Page 2 ■ Thursday, February 2, 2012
BAKKEN NEWS
Conrad undecided on bill But says he’s in favor of Keystone pipeline
By NICK SMITH Bismarck Tribune
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Brian Kroshus Editor
Cathryn Sprynczynatyk
Advertising Manager Kristin Wilson
Layout Design Jean Bertsch
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opportunities, please call 701-250-8212 or 866-476-5348.
Sen. Kent Conrad, D-N.D., is unde- cided on whether he will support legis- lation introduced on Jan. 30 that would approve the proposed Keystone XL pipe- line.
signed on as cosponsors of the legislation introduced by Sen. John Hoeven, R-N.D. It would require the U.S. State Depart- ment to enter into a memorandum of understanding with the state of Nebras- ka within 30 days to assist in rerouting a portion of the proposed pipeline around the environmentally sensitive Ogallala Aquifer in the Nebraska Sand Hills. Despite not being a cosponsor, Con-
rad has been in favor of the Keystone XL pipeline project from the beginning, said spokesman Christopher Gaddie. He released a statement from Conrad via email on Jan. 30 outlining his position on the pipeline legislation. Conrad’s statement reads: “I am in favor of the construction of
More than 40 members of the Senate
for Hoeven, said the legislation would al- low the pipeline to move forward while giving the state of Nebraska time to fi - nalize a new route around the Ogallala Aquifer. “It gives Nebraska all the time it
nal Research Service had issued a non- partisan legal analysis on Jan. 20 stating that Congress has the authority to regu- late foreign commerce under the Com- merce Clause in Article 1, Section 8 of the U.S. Constitution. “We think we’re in good shape, legal-
wise,” Bernstein said. A total of 43 of the 44 cosponsors of the Keystone XL pipe- line legislation are Republicans. The lone Demo- cratic Party co- sponsor is Sen. Joe Manchin, D- W. Va. Ho e v e n
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the Keystone XL pipeline. However, this Legislation could actually produce addi- tional delays in the pipeline construction. If this legislation did pass, it is likely that lawsuits would soon follow due to con- fl icts with environmental review laws. “The result would only mean further
delay of this vital pipeline. The better course to completion is to allow Trans- Canada to proceed with the rerouting se- lection to avoid the Ogallala Aquifer and then to re-apply.” Hoeven spokesman Don Canton said
more than enough time has been spent reviewing the Keystone XL pipeline and that it was time to move forward. “This project has been under review
for more than three years,” Canton said. Ryan Bernstein, deputy chief of staff
helped introduce legislation last November that would have re- quired the State Department to approve a permit for the 1,700- mile pipeline unless President Barack Obama determined that the project not to be in the national interest. Obama issued
a statement on Jan. 18 rejecting the pipeline, say- ing that the GOP deadline of late
February didn’t allow the State Depart- ment to complete its review. If approved, the pipeline would
needs,” Bernstein said. Bernstein noted that the Congressio-
stretch from the Canadian province of Alberta to the Gulf Coast. Of the 830,000 barrels of oil per day pipeline capacity, a total of 100,000 bar- rels per day would be dedicated to Bak- ken crude.
through the pipeline would be Canadian oil from the Athabasca Oil Sands in Al- berta. (Reach Nick Smith at 701-250-8255 or at
nick.smith@
bismarcktribune.com.)
Hardisty
Pipeline plan rejected
Raising the stakes on a bitter election- year fight with Republicans, Presi- dent Barack Obama rejected a Canadian company’s plan to build a 1,700-mile pipeline to carry oil across six states to Texas refineries.
Existing pipeline Proposed extension
MEXICO SOURCE: TransCanada
N.D. S.D.
NEB. KAN. Patoka,Ill. Cushing, Okla. TEXAS Houston Port Arthur
Gulf of Mexico
AP
Steele City, Neb.
ILL. CANADA The majority of the oil transported
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