What Are the Pros of the Keystone Pipeline?
- The Keystone Pipeline can be a major job creation project. ...
- The Keystone Pipeline can be a major economic contributor. It is believed that the Keystone XL pipeline has the potential to contribute more than $3 billion annually to the ...
- It would re-establish the Alberta oil sands sector for Canada. ...
What would be the dangers of the Keystone Pipeline?
The Keystone XL pipeline would carry 900,000 barrels of dirty tar sands oil into the United States daily. The water used to extract the oil from the tar sands becomes a danger to people, animals, and the surrounding land. The process produces toxic by-products including bitumen, from sand, silt, and clay.
What will be the effects of the Keystone Pipeline?
Ultimately, construction of the Keystone XL Pipeline could have detrimental effects on the environment, such as the destruction of ecosystems, the loss of habitats, and the pollution of nearby rivers. But proponents of the pipeline state that the economic benefits the construction process can have on the economy is much needed.
What are facts about Keystone Pipeline?
Quick Facts
- Keystone XL 329 miles (529 km) in Canada (Hardisty, Alta., to Monchy, Sask.)
- 840 miles (1,351 km) in the United States (Phillips County, Mont. to Steele City, Neb.)
- 36-inch diameter pipeline Capacity of 830,000 barrels per day
What is going on with the Keystone Pipeline?
Studies have linked leaks from oil sands pipelines like Keystone XL to significant degradation of nearby land and water resources. A major concern is tailings ponds, the product of toxic waste from mining in the tar sands that can sicken communities and wildlife that depend on the land to survive.
What is the benefit of the Keystone pipeline?
The Keystone XL Pipeline will contribute to energy security, create tens of thousands of high-quality employment and local contracting opportunities as well as provide a substantial economic benefit to local communities across Canada and the United States.
Does the U.S. need the Keystone pipeline?
Ramped up domestic oil production and alternative supply routes have lessened the U.S.'s need for the hundreds of thousands of barrels of oil that would have been pumped daily through the now-cancelled Keystone XL pipeline, some industry experts say.
Why was the Keystone pipeline a bad idea?
No matter how you look at it, Keystone XL would be bad for wildlife, especially endangered species. Many imperiled species live along the proposed pipeline's path and in areas where tar-sands oil is produced. If the pipeline were built, it would decimate habitat these species rely on.
Did we get oil from the Keystone pipeline?
The Keystone Pipeline System is an oil pipeline system in Canada and the United States, commissioned in 2010 and owned by TC Energy and as of 31 March 2020 the Government of Alberta....Keystone Pipeline.Keystone XL Pipeline (Phase 4)ToSteele City, NebraskaGeneral informationTypeCrude oilStatusCancelled9 more rows
How has Keystone pipeline affected Oklahoma?
Again, the impact will be felt not just in Oklahoma: The pipeline here increases the transport of oil to Cushing, one of the largest transshipment and oil-storage locations in the world.
How many jobs would be destroyed by the executive order?
Also, despite the president’s supposed priorities, the executive order would lead to the destruction of 10,000 union jobs, as well as the $500 million allocated for indigenous suppliers and a $10 million fund for green-jobs training.
Is the Keystone pipeline good?
Killing the Keystone XL pipeline does no tangible good and will doubtless cause harm to countless Americans, and even to the environment that the decision pledges to protect.
What pipelines did Trump build?
President Donald Trump announced Tuesday that construction would move forward on the Keystone XL and Dakota Access pipelines , both of which had stalled under the Obama administration. The decision was a blow to environmental activists and supporters of tribal sovereignty, but was touted by the White House as a great boost to the American economy.
How much will the Dakota Access pipeline generate?
The projects would also increase local tax revenue. Once the Dakota Access pipeline is operational, it will generate about $55 million in property taxes, split across four states, according to estimates.
How much tax revenue will be generated from Keystone XL?
Construction of Keystone XL would cause a short-term tax revenue increase (primarily from sales and use taxes) of $66 million. Once the pipeline is operating, 27 counties will collect an additional $56 million in taxes. The pipeline won’t affect property values, according to the government.
What happens during the Dakota Access pipeline?
During construction, towns along the pipeline’s path are likely to see local booms in business, as workers spend money on lodging, food and entertainment. This has already happened along the Dakota Access corridor. However, like the construction jobs that fuel it, the boom is temporary.
How much did the BP oil spill cost?
The five-year cleanup of BP’s oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico, starting in 2010, cost the company $62 billion. That doesn’t include the cost of decreased tourism, diminished wildlife and land that becomes unusable. It also doesn’t account for potential long-term health effects.
How much does it cost to clean up an oil spill?
Cleaning up oil spills costs on average $16 per gallon, according to Resources for the Future, a nonprofit that focuses on environmental issues. But the range of costs varies enormously -- from $630 a gallon to $7 a gallon -- based on where the cleanup occurs, such as land or water, urban or rural areas.
Is TransCanada a Canadian company?
TransCanada -- as its name indicates-- is a Canadian company, which is why the State Department was tasked with reviewing the project to begin with. Company shares rose nearly 4 percent upon Mr. Trump’s announcement. (Shares of Dallas-based ETP rose a similar amount Tuesday.)
How much oil would be transported by Keystone XL?
To be precise, it would transport 830,000 barrels of Alber ta tar sands oil per day to refineries on the Gulf Coast of Texas. Some 3 million miles of oil and gas pipelines already run through our country. But Keystone XL wouldn’t be your average pipeline, and tar sand oil isn’t your average crude.
Why is it so hard to clean up tar sands oil?
And when tar sands oil does spill, it’s more difficult to clean up than conventional crude because it immediately sinks to the bottom of the waterway. People and wildlife coming into contact with tar sands oil are exposed to toxic chemicals, and rivers and wetland environments are at particular risk from a spill.
What would happen if Keystone XL was fully realized?
A fully realized Keystone XL would lead to more mining of that “nasty stuff” by accelerating the pace at which it’s produced and transported. (Indeed, Keystone XL was viewed as a necessary ingredient in the oil industry’s plans to triple tar sands production by 2030.)
What is the sticky deposit in the boreal forest?
The boreal forest. Gord McKenna. Beneath the wilds of northern Alberta’s boreal forest is a sludgy, sticky deposit called tar sands. These sands contain bitumen, a gooey type of petroleum that can be converted into fuel.
Why is Keystone XL being opposed?
Opposition to Keystone XL centers on the devastating environmental consequences of the project. The pipeline has faced years of sustained protests from environmental activists and organizations; Indigenous communities; religious leaders; and the farmers, ranchers, and business owners along its proposed route. One such protest, a historic act of civil disobedience outside the White House in August 2011, resulted in the arrest of more than 1,200 demonstrators. More than 90 leading scientists and economists have opposed the project, in addition to unions and world leaders such as the Dalai Lama, Archbishop Desmond Tutu, and former president Jimmy Carter (together, these and other Nobel laureates have written letters against the project). In 2014, more than two million comments urging a rejection of the pipeline were submitted to the State Department during a 30-day public comment period.
When will Keystone XL be cancelled?
January 20, 2021 Melissa Denchak. UPDATE: June 9, 2021: TC Energy announced that it is canceling the controversial Keystone XL tar sands pipeline, putting an end to a fossil fuel project that endangered waterways, communities, and the climate, which President Biden denied a key permit for on his first day in office.
When did Obama refuse to grant a permit for the Keystone pipeline?
When the Obama administration refused to grant the cross-border permit necessary to build TC Energy’s Keystone XL oil pipeline in November 2015, it struck a blow against polluting powers and acknowledged the consensus on this misguided project from a wide swath of people and organizations. “America is now a global leader when it comes to taking serious action to fight climate change,” President Obama said. “And, frankly, approving this project would have undercut that global leadership.” The Obama-era decision echoed a seven-year State Department review process with EPA input that concluded the pipeline would fail to serve national interests.
How would North American energy independence help the US economy?
North American energy independence would also save the US money in terms of actually creating lower prices. The Keystone XL pipeline would significantly increase the supply of heavy crude oil, thereby lowering the price. North American energy independence would provide a much-needed boost to the economy.
Why is the Keystone pipeline important?
The Keystone Pipeline Would Create Lower Prices. One of the best reasons to seek North American energy independence through the Keystone Pipeline is that it would result in much lower oil prices and provide a significant economic advantage to the United States. An example of this can be seen in Venezuela. Last year the United States imported ...
Is the Keystone pipeline safe?
The Keystone Pipeline Would Be Safer. Safety is always a paramount concern when discussing oil transportation. In terms of safe transport, the optimal method is by far pipelines, and the Keystone XL pipeline would become one of the safest pipelines ever built in the United States.
Is Canada a stable country?
Canada is a very stable country that is unlikely to see an abrupt reduction of output due to extreme swings in their government or their economic state. Canada is also already one of our main trade partners and a country with whom we are on very good terms.
How to remove bitumen from the ground?
According to the New York Times, one method includes using water and natural gas to pump steam into the tar sands , which creates the potential for a toxic runoff. Strip mining is the other option. 2.
How many barrels of oil are in the Keystone pipeline?
The Keystone XL pipeline is a delivery system that is designed to carry over 800,000 barrels of oil sands petroleum per day from Western Canada to oil refineries along the Gulf Coast of the United States. Around half of the pipeline has already been completed, but its construction has always been opposed by various environmentalist groups.
What would happen if Keystone XL went active?
In practical terms: if Keystone XL goes active, it would be the equivalent of adding 5.6 million cars to US roadways every day. 6. Tar sands oil has the potential to be highly corrosive. The oil that will be piped through the Keystone XL extension is some of the most corrosive petroleum that is used today.
How much money will the Keystone pipeline contribute to the US economy?
It is believed that the Keystone XL pipeline has the potential to contribute more than $3 billion annually to the US economy once it become operational. It would also create an estimated $2.4 billion (in US dollars) for Canada, which would be split between the government, shareholders, and company reinvestments.
How many jobs will the Keystone pipeline create?
The US State Department has estimated that the construction of the pipeline project could create up to 42,000 jobs over a two-year construction period.
Why can Canadian producers raise prices with Keystone?
With Keystone, Canadian producers can raise prices because the quality of the petroleum will be better while they are able to cut into their overhead costs at the same time. 6. The amount of emissions added to the atmosphere from Keystone XL are negligible.
Is the Dakota Access Pipeline related to the Keystone pipeline?
The issues from DAPL are often associated with Keystone XL. The protests from the Dakota Access Pipeline are often associated with the Keystone pipeline. Although the two projects are somewhat similar in what they hope to accomplish, the environmental concerns are slightly different for Keystone.
Why is the Keystone pipeline bad?
Here are 5 reasons why building the Keystone pipeline is bad for the economy — and workers. 1. Building the Key stone pipeline and opening up the Tar Sands will negatively impact national and local economies: Burning the recoverable tar sands oil will increase the earth’s temperature by a minimum of 2 degree Celsius, ...
How much damage did Sandy do to the US economy?
The drought that affected 80% of US farmland last summer destroyed a quarter of the US corn crop and did at least $20 billion damage to the economy. 2.
Is the construction of the Keystone pipeline a controversial issue?
The American labor movement is once again facing a most controversial issue — the construction of the Keystone XL pipeline. While the KXL debate has largely centered around the environmental risks, from labor’s perspective opening up the Canadian Tar Sands is often seen as an economic, not an environmental, issue.
Does Keystone XL make the climate worse?
But the Keystone XL pipeline will only make our jobs crisis worse by making our climate crisis worse. Plus, there are lots of pipelines that need fixing. Construction workers can be put to work rebuilding our crumbling natural gas transmission pipeline system — this will create good union jobs and cut carbon emissions.
Is construction unemployment double the national average?
And it’s no wonder: Construction unemployment is double the national average and, from a worker’s perspective, Keystone jobs will be good-paying union jobs in an economy that increasingly offers up only minimum-wage service work.
Root of The Problem
More Production, But Higher Costs For Americans
- Even if the pipeline was already built, it wouldn't help with the price at the pump, Nemet added, noting that the U.S. has already doubled its oil production over the last 15 years. "And yet, we still have $100 per barrel oil." With inflation soaring, gas prices have been increasing for months — hitting an average of $4.33 a gallonon March 11, acco...
Less Oil, Clean Energy Fans Say
- By contrast, Mr. Biden's decision with the International Energy Agency to release 30 million barrels of oilfrom the nation's Strategic Petroleum Reserve puts downward pressure on gas prices in the short-term, Kieve said. The agency will release a total of 60 million barrels of crude to help ease some of the supply disruptions caused by the war Ukraine. "You won't see a lot of environmenta…