Lankford: Administration Needlessly Stalling Keystone XL Pipeline

Washington, DC — House Republican Policy Committee Chairman James Lankford (R-OK) joined his colleagues today in support of H.R. 3, the Northern Route Approval Act, for expediting the approval and permit process for the northern leg of the Keystone XL pipeline. 

The bill would bypass the lengthy permit process that requires the State Department to review and decide on the pipeline because it crosses an international boundary. The bill declares that a presidential permit is not required and that the final Environmental Impact Study (EIS) to comply with NEPA and historic preservation requirements is satisfactory for commencing construction. 

“After more than 1,700 days and counting, the Administration has had ample time to approve the northern leg of the Keystone XL pipeline, and now it’s time to build,” said Lankford. “The President seems as adamant to oppose the pipeline as the environmental activists chaining themselves to the construction vehicles for the southern leg. The Keystone XL permit process has now consumed more days than the previous three international pipelines combined. The Administration is not studying the merits; they are stalling our progress.

“Jobs, state and local tax revenues and North American energy independence remain stifled while the Administration continues to stall construction of this portion of the pipeline. Keystone XL will be subject to some of the most stringent safety regulations possible.  TransCanada was able to mitigate the Nebraska Governor’s concerns about the location of the pipeline, and the State Department’s draft report issued in March suggests there is no reason NOT to build the pipeline. Why does the Administration continue to stall?

“No pipeline in our history has undergone this many rigorous environmental studies prior to construction, and after implementation of the Pipeline Safety Act of 2011, no pipeline has faced as many safety requirements,” continued Lankford. 

“I was proud to stand with my colleagues today in support of expediting the approval process for the northern leg of the Keystone pipeline. We cannot continue to let excessive bureaucratic red tape stand between American jobs, improving our economy for our families or bringing us a step closer to North American energy independence,” concluded Lankford.   

The timeframes of several similar previous pipelines are as follows:

Alberta Clipper: Approx 825 days - Permit applied (15-May-07); Permit granted (20-Aug-09)
Keystone: Approx 687 days - Permit applied (19-Apr-06); Permit granted (11-Mar-08)
Express: Approx 117 days - Permit applied (3-May-96); Permit granted (30-Aug-96)

For a copy of H.R. 3, please click here.

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Contact: Kelly Ferguson (202) 225-2132