Here is a question - Why not build a northern refinery rather than a 1,700 mile pipeline?
If the Keystone derived "oil" is truly intended for American markets and not just being flushed down a pipeline to the Gulf coast for export markets around the world doesn't this idea make sense? Eliminate nearly all of the potential environmental devastation through our country by scrapping the pipleine and just build the refinery closer to the source? Canada doesn't want the oil piped to their own west coast but they are willing to let the United States deal with the potential mess. Good neighbors huh? If we have to get this oil for our domestic needs - I say build a new state of the art refinery on the northern border and skip the 1,700 mile drain pipe to China.
Comments
Update -
With President Obama opening up 38 million new acres of the Gulf for oil exploration those southern refineries will be fully operational without adding the burden of the Keystone raw petroleum product (my emphasis - I could be wrong). Can someone tell me why a northern refinery isn't a smart alternative to a pipeline?
They have claimed that it would cost much more to build a refinery anywhere than to build and maintain a pipeline to the coast. It's all about the $$$$ as ususal. $$$ trumps environmental concerns.