US State Department to issue Final EIS on Keystone XL pipeline in August; additional meetings in affected states
24 July 2011
The US Department of State plans to issue a Final Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for the proposed Keystone XL pipeline (earlier post) in mid-August. Following the issuance of a Final EIS, the next step is a 90-day review period where interested federal agencies, such as the Department of Energy and the Environmental Protection Agency, will provide their views on whether issuance of a Presidential Permit would be in the national interest.
When released, the Final EIS and related documents will be available through the State Department’s website: http://www.keystonepipeline-xl.state.gov.
During September, the State Department will also host public meetings in the capitals of each of the six states through which the proposed pipeline would pass—Montana, South Dakota, Nebraska, Kansas, Oklahoma, and Texas—with an additional meeting in the Sand Hills region in Nebraska and along the Gulf Coast near Port Arthur, Texas. This will be followed by a final public meeting in Washington, DC.
The State Department said it expects to make a decision on whether to grant or deny the permit before the end of the year, but will not make a decision until it has completed this process.
Keystone XL is a proposed 1,700-mile oil pipeline from the US-Canadian border in Montana, through Cushing, Oklahoma, to carry crude from the Canadian oil sands to refineries on the US Gulf Coast. Per Executive Order 13337, the State Department is responsible for reviewing the application for a Presidential Permit for the pipeline to cross the border between Canada and the United States.
The application for a permit for the pipeline, which the State Department has to issue because it crosses an international border, was filed back at the end of 2008. The State Department filed a draft Environmental Impact Statement in April of 2010. There was a 90-day comment period on that draft, which closed in July of 2010. The State Department then issued a supplemental draft in April of this year. There was a 45-day comment period for that, which closed in June.
USA needs oil from a reliable source. The pipeline will be approved. Otherwise, a trans-mountain pipeline will be built to ship that stuff to China.
Posted by: HarveyD | 24 July 2011 at 09:17 AM
@HarveyD:
Sad, but true. The carbon footprint of oil products obtained from this facility is going to be huge.
Posted by: Nick Lyons | 24 July 2011 at 06:55 PM
For crysakes, either build the GD pipeline or don't.
1. The application for a permit was filed back at the end of 2008.
2. The State Department filed a draft EIS (Environmental Impact Statement) in April of 2010.
3. There was a 90-day comment period on that draft, which closed in July of 2010.
4. The State Department then issued a supplemental draft in April of this year.
5. There was a 45-day comment period for that, which closed in June.
6. The US Department of State plans to issue a Final EIS for the proposed Keystone XL pipeline in mid-August.
7. Following issuance of a Final EIS, the next step is a 90-day review period where interested federal agencies, such as, but not limited to, the Department of Energy and the Environmental Protection Agency, will provide their views on whether issuance of a Presidential Permit would be in the national interest.
- - ALRIGHT. We have about ¼ mile progress; across the border.
. . . And most of you think all the thousands of bureaucrats involved in this fiasco are just "more good green Jobs".
. . . .But OK, just 1,700 more miles to go.
8. During September, the State Department will host public meetings in the capitals of each of the six states through which the proposed pipeline would pass.
9. Then additional meetings in the Sand Hills region in Nebraska
10. And another along the Gulf Coast near Port Arthur, Texas.
11. This will be followed by a final public meeting in Washington, DC.
12. The State Department said it expects to make a decision on whether to grant or deny the permit before the end of the year, but will not make a decision until it has completed this process.
It’s not like they don’t already know pretty much ALL there is to know about oil pipelines.
Soon there will be a 6 year process to approve a battery assembly plant.
An eight year one for an EV (electromagnetic fields you know and a short releases tens of kWHrs in seconds, can’t be too safe).
And a 12 year process for actually MAKING batteries.
Posted by: ToppaTom | 24 July 2011 at 09:13 PM
TT....very many good points. Our decision making process is becoming very heavy and slows down the local/national economic recovery. Wonder how many years will be required to approve a Canadian (Chinese financed), 1000 Km trans-mountain pipeline from Alberta to BC Coast and the construction of a new deep sea oil terminal for 500,0000+ tons tankers?
Posted by: HarveyD | 25 July 2011 at 07:56 AM
TT, the 12 points seem good - inform the author.
Posted by: kelly | 25 July 2011 at 03:30 PM
Are we pushing ourselves out of the world market? Too much goodies well make any nation sick and push it into regression.
Posted by: HarveyD | 25 July 2011 at 03:54 PM