The Keystone Pipeline is an existing oil pipeline system in Canada and the United States. The existing pipeline starts in Alberta, Canada and ends in Cushing, Oklahoma. The Keystone XL Pipeline is an expansion proposal, that proposes two expansions. The first expansion would be to connect Cushing, Oklahoma to the Gulf Coast of Texas, and the second would be a new section from Alberta to Kansas. The Southern part of the project which connects Oklahoma and Texas has already been built. Now the main focus is for the Canadian company to get the approval and permits from the United States government to build the other part. There has been a lot of controversy about whether the expansion of the pipe should be allowed. Even when searching for information it was very difficult to find websites that would just explain what the Keystone XL Pipeline is, most websites showed how bad or how good the pipeline would be. The official website of the project states that the project “will also support the significant growth of crude oil production in the U.S.” Environmentalists and many home owners are against the building of this pipeline.
Pros:
1. TransCanada (the company) predicts that this project will create about 20,000 new jobs in the United States. There are also reports that have estimated up to 500,000 jobs being created with the building of this addition.
2. It may increase energy security of the Golf Coast. Getting the oil from Canada would be secure because the United States can rely on Canada. Canada is a stable country, friendly neighbors with the United States, and an ally.
3. One benefit that the company states on their website is that all of the taxes they would be paying to build the XL Pipeline would be of great benefit to the American economy. They believe that the taxes they are paying will help build infrastructure in the United States, such as roads and schools. The company estimates a total of 100 million dollars in revenue for cities and counties because of them.
4. It is safer than other methods that can be used to transport the oil. For example, transporting by rail which is known to be a lot more hazardous than through the pipeline.
Cons:
1. People have concerns about leaks in the pipeline. Tar sands which are found in Canadian deposits are very harmful for the environment according to critics. Concerns about leaks and past leaks that have occurred are a reason why people do not want this pipeline. The potential leak would cause damages to the environment.
2. It will contribute to global warming. The emissions from the Keystone XL would be equal to adding more than 5.6 million new cars to the U.S roads. People argue that instead of investing money into this it would be better for the longterm to invest in a program that is more environmentally friendly.
3. It is also argued that those jobs created would not be longterm but in fact most of them would be short term; for construction.
https://stateimpact.npr.org/texas/tag/keystone-xl-pipeline/
http://www.nytimes.com/2014/11/19/us/politics/what-does-the-proposed-keystone-xl-pipeline-entail.html?_r=0
http://keystone-xl.com/about/the-keystone-xl-oil-pipeline-project/
http://keystone-xl.com/five-reasons-why-keystone-xl-benefits-the-u-s/
http://heavy.com/news/2014/11/keystone-xl-pipeline-facts-map-news-senate-house/