NEBRASKA gov approves pipeline, now it's back in husseins lap.

[powderman]

Nebraska governor approves revised Keystone pipeline route  Published January 22, 2013
FoxNews.com     

•   Shown here is a section of the Keystone Pipeline in North Dakota. (Reuters)

Nebraska Gov. Dave Heineman notified the Obama administration Tuesday that he has approved the controversial Keystone XL Pipeline to traverse his state, marking a significant step toward reviving the project after President Obama and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton sidelined it.
 
The governor approved a revised route for the Canada-to-Texas pipeline which his office said would avoid environmentally sensitive areas.
"Construction and operation of the proposed Keystone XL Pipeline, with the mitigation and commitments from Keystone would have minimal environmental impacts in Nebraska," he wrote in a letter to Obama and Clinton.
 
The decision on final approval now rests with the Obama administration. The State Department is expected to decide within the next few months whether to permit the project to go forward -- Heineman's approval puts Obama in a difficult political spot.
The president had previously cited the Nebraska's concerns about the pipeline as a key obstacle to approving the pipeline. At the same time, the president was able assuage the concerns of major environmental groups who not only voiced concern about the potential impact of a spill but also the emissions created by extracting and refining oil from what are known as oil sands in Canada.
After Obama in his inaugural address pledged to take action on climate change, the Sierra Club said it was "heartened" by Obama's remarks and again urged the administration to reject "the dangerous tar sands pipeline."
 
But supporters -- including some in the president's own party -- have downplayed the environment impact and stressed the economic benefits the pipeline could bring. The pipeline is backed by the unions, and has been heavily promoted by Canadian officials. In Heineman's letter, the governor said construction in Nebraska would yield $418 million in economic benefits.
Asked about the Nebraska governor's decision Tuesday, White House Press Secretary Jay Carney noted the State Department was still reviewing the issue.
"There are stages in this process. ... I don't want to get ahead of that process," Carney said.
 
There are other hurdles beyond the federal government's approval -- needed because the pipeline crosses the U.S.-Canada border. A state court case has challenged the law that gives Heineman the power to approve such plans.
The American Petroleum Institute hailed the Nebraska decision Tuesday as a major step.
"Another major hurdle has been cleared," API Executive Vice President Marty Durbin said. "With the approval from Nebraska in hand, the president can be confident that the remaining environmental concerns have been addressed."
The governor said the new route would avoid the sensitive Sand Hills region, though would "cross" a vital aquifer. The governor expressed confidence that enough protections were in place to allow the project to go forward.

Read more: http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2013/01/22/nebraska-governor-approves-revised-keystone-pipeline-route/#ixzz2IjC5X2qi

[BUGEYE]

Lotsa luck with that.

[garbhead]

Yes but after the pipeline is built, the jobs are gone. The oil flowing from Canada to Texas is going to end up in China and India...this is just a short cut instead of shipping it all around the NE US , they can ship it from Houston and save them a lot of freight. Not going to help the USA at all with oil needs.

[BUGEYE]

Yes but after the pipeline is built, the jobs are gone. The oil flowing from Canada to Texas is going to end up in China and India...this is just a short cut instead of shipping it all around the NE US , they can ship it from Houston and save them a lot of freight. Not going to help the USA at all with oil needs.

The muzzies are about to attack Israel, Israel will nuke them out of existence, in 1000 years or so, it'll be safe to reopen the oil fields, so the pipeline is important to us.
If we wait until we REALLY need it, we'll be up the creek without a paddle.

[garbhead]

It's not important at all to us, as its Canada's oil passing thru our country en route to China and India.  If we don't get any of it, how will  the pipeline  help us?

[scootrd]

It's not important at all to us, as its Canada's oil passing thru our country en route to China and India.  If we don't get any of it, how will  the pipeline  help us?

It wont. The pipeline was just a good political talking point during election cycle. The company has already stated they just want to make use of our tax free refineries. Once refined it will go on the world global MKT to highest bidders. Additionally they already stated all the jobs will be temp except for an estimated 2,500 permanent. (and not all those would even be in the US).

At present the U.S. has the lowest reliance on imported  oil in we have seen in decades. Production is surging in this country and the U.S. could eventually overtake Saudi Arabia as the world's largest petroleum producer by 2020. According to a new report from the U.S. Department of Energy’s information service, U.S. crude oil production is expected to increase by 760,000 barrels a day. an all-time record. “This is the largest rise in annual output since the beginning of U.S. commercial crude oil production in 1859,” EIA Administrator Adam Sieminski said in a statement.

http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-18563_162-57561042/u.s-on-new-track-to-catch-saudis-in-oil-production/

People need to stop listening to drive by media political crap and research the true facts and get out of old paradigms.

[BUGEYE]

It's not important at all to us, as its Canada's oil passing thru our country en route to China and India.  If we don't get any of it, how will  the pipeline  help us?

Okay Mr. Obama, you know best. We don't need jobs.  We'll just invest more billions in greenie weenie junk and all live happily ever after.   Liberals, we don't need'em.

[Dixie Dude]

Garbhead, I work in the natural gas pipeline industry.  PERMANENT jobs will be created.  High paying jobs. 
 
First, any cross country pipeline has to be checked for leaks every 6 months.  This is continuously being done by highly skilled technicians leak survey with equipment that can smell gas that we can't smell. 
 
Second, any leaks found will have to be repaired immediately with a construction crew, welders, etc. 
 
Third, any valves have to be maintained and checked every 6 months for proper operation.  This is done by a distribution crew. 
 
Fourth, Regulators to keep proper pressures on pipelines have to be physically taken apart, checked for wear, and reassembled every year.
 
Fifth, an corrosion technician has to patrol the mains every 6 months to find any electrical shorts on the pipeline, which can cause corrosion leaks.  Also, he can spot problems with coatings on the pipeline that may be scratched and shorting out which would cause a leak.
 
Sixth, remote monitoring of the pipeline will have to be done at some central location which creates a minimum of 3 jobs watching guages 24-7.  Usually more jobs due to weekends.
 
Grass and trees must be cut along the Right of Way continuously so trucks doing these surveys can travel.
 
No jobs, my foot.  Each 30-50 miles of pipeline will create about one of these technician jobs.
 
These jobs are good paying, some union, some salary, all with benefits.  Don't talk about something if you don't know.
 
On another note.  Each governor can approve pipelines crossing their states.  They can valve them off on state lines and at the border with Canada.  This would only require turning some valves, which would put Obama in a fix if he didn't sign approval after all that work. 
 

[scootrd]

Garbhead, I work in the natural gas pipeline industry.  PERMANENT jobs will be created.  High paying jobs. 
 
First, any cross country pipeline has to be checked for leaks every 6 months.  This is continuously being done by highly skilled technicians leak survey with equipment that can smell gas that we can't smell. 
 
Second, any leaks found will have to be repaired immediately with a construction crew, welders, etc. 
 
Third, any valves have to be maintained and checked every 6 months for proper operation.  This is done by a distribution crew. 
 
Fourth, Regulators to keep proper pressures on pipelines have to be physically taken apart, checked for wear, and reassembled every year.
 
Fifth, an corrosion technician has to patrol the mains every 6 months to find any electrical shorts on the pipeline, which can cause corrosion leaks.  Also, he can spot problems with coatings on the pipeline that may be scratched and shorting out which would cause a leak.
 
Sixth, remote monitoring of the pipeline will have to be done at some central location which creates a minimum of 3 jobs watching guages 24-7.  Usually more jobs due to weekends.
 
Grass and trees must be cut along the Right of Way continuously so trucks doing these surveys can travel.
 
No jobs, my foot.  Each 30-50 miles of pipeline will create about one of these technician jobs.
 
These jobs are good paying, some union, some salary, all with benefits.  Don't talk about something if you don't know.
 
On another note.  Each governor can approve pipelines crossing their states.  They can valve them off on state lines and at the border with Canada.  This would only require turning some valves, which would put Obama in a fix if he didn't sign approval after all that work. 
 

Dixie ,

Just an FYI,
the statements made came directly from a News interview with the Canadian company that took place approximately a year ago by I believe CBS. They stated only approx 2,500 Permanent Jobs at most.  That's a far cry from the 50,000 jobs or whatever the political spin machines were spouting at the time.

I believe (but not sure ) the actual link to the interview was also posted on a previous GB thread a while back as well.

Of course you could argue with the Company spokesman if you like.

A November 5 article in The Washington Post reported that TransCanada CEO Russ Girling "said Friday that the 13,000 figure was actually not a true job number, but actually accounted for 'one person, one year.'" The Post added that "if the construction jobs lasted two years, the number of people employed in each of the two years would be 6,500." From the article:

A calculation of the direct jobs that might be created by KXL can begin with an examination of the jobs on-site to build and inspect the pipeline. The project will create no more than 2,500-4,650 temporary direct construction jobs for two years, according to TransCanada's own data supplied to the State Department.

Cornell University Global Labor Institute: "Based On The Figures Provided By TransCanada For The Canadian Section Of The Pipeline, The New Permanent US Pipeline Jobs In The US Number As Few As 50.

[Dixie Dude]

I say it is closer to 2,500 permanent based on my 37 years experience.  It will also carry oil from the Bakin field in North Dakota, South Dakota, and eastern Montana.  This is American oil.  There will be more drilling to come.  Right now, railroads (owned by Warren Buffet) are carrying oil via tanker cars.  With the pipeline, the railroad will not carry any. 
 
Also if you have taken economics 101 for every dollar spent, it goes around about 7 times before it returns to you.  If it goes overseas to pay for Arab oil, then they don't have to spend that money on American products for it to come back (trade deficit).   For every well paid American worker, it takes about 4 workers to provide his needs such as groceries, homebuilding, furnature, etc, etc.  So the 2,500 workers will directly impact about 10,000 others.  Half our trade deficit (wealth drain away from America), is in imported oil.  If we can get out of imported oil, that only leaves half which a big part is China.  I don't consider Canada a trade deficit problem.  For years people have moved back and forth across the border for job opportunities. 
 
We will not get out of using oil and gas products for the next 50-100 years.  Cars and trucks produced today will be around about 20 years.  Right now natural gas has passed coal as the leading producer of electricity.  Until safer thorium nuke plants are built we will use gas and coal for years also.  It ain't going away.  Even if an electric car was made to go 100 mph, for 500 miles, on a 15 minute charge, and cost $10,000 for a new one, it will still take about 20-30 years for the technology to overcome gasoline and diesel, and even natural gas vehicles.  We will still need the fuel, we will still have to make electricity to charge them, we will still need oil for lubricants, plastics, etc.  It just ain't going away no matter what the greenies say, not in our lifetimes. 
 
Like someone said, we need every job we can get right now.  The last three laborers (ditch diggers) we hired had college degrees.  Jobs aren't there.  We once hired poor black Americans to do these jobs.  This country still has abundant natural resources, still has the best river, rail, and road transportation in the world to get products to market.  Government is the problem, not the solution. 
 
My company is a private company, we are not so stupid as to leave an environmental mess.  Too much trouble, too many lawsuits, not good PR.  Most companies are good companies.  They are not all greedy and don't care about the environment.  Only a few will take short cuts, but it will catch up with them and bite them.  Of course my company is a medium sized company, maybe small (only about 1,400 employees), and we do have competition. 

[powderman]

DIXIE DUDE. Good posts Sir. POWDERMAN. 

[BUGEYE]

Dixie Dude, my favorite uncle (who advised me to buy utilities) roamed those pipe lines all of his working years. He retired about the time you hired on.  all of those jobs after the pipeline is built are indeed well paying jobs.  any naysayers are those liberal tiny-brained types who want to push obamas greenie-weenie projects.
Every one of your posts are spot-on.
my wife has a nephew who owns two semi tractors that is currently in the Dakotas and making a pile of money.  that pipeline not only will create temporary jobs but that dollar that you mentioned going around 7 times creates countless service jobs that the liberals never acknowledge.  that pipeline would be a blessing for a large part of the country.
BTW, your common sense posts along with your experience goes right in one ear and out the other of the greenie-weenies.

[Dixie Dude]

Yes, each good paying job supports 3-4 service jobs.  If the money stays here, the jobs stay here.  2,500 permanent jobs.  Well, these guys buy homes, they buy cars, furnature, appliances, food, go out to eat occationally, etc, etc.  They support these other jobs and help secure them.  Why do you think Texas is doing so well, job growth, lower unemployment, etc.  They are fracking natural gas and oil in west Texas.  This helps with other jobs and money stays there.  Arabs don't have to buy American products, they can buy German and Japanese cars, etc.  American's usually buy American made cars and trucks. 

[scootrd]

Dixie Dude, my favorite uncle (who advised me to buy utilities)

I'd be watching those Utilities very closely. When the economy improves, utilities lag.  Most sector annalist's expect utilities to be the biggest dog for the coming year and markets improves. 2012 was a bad year for utilities under performing overall MKT.

At present utilities sector is under performing the improved market at around 3% in contrast to lets say Healthcare 12%, financials 17%, consumer staples 10% , Energy 10% etc.. Your probably OK in 2013 but if interests rates start to rise I'd be on the phone with my financial adviser finding another place to park my investments.

JMHO

Semper Fi