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Environmental groups, concerned citizens, and politicians have raised a number of concerns about the potential impacts of the Keystone XL extension. One concern is that the pipeline could pollute air and water supplies and harm migratory birds and other wildlife. It will cross the Sandhills in Nebraska, the large wetland ecosystem, and the Ogallala Aquifer, one of the largest reserves of fresh water in the world. The Ogallala Aquifer spans eight states, provides drinking water for two million people, and supports $20 billion in agriculture. Critics are concerned that a major leak could ruin drinking water and devastate the mid-western U.S. economy. Portions of the pipeline will also cross an active seismic zone that had a 4.3 magnitude earthquake as recently as 2002. Opponents claim that TransCanada applied to the U.S. government to use thinner steel and pump at higher pressures than normal.
Analysts believe that including the Alberta Clipper pipeline owned by TransCanada's competitor Enbridge, there is an extensive overcapacity of oil pipelines from Canada and after completion of the Keystone XL line oil pipelines to the U.S. will run nearly half-empty. However, in its March 2010 report, the Natural Resources Defense Council stated that "the Keystone XL Pipeline undermines the U.S. commitment to a clean energy economy", instead delivering dirty fuel from oil sands and high costs.
In December, 2010, No Tar Sands Oil campaign was launched. Sponsored by a number of action groups, including Corporate Ethics International, NRDC (Natural Resources Defense Council), Sierra Club, National Wildlife Federation, Friends of the Earth, Greenpeace, and Rainforest Action Network and featuring TV ads on CNN, MSNBC, and Comedy Central, the $500,000 US campaign asked that people urge President Obama to stop the Keystone XL pipeline from being built by visiting The National Wildlife Federation website.
According to the National Wildlife Federation Action Fund, the President and US State Department have the power to require an additional Environmental Impact Assessment. Members of Congress and the EPA requested this measure be taken.
Concerns of bad sections of pipe using defective steel are causing areas of Keystone to be excavated and checked. PHMSA had earlier sent out warnings about some pipe swelling under pressure.
In Kansas, local officials along the pipeline's path think that the state sold them out unnecessarily to get the pipeline. Due to an exemption the state gave TransCanada, the local authorities would not see any revenue from property taxes from the project for a decade, a loss they estimate at $50 million in public revenue.
On August 21, 2011, the New York Times published an editorial opposing the Keystone XL pipeline because of the additional greenhouse gas emissions and the probability of oil spills in sensitive areas.
While TransCanada has asserted that a set of 57 conditions will ensure Keystone XL's safe operation, investigative journalists have determined that all but a few of these conditions simply restate current minimum standards. Moreover, TransCanada's first wholly owned and operated crude oil pipeline, Keystone I, has had fourteen leaks in its first year of operation.
Source:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Keystone_XL_pipeline#Description
Accessed October 27, 2011
