Pembina reacts to Obama administration's denial of Keystone XL pipeline

Jan

2012

EDMONTON — Ed Whittingham, executive director at the Pembina Institute, made the following statement in response to the Obama administration’s denial of the application for the Keystone XL pipeline:

“In denying the Keystone XL project, President Obama has recognized the risks this project could pose to the health and safety of the American people and to the environment, and the need to adequately review those concerns. Due public process is critical to making an informed decision.

“The denial of this project provides clear evidence that industry and government must do much more to address the impacts of developing and transporting oilsands — it’s a signal from our customer that cannot be ignored.

“There are important lessons that the Canadian government needs to take from this decision and apply to its own consideration of the proposed Enbridge Gateway project.

"First, major decisions like this aren't no-brainers — they need to be made on the basis of a broad understanding of the issues and the public interest, not the private interests of oil companies. Second, a thorough and fair analysis requires consideration of alternatives and willingness to not only hear, but act upon, the concerns of citizens.

"Whether Keystone XL or the proposed Gateway project, it's premature to start building additional pipeline capacity from the oilsands until we have a credible plan in place to responsibly manage the environmental impacts of oilsands production.”

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