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Green Group says TransCanada, State Dept. Emails Show 'Pro-Pipeline Bias'
Internal emails released Monday show a sometimes friendly relationship between a State Department official and a top lobbyist for TransCanada Corp., the company seeking federal approval to build a major Canada-U.S. oil pipeline.
Protesters opposing the Keystone XL pipeline carry a mock pipeline in front of Pershing Auditorium in Lincoln, Neb., Tuesday, Sept. 27, 2011, before a public hearing began inside. Today, the environmental group Friends of the Earth, which obtained emails under a Freedom of Information Act request, said newly released documents are “deeply disturbing” and indicate “pro-pipeline bias and complicity at the State Department,” the federal agency that is heading up a review of TransCanada’s application to build the Keystone XL pipeline. (AP Photo/Nati Harnik) The environmental group Friends of the Earth, which obtained the emails under a Freedom of Information Act request, said the documents are “deeply disturbing” and indicate “pro-pipeline bias and complicity at the State Department,” the federal agency that is heading up a review of TransCanada’s application to build the Keystone XL pipeline.
The 1,700-mile pipeline — which would carry Canadian oil sands from Alberta to refineries in Texas — has ignited a firestorm in Washington, pitting environmental and public lands groups against the oil industry.
The emails released Monday include exchanges between Paul Elliott, a top lobbyist at TransCanada and former aide to Secretary of State Hillary Clinton’s 2008 presidential campaign, and Marja Verloop, a State Department official who works on energy and environmental issues at the U.S. embassy in Ottawa.
In one email, Verloop cheers Elliott after he says he has secured Sen. Max Baucus’s (D-Mont.) support for the pipeline.
“Go Paul! Baucus support holds clout,” Verloop wrote in a Sept. 10, 2010, email.
In another email, Verloop invites Elliott to visit Ottawa.
“When are you coming up to visit? It's a snowy winter wonderland here this morning,” Verloop said Dec. 14, 2010.
Other emails appear to show Verloop inviting Elliott and another State Department official to a Fourth of July party.
Groups like Friends of the Earth, which released another series of emails last week, say the State Department’s review of the pipeline has been incomplete, alleging that it downplays the project’s potential impacts on the environment.
The State Department said in August that the project poses little environmental risk if managed properly and the administration expects to make a final decision on the pipeline by the end of the year. It is currently conducting a series of public meetings on the pipeline.
Friends of the Earth and other environmental groups have long criticized Elliott. Last month, the environmental group called on the Justice Department to investigate Elliott, alleging that he had lobbied the Obama administration for approval of the Keystone XL pipeline for more than a year without registering as a lobbyist.
State Department spokeswoman Wendy Nassmacher said Monday that the administration is "committed to a fair, transparent and thorough process."
"Throughout the process we have been in communication with industry as well as environmental groups, both in the United State and in Canada,” she said. “These conversations are similar to the public meetings we held last week. We listen to all opinions, but there is much more that goes into the national interest determination decision."
James Millar, a TransCanada spokesman, dismissed the emails Monday as an attack on the Keystone XL project by Friends of the Earth.
“Mr. Elliott was and is simply doing his job — no laws have been broken,” Millar said. “His role is very similar to the job the over 60 registered D.C. lobbyists for 10 environmental groups perform.
“The environmentalists continue to use sound bites over substance and facts, attacking anyone who disagrees with their point of view.”
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25 Comments so far
Show AllI'd have to say the petroleum industry continues to use sound bites over substance and facts, attacking anyone who disagrees with their point of view.
You can quote me on that!
The fact is:
"Internal emails released Monday show a sometimes friendly relationship between a State Department official and a top lobbyist for TransCanada Corp., the company seeking federal approval to build a major Canada-U.S. oil pipeline."
Looks very friendly and biased to me.
"The emails released Monday include exchanges between Paul Elliott, a top lobbyist at TransCanada and former aide to Secretary of State Hillary Clinton’s 2008 presidential campaign, and Marja Verloop, a State Department official who works on energy and environmental issues at the U.S. embassy in Ottawa.
In one email, Verloop cheers Elliott after he says he has secured Sen. Max Baucus’s (D-Mont.) support for the pipeline.
“Go Paul! Baucus support holds clout,” Verloop wrote in a Sept. 10, 2010, email.
Gee, the federal government being cozy with corporations - who woulda thunk it? I believe that is pretty much always the case with plutocracies, where the government exists to serve the interests of the corporations.
Even more ironic is that this pipeline will not contribute even 1 iota towards Amereicha's energy independence, as every single drop of this oil is going to be exported to "foreign markets," rather than be used here at home. At least if it had SOMETHING to do with "Amereichan energy security," the State Dept could use that as its excuse for being so pro-pipeline. But they don't even have that. Again - as always - they are being pro-pipeline for the purpose of nothing more than increasing a corporation's profits.
Also no surprise that the corporate whore from Montana, Max Baucus, is on board with this project. He is the same corrupt asshole who accepted millions from HMOs and Big Pharma to torpedo the public option on healthcare "reform".
If snakes could speak they would sound like James Millar, but this is being discourteous to snakes.
On another note: protestors, as those pictured above, should be careful not to hand the industry a pr gift such as using a giant PLASTIC tube to protest irresponsible petroleum development. It's so obvious, didn't anyone suspect the irony?
Max Baucas is one of the most corrupt senators in Congress. So this article is something that is a no brainer for anyone that is a little bit informed.
" Mr. Elliot was and simply is doing his job____ no laws were broken". Maybe not, but Mr. Elliot has sold out to big oil.
When BP actually pays what it owes for the Gulf fiasco, I'll believe they have any credibility. Until then I know the petroleum industry is only interested in one thing (profit).
And the State Department? This is the department that allowed the Israelis to murder innocent aid workers in international waters and threatened other aid workers a year later. I can only speculate on their motives for that. But I am not going to included them in my circle of trusted friends any time soon. We missed a bullet when we chose not to elect Hillary. I'm very sorry in her role as Secretary of State she's been allowed to incurr the collateral damage she has. But Vince Foster should have been a warning shot for all of us.
Well, knock me over with a feather. Whoda thunk that all roads would lead to Killary.
And I just love the propaganda about 'making us less dependent on FOREIGN oil?
1. When did we annex Canada?
2. Last time I looked, the intent was to refine the oil in Texas, then immediately sell to foreign countries. Not a drop for the U.S. consumers.
BTW the high gas proices are due to US oil companies selling gas and oil produced in the US to other countries...
What dependence.
DUH
What's this with "proices" - are you a phonetically correct Irishman? Just kidding, you're pretty much on the mark outside the fat fingering.
By the way - Hillary is almost as evil as the Dick Cheney. I thought two years ago the Obama made her SoS just to be able to keep an eye on her. Little did I know they were kindred spirits.
Wow, what a revelation!
You mean to say that our goberment, from top to bottom, was and is being bought by corporations? You mean to say that our goberment is utterly corrupt?
I would have imagined such a thing as little as Condoleezza Rice "could have predicted that these people would take an airplane and slam it into the World Trade Center..." (Condi said in May 2002).
There's a more detailed story on the latest batch of released emails out at Mother Jones. Some excerpts:
To pipeline critics, the most significant messages may be an exchange in which Verloop and her boss, US Ambassador to Canada David Jacobson, discuss an apparent understanding between the State Department and TransCanada that the company would later seek to raise the pressure used to pump oil through the pipeline—even though the company said publicly it would do the opposite.
The emails also make it clear that Elliott was actively lobbying congressional lawmakers and State Department officials for at least a year-and-a-half before he officially registered as a lobbyist.
"What you really see is an agency that was supposed to be conducting an independent, objective, searching, science-based environmental analysis was basically working in cahoots with this oil company," [Friends of the Earth climate and energy director Damon] Moglen told Mother Jones. "We're not just talking about bias, we're talking about complicity."
If the facts asre as presented in this article, then Verloop should resign, NOW.
for what reason?
For being biased when an impartial review is called for.
does "being biased" mean that you suspect that he has an opinion that is different from the one you hold or just that you believe that he's not entitled to any opinion at all?
Why must he have an impartial view? Is he responsible for the decision?
Do you expect that a decision can be reached if no one making the decision develops a "bias"?
You think that judges sit in their courtroom and don't develop a "bias" about what they're hearing?
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(Of course, nothing here really indicates anything that indicates a lack of ability to render proper judgment on the issue on the guy's part or even approaches saying that anything improper has occurred.)
A judge is supposed to wait for the evidence to come in before making up his or her mind. DUH.
Verloop was supposed to be evaluating the health and safety issues of the pipeline project. A reviewer is supposed to be diligent in looking at the facts, the science and then, and only then, come to a decision. Her emails showed that she was cheerleading for the company over a year ago, way before the review was finished. Under such circumstances, the quality and scope of the investigation is more than questionable..
But, if you have trouble grasping that, maybe I am playing a violin for a horse.
As an Albertan, I'm deeply concerned by our govt actions. The tarsands are toxic no matter what spin big oil and govt puts on it. Good news though, in a recent leadership big oil's poster boy, Gary Mar who was slated as the new appointed premier of Alberta lost the leadership race to a more progressive candidate, Allison Redford. What differentiated the two was that Redford had the unmitigated gall to consider the concerns of ordinary Albertans. Yes, that's right, she actually met and listened to the concerns of regular people. It appears that the hubris and arrogance of the Mar campaign team overlooked the fact that ordinary people would be taking part in the big vote. And they brought down the verdict and Mar, the poster boy for big oil and climate warming denier, has voted himself out of that potential job. What's the saying........ you can fool some of the people some of the time, but...........,, well I'm sure you know the rest.
Clinton gave us NAFTA, Nixon gave us the EPA.....these politicians just kiss the butt of those with the money.
Nixon did one thing right - just to balance all the rest I guess.
Nixon 1, Oblahblah 0.
Diffuse hostile publicity by releasing emails slowly that are self indicting.
They are going to get what they want , because they are expert at manipulation, and control all the main stream media.
Given that the US federal government is a sales, marketing, and procurement arm of Big Business, Big Business should foot the bill for that government. I know, some of you will take offense at this proposal, arguing that it's unfair for Fortune 500 corporations to pay for those pesky social welfare programs such as Social Security and Medicare. Well, not really. The people are entitled to damages for the predation of their democracy, loss of civil rights and liberties, and the ruthless plunder of the social goods by our elites. But not only compensation (and a bargain at that), but also a bone to the masses to keep them in their place. Surely our overlords do not want their serfs to ruin their views, or impede their movement of person and capital.
The State Dept. under Hillary ('ll obliterate iran) has been, w/the consebt of Obomba, a diplomatic and humanitrian tragedy. Yes, oil and gas are currently the blood of capitalism. hillary & co. even sanctioned the horrific pipeline from alaska (plian) to texas(perry). if there ever was a litmus test for the heretofore obomba this is it!!