For Immediate Release
January 18, 2012 Contact Jeff Tittel, 609-558-9100 Environmental Victory: Keystone Pipeline Rejected Today the Obama Administration has officially announced their rejection of the Keystone XL Pipeline. The Republicans in Congress tried to pull a fast one back in December by including in the deal to extend paytoll-tax breaks and unemployment benefits that the Keystone XL pipeline decision is to be made within 60 days. The Obama administration stood their ground stating that 60 days was not an efficient amount of time to accept the project especially since there is still a need for additional environmental review. The Sierra Club applauds the Obama Administration for sticking up to big oil and polluters by rejecting the Keystone XL Pipeline. This is a huge victory for the environment and activists. Back in November the Sierra Club along with thousands of citizen activists demonstrated outside the Whitehouse against Keystone XL and now their voices still resonate with the Administration shown by the rejection today.
"This is great victory for the environment because had this pipeline gone through it would have been game over for climate change. This will not only help protect our environment, but will help to usher in a new cleaner green energy economy," said Jeff Tittel, Director of the New Jersey Sierra Club. "We thank President Obama for standing up for our environment and against special interest." The Keystone XL pipeline, proposed by TransCanada, would transport a form of crude oil called liquid bitumen from the tar sands of Alberta, Canada through the middle of the United States to refineries along the Gulf Coast of Texas. This pipeline cuts through extremely environmental sensitive areas including Ogallala aquifer, wetlands, important rivers and waterways. A potential disaster could be devastating to the ecosystems of this area and the public health of the people who live in these communities and who rely on the Ogallala for drinking water. A catastrophe could very well happen considering the original existing Keystone pipeline has already leaked 14 times in the year it has been in operation. The drinking water for millions and livelihoods of Americans farmers and ranchers must go come before Big Oil and polluters. Not only would this pipeline be dangerous for our environment and health, but it could undermine our clean energy future in America. By denying this pipeline this could potentially shift the way we obtain energy moving away from dirty, fossil fuels and more towards renewables. Just like the pipeline was supposedly supposed to create jobs clean energy technology can actually create millions of jobs. Currently 2.7 million Americans are employed with in the clean energy sector, which is more than the entire fossil fuel industry. Clean energy will not only create jobs, but reduce our dependence on foreign countries by creating domestic energy that will stay in our country. Overall the Sierra Club applauds the Administration's decision to reject the Keystone XL pipeline putting our environment and health before Big Oil and Republicans in Congress.
"This happened because of the hundreds of thousands of people who showed up, wrote letters, and demonstrated against what would have been an environmental disaster. Thousands of people in New Jersey took part in an active campaign to stop this pipeline. This shows that sometimes people can win, that David can beat Goliath. People 1 Koch Brothers 0," said Tittel.
Nicole Dallara, Outreach Coordinator NJ Sierra Club 145 W. Hanover Street Trenton, NJ 08618 609.656.7612 (f) 609.656.7618