There are 20,000 miles of pipeline in Nebraska criss-crossing the Ogalalla aquifier. A company wanted to add 400 more but President Obama overruled scientists and declared the addition environmentally risky. So the Keystone XL extension did not happen and the president who promised to promote more domestic oil came across as a political obstructionist for blocking it due to…why exactly? No one knows, really. Because he wanted to prove he can do nothing right and still get re-elected, I suppose. And I bet he can.
But to at least make an effort to placate his liberal union base, who had to be annoyed he caved into anti-science progressives and cost union workers a lot of jobs, he then declared he would the extension of the extension. Yes, he said he would prod the same agencies that could not be bothered to approve Keystone XL during most of his presidency to rush the paperwork – maybe he means unimportant details like environmental impact reports. Except TransCanada is as confused as anyone; they haven’t even applied for the new extension since the old one was denied so what are the EPA, the State Department, Fish&Wildlife and protesting environmentalists supposed to approve?
But regardless of whether or not this phantom extension gets fast-tracked – that is, if TransCanada ever applies – native Americans in the proposed construction zones were not amused by the announcement. If President Obama was so concerned about an aquifier that could not be impacted at all by construction, how can be be unaware of Native American burial grounds that could most certainly be impacted if it is built?
Well, are there Native American burial grounds there? No one among the Native American community or the State Department knows – but local tribes are worried about unmarked graves that might be disturbed. Is the president suddenly going to get all Big Corporation-y about trampling the rights of minorities?
TransCanada, the evil company supposedly not caring about anyone or the environment, knows what Native Americans and government talking heads do not; they disclosed 70 archaeological sites, 18 individual artifacts and 34 historic structures in the area where the pipeline will be built in Oklahoma.
Good thing oil companies are on the job. If we left it up to presidents, the environment would be in a shambles.
I’m DISGUSTED that the politicians, from BOTH major ptaires, are even CONSIDERING this DISASTROUS project, let alone giving it more than nine lives! When are they going to get it through their heads that we want OFF of fossil fuels and want ENERGY INDEPENDENCE that is NOT going to pollute our nation, nor the planet in ANY MANNER?!?!? The GREED and SELF-CENTEREDNESS of the rich, richer, and richest amongst us, PROFOUNDLY disturbs me! It’s time that the greedy, crony-centric politicians become RAPIDLY unemployed, themselves, and find themselves having their only recreational spot to play in, to be the BP-trashed GULF COAST! How wonderful it would be, if most of them were forced to BATHE in that swill, every day for the rest of their lives!
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