06.25.13

Hoeven, Heitkamp, Cramer: Keystone XL Pipeline in North Dakota, National Interest

WASHINGTON – Senators John Hoeven and Heidi Heitkamp and Congressman Kevin Cramer today continued their call for the Administration to approve the Keystone XL pipeline project, saying the project is in North Dakota’s and the nation’s interest and would create jobs, make the nation more energy secure and help improve public safety in North Dakota.

In a speech today, President Obama said he will not approve the Keystone XL pipeline unless the State Department again determines that it is in the nation’s interest and will not lead to significant increases in greenhouse gas emissions. The Keystone XL pipeline has been under review for close to five years, and every study conducted by the State Department has found that the pipeline project will have no significant impacts on greenhouse gas emissions or the environment.

“The Keystone XL pipeline project—energy infrastructure that is in our state’s and nation’s best interest—has been under review for close to five years,” said Hoeven. “The fact remains that this oil will be developed. If we build the Keystone XL pipeline, oil will be transported safely to the U.S, where it will help our nation become more energy secure. If we don’t build the pipeline, the crude will be transported by rail to Canada’s west coast and shipped to China, creating a much greater environmental impact. The choice is clear. We need to approve the Keystone XL pipeline project.”

Hoeven began working on the Keystone pipeline project as governor of North Dakota. Since coming to the Senate, Hoeven has worked to pass legislation to approve the pipeline project. In March, Hoeven got a bipartisan majority of the U.S. Senate to vote in support of the Keystone XL pipeline, with a filibuster-proof majority of 62 to 37.

“As the time nears for a decision, the President has yet again tried to move the goalposts on approval of the Keystone XL pipeline,” said Heitkamp. “After one of the most exhaustive environmental review process in U.S. history, there have been no findings that the Keystone XL Pipeline Project will have a significant environmental impact. We have pipeline already crisscrossing the country, and we continue to lay new lines every day in order to move U.S. and Canadian oil to refineries. We are going to use oil for the foreseeable future, so let’s lower our dependence on foreign oil, support jobs at home, and embrace an all-of-the-above energy policy.”

“Keystone XL will provide thousands of jobs by transporting oil from the Bakken formation, and from our friends in Canada, to American refineries in the Gulf Coast. But no matter how many jobs this project will create or how much affordable energy we stand to gain, the President continues to put the interests of a few environmentalists above the needs of citizens. When I toured the original Keystone pipeline during construction, I met many of the men and women who were grateful for the good paying jobs building the line, and many local restaurant and hotel proprietors, retailers, and subcontractors who were happy to have work and business. This administration would rather they be unemployed than building our energy infrastructure,” said Cramer.

The Keystone XL pipeline will be monitored 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, and satellites will send data from 25,000 data points to the pipeline’s monitoring center. If a drop in pressure is detected, any section of the pipeline can be isolated remotely, closing any of the hundreds of valves on the system within minutes.

The Keystone XL pipeline will carry 830,000 barrels of oil from Canada to refineries in the United States, including 100,000 barrels from Montana and North Dakota. The Department of Energy confirms that the transported oil will be refined and used in the United States.