National environmental organizations and Democrats [often motivated by Tom Steyer campaign contributions] have created a mythology about the Keystone XL Pipeline claiming this to be an "export pipeline" and alleging that crude oil deliveries from the proposed pipeline would go to China or everywhere else other than the United States.
Sierra Club sends out fund solicitations showing cartoon graphics of tankers labelled "China" being loaded by KXL crude and Steyer's NextGen shows dramatic footage in a polished political ad making this claim alleging the crude oil will go to China. Michael Brune goes to a congressional committee and on national television making similar claims alleging that the United States will not receive any benefits from the alleged "export pipeline."
For both Democrats and environmental organizations...the claim that the Keystone XL Pipeline is an "export pipeline" is reality denial and engineering denial. Engaging in such reality denial is not compatible with ethical conduct considerations, science-based conservation stewardship and public trust energy/environmental protection decisionmaking.
Nothing in Department of State Final Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement supports the claim or notion that the Keystone XL Pipeline is an "export pipeline." There is no basis in the DOS FSEIS for President Obama to make a decision on TransCanada's application on the basis that it is a crude oil export pipeline.
The DOS FSEIS document acknowledges the physical and economic realities that KXL-delivered heavy sour crude is destined for United States petroleum refineries on the Gulf Coast. These same USA petroleum refineries sell the majority of their total finished petroleum products in the USA. Even if such refineries sold their products mostly for export, it would not change the fact that KXL as proposed is a USA crude oil import pipeline and NOT an "export pipeline."
In order to drive the point home that KXL is not an "export pipeline," recent news yields a very clear example demonstrating a proposed border crossing pipeline that actually and legitimately is a USA crude oil export pipeline.
This is a clear example of a pipeline project which will need a Presidential Permit for an international border crossing that is clearly an "export pipeline" -- recent news yields this story on TransCanada's proposed Upland Pipeline Project running from North Dakota to Saskatchewan.
The Upland Pipeline Project will carry Bakken crude for export from the United States to Canada....making it a "USA crude oil export pipeline."
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