In President Obama’s State of the Union Address last month, he gave many veto threats to the now Republican Senate. But where is the veto for Keystone XL? Although hinted at in his statement of "Let's set our sights higher than a single oil pipeline,” President Obama has not yet to stand up and veto Keystone XL.
The Keystone XL pipeline has been in and out of the news since 2008 when the TransCanada Corporation initially filed an application for it. The pipeline would bring more Canadian Tar Sands into the US to be processed and refined into oil. Tar sands are among one of the dirtiest forms of fuel. The intense refinement process produces large amounts of residue called petcoke, which is often shipped over to developing countries because its emissions and pollutants are too high for us to burn it here in the United States.
In the South side of Chicago, neighborhoods have been plagued by the misuse of this petcoke. Uncovered piles, meters high, stand outside of the refineries and blow into residents homes and get washed into the Calumet River. Residents are demanding medical studies be done on the health effects of the petcoke in both air and waterways, as there have been no studies yet concluded. Keystone XL would accept more Canadian tar sands when we have not been able to control the byproducts or test the health effects of our current tar sand refining.
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) just last week gave a report which justifies Obama’s veto of Keystone XL. The report states that “development of crude oil sands represents a significant increase in greenhouse gas emissions.” This, along with the multiple law suits Nebraska citizens are delivering to obstruct the pipeline from running through their property, gives the President plenty of backing to veto the pipeline.
The Obama administration has made a lot of environmental progress, staying true to their stance that “no challenge ± poses a greater threat to future generations than climate change.” However, the passing of Keystone XL has the potential to undermine this image and is what President Obama would ultimately be remembered for. At this point, the Keystone XL discussion is about much more than just a pipeline, it has become a symbol for the environmental movement. Numerous grassroots organizations and individuals have come together and stood up against the pipeline, bringing up lawsuits and protesting its construction. So far, the movement has been able to stall the pipeline for 7 years. Now, after being passed by the Senate, it is up to President Obama to finish the job and show that we, as a nation, are committed to fighting climate change and stopping our investments in further infrastructure for oil.
It is hard to move towards the future when we are still investing in the past.
