Evan Vucci

Nebraska's Republican Gov. Dave Heineman sent a letter today to President Obama and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, asking them to deny a federal permit for a pipeline that would carry Canadian oil through his state, all the way to the Texas Gulf Coast.

Heineman wrote that he is opposed to TransCanada's Keystone XL pipeline because its planned route lies directly over a critical aquifer.

"I am concerned that the proposed pipeline will potentially have detrimental effects on this valuable natural resource and Nebraska's economy," the governor wrote.

The proposed 1,700 mile underground oil pipeline, which would link the tar sands fields of northern Alberta to oil refineries on the Texas Gulf Coast, has been in the works for nearly three years. The State Department has said it will decide whether to approve it this year.

The $7 billion project has been the subject of scrutiny this week, as thousands of demonstrators from across the country have descended on Washington to protest it. According to protest organizers, more than 700 people have been arrested in demonstrations at the White House, including actress Daryl Hannah. Opponents of the project have called the pipeline "the largest carbon bomb in North America."

Proponents of the pipeline -- including organized labor and the oil industry -- say it will increase America's domestic oil production with the help of a friendly ally and create 20,000 construction jobs in the process.

In his letter today, Heineman made clear he's not opposed to pipelines in general and pointed out his state already has hundreds.

The State Department on Friday released its final environmental impact statement on the pipeline, concluding it would have "no significant impact" on the environment and recommending that the project move forward. The report compared a potential spill in Nebraska's Sand Hills region to a 1979 spill in Minnesota, but Heineman said he disagreed with the results of the analysis.

"I believe that the pipeline should not cross a substantial portion of the Ogallala Aquifer," Heineman wrote. "Maintaining and protecting Nebraska's water supply is very important to me and the residents of Nebraska. This resource is the lifeblood of Nebraska's agriculture industry."

Clinton had said she was "inclined" to support the project, but she has taken a more measured stance as the debate has continued. On Tuesday, White House Press Secretary Jay Carney said he hadn't spoken to the president about the hundreds of protesters that have been arrested outside of the White House.

[PithHelmut]

The thing we have to do is get off oil, get off it!!! We are killing the planet with co2. We're at plague proportions we humans, and just not using our brains. We have had at least two decades of knowing what burning fossil fuels would do to the world and we ignored it at our peril and those who ignore it do so at my peril and my children's and their children and I'm sick of it. We could have been energy independent by now, on abundant, clean energy. The oil companies know this and they are just trying to wring the last drops of the oil before we inevitably go clean tech. The oil industry can read the writing on the wall. We have to invest heavily now in R&D for clean, renewable energy. We can do a whole lot to grow that industry but we're doing very little. What kind of a life are we sentencing ourselves to? And how can that be good for our economy? If we invested with a daring resolve, if we were all prepared to use less energy ourselves (we waste a whole lot), if we weatherized our houses, carpooled, used mass transit, ate less meat and became aware of the profligate waste, we could lower our imports of oil, keep more dollars in the US, have cleaner air and water, it would be all good. We wouldn't need to do it forever just till we started ramping up the renewable sources. And we'd probably come up with some awesome new technology we could sell to the world. Oil is out. It was great for the 20th century but it is doing nothing for us now but kill us.

[Great-American-River]

My name is Donald Dolan. During the flood of Minot,ND i discovered another option to the Keystone pipe line project. Instead of this oil company spending 7 Billion laying pipe from Canada to south Texas, Invest that money where it will benefit the United States.
.
Think about this. 95% of America's major rivers flow into the Mississippi river. This is why we have floods along the Mississippi 2 & 3 times a year. Costing FEMA billions.
There is only one way to reduce the Mississippi flooding, And that is with a man made river.( The Great American River )
By re-directing the Missouri river east of Kansas City have the river flow south-west, Passing Cushing,Okla. ( Cushing is a major trading hub for crude ), Oklahoma City, Lawton,Okla., Then south to the Red River.
Have the Army corp of engineers construct the Red River to flow west connecting it to the Rio Grande in New Mexico. ( This will not be difficult, The red River is one mile wide and bone dry ). Then the Army Corps of engineers can connect the Brazos river to the Red river.
By creating a shipping channel on the Brazos the Canadan oil companies can ship their oil to the Gulf of Mexico.
The mouth of the Brazos is only sixty miles from Texas City, where the pipe line was to end.

How will this project benefit the United States?
1. It will decrease flooding along the Mississippi River. saving lives and property , Save FEMA trillions over the years.
2. It will increase security to half of our southern boarder by raising the water level of the Reo Grande. ( on this website www.blueservo.net You can see live, the river level is so low anyone can walk across).
3. It will create jobs by building sea ports in Bismark,ND, Cushing,Okla., Oklahoma City,Okla, Lawton,Okla, Wichita Falls,Tx, Amarillo,Tx, Dallas/Fort-worth,TX, Houston,TX ( Each sea port will need 2000+ workers )
4. We'll need hundreds of new bridges,barges and tug boats.
5. Large bussiness will build next to the river for easy access to shipping. createing thousands of jobs.
6. Cities and towns can refill their reservoirs.
Please sign my petition, click here:http://www.change.org/petitions/the-united-states-goverment-create-the-great-american-river?share_id=WtnNgVidNI&pe=pce

[realist51]

What the he((! A republican trying to stop big oil from making more money and supplying other countries other than America oil. The guy is a RINO this goes against everything they stand for. big oil profits, environmental concerns, saving the water? holy sheep manure, what next will he say that processing oil and burning gas from the pipeline would contribute to global warming? And what about all the job killing regulations that would go along with running a 1500 mile pipe line. this in its self should be enough to shut it down. Man where are the teabaggers on this one. they should have this guy tared and feathered for forsaking all of these great republican't beliefs. LMFAO!

[jimbom121]

Can you say NIMBY

[cks53]

CBS and the major networks are shoving this story as far away from front page as possible. Could it be that their handlers are upset? The news is so slanted to the right, it's tipping over and the people that are hungry for jobs and "stimulus" from business have been conned into believing we need this additional environmental gangrape. Don't you guys "get" that if nothing changes, nothing changes?

[DJJASON47]

"The news is so slanted to the right..."

What is the color of the sky in YOUR world?

[michaeljonesx]

Cut the population in half and that will cut greenhouse gas emissions in half. Oh, just kidding guys....really. If I was serious I would say United States population!

[myth1958]

It's funny how a country we never think about - Canada - is one of our top oil suppliers, critical to America's economy. The latest crazes of fracking and shale oil recovery/pipeline shipment of a nasty slurry of the same presents us all with a new face to know our neighbor by. Shoving this pipeline down our throats (and over sensitive ecological, farming and historical sites) is a way for the muscles up North to get flexed. They have the upper hand, after all: if we don't do their bidding for the oil, they'll find a new customer (China isn't picky about energy sources).
Only if many states stand together will there be any hope of defeating this project.

[Upgrader1969]

The bitumen in this pipeline is being sold as a raw product to refiners in the US. This is not shoving it down the throats of US citizens as much as it is theft of Canadian natural resources so profit can be generated within the US. Here is a better idea, import your oil from Venezuela at more environmental and carbon risk, support Chavez, and we will refine our products here and sell to you a premium.

[ge556]

We have to stop irresponsibly burning carbon to stop global warming/climate change, which is already causing increased frequency and intensity of storms, floods, and droughts, and will cause a mass extinction if we continue on our current path.

Alternative solution: Fee and dividend. Put an increasing fee on carbon fuels, to make clean energy and conservation more competitive. Refund the fee to the entire population, with a per-capita Green Check each month. 2/3 of people come out even or ahead; only big energy users pay more.
www.citizensclimatelobby.org

[jimbom121]

ummm, sir, no one is proposing INCREASING the gas tax. Its an extension of the current tax. Get your facts straight.

[dannysteele]

Isn't it amazing that a Republican office-holder cares about the environment? But then I saw that he only cares about the environment in his backyard. Cancel the excitement.

[longtree-2009]

sounds reasonable. kill jobs in this awful economy. everyone that wants it stopped should have an alternative solution, along with the jobs.

[retm-w]

No jobs for his state.