President Proud of his "Pen,' What About his "Approved' Stamp?
Press Release
Today marks 2,000 days since TransCanada initially applied for the permit to construct the transnational Keystone XL pipeline. Representative James Lankford (R-OK) expressed frustration over this Administration's stall tactics to permit North American energy projects, which could create thousands of jobs and continue to move us toward North American energy independence. This delay is in stark contrast to the southern leg of the Keystone XL pipeline, which begins in Cushing, OK, and has already begun transporting oil to the Gulf Coast.
"The President shows off his "pen,' but his "Approved' stamp must be out of ink," said Lankford.
"Permitting seems to be a very difficult task for this Administration. Between this 2,000-day fight over the Keystone XL pipeline and a backlog of permits for LNG export terminals, this Administration continues to drag its feet when it comes to utilizing North American energy. The State Department can work for Americans by swiftly determining that the 22,000 pages of existing administrative paperwork on this permit are enough."
To put the Keystone XL permit timeframe into perspective, the previous three, cross-border permits--Alberta Clipper, Keystone and Express--took 825, 687 and 117 days, respectively to approve. In 1996, the Clinton Administration managed to approve the Express pipeline in 117 days. This pipeline permit has taken longer than the three previous permits, combined.
No pipeline in American history has undergone this many rigorous environmental studies prior to construction, and after implementation of the bipartisan Pipeline Safety Act of 2011, no pipeline has faced as many safety requirements.
"Thousands of unemployed Americans wait for the President to finally make a decision. Americans are increasingly impatient with this Administration dragging its feet over this otherwise ordinary pipeline's delayed permitting process. We already have an extensive network of approved pipelines within our borders, and our Canadian neighbors will not wait forever," concluded Lankford.
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