Memorandum on the Keystone Pipeline

Memorandum on U.S. Environmental Policy

26 April 2017

To: Jared Kushner

CC: Professor Shirk

From: Chandler Skolnick

Memorandum on the Keystone XL Pipeline

Issue Overview:

            The United States’ environmental policy has been a hot button part of public debate within the recent decade. U.S. Presidential Administrations have been dealing with this issue for quite some time, from Nixon’s establishment of the Environmental Protection Agency, to the Obama Administration’s extensive attempts to establish new regulations on emissions. There has been much concern over how the environmental friendly Obama Administration will be succeeded by President Donald Trump. One specific controversy that has been at the forefront of the environmental debate is the Keystone Pipeline System. This project, originally commissioned in 2010, is an oil pipeline that stretches from refineries in Texas to Alberta, Canada. The Pipeline was built in phases, the first three of which have been approved and constructed. It is the fourth phase, known as Keystone XL that has been the primary basis for a new rallying cry by environmentalists regarding the climate change and the use of fossil fuels by the United States.

Presidential Actions on the Pipeline:

            Obama Administration

Throughout the Obama Administration and thus far into the Trump Administration, the Keystone Pipeline has been a constant argument at the forefront of political dealings. The decision to expand the pipeline is one that has deeply divided political parties. Numerous times during his presidency, Obama defended his decision to reject the pipeline extension despite the possibility of its creation of thousands of jobs (Bloomberg). Obama’s reasoning for this decision, ultimately culminating with a presidential veto, was due to the significant economic and environmental impact that the pipeline could possibly have.

            Trump Administration

            Shortly after President Trump’s Inauguration, an Executive Order was put in place to resubmit an application and expedite the approval for the Keystone Pipeline. Clearly, these two Administrations hold wildly differing opinions regarding Keystone and the best decision to make regarding it, while keeping in mind the country’s best interest.

Problem:

            President Trump’s decision to approve the Keystone XL Pipeline has resulted in extensive backlash and protests from environmentalists throughout the country. Many have urged the President to withdraw the Executive Order, which has expedited the program’s approval.

Solution:

            Despite the serious backlash that the President has felt regarding his Executive Order, it is a decision that should be upheld. While one popular reason for this pipeline extension has been its guarantee to create about 10,000 jobs, the large majority of these would be temporary construction jobs (Bloomberg). Regardless of how long these jobs are to last for, they are still jobs. American citizens are desperate for work. With the addition of the pipeline extension, even short-term jobs could not only help the families of those currently out of work, but also potentially help boost the U.S. economy back to a position of power following years of disappointing performance.

Additionally, the pipeline extension would exponentially heighten the U.S. path towards energy security. The American reliance on foreign resources, specifically oil, has carried with it countless controversies and conflicts. With a secure pipeline within the United States, it becomes much easier to extract and distribute oil domestically. Such ability can ultimately be one step towards energy independence, which in turn would undoubtedly prevent further conflict in a troubled region of the globe.

Many environmentalists strongly oppose the creation of this pipeline extension as they claim that an oil pipeline is wildly unsafe and any accident could lead to a devastating spill. To the contrary of their claims, the pipeline extension would actually not pose as much of a danger as believed. As part of the project’s agreement, the pipeline would be constructed using the most updated standards and safety procedures to ensure that it is secure, which would ultimately make it a more secure way to transport crude oil than most of the existing pipelines in the U.S. (Bloomberg). If anything, the Keystone XL Pipeline will drastically improve the safety of the environment, rather than hurt it.

In conclusion, President Trump’s decision to expedite the approval of the Keystone XL extension is one that should not be questioned by the Administration. It will not only help create jobs in some capacity, but also push the U.S. towards becoming energy independent. Its environmental risks are minimal, and those that oppose this project should not deter the President from this decision.

Works Cited

"In Defense of Trump's Keystone Decision." Bloomberg.com. Bloomberg, 26 Jan.             2017. Web. 27 Apr. 2017.