October, 29 2010, 02:16pm EDT
For Immediate Release
Contact:
Kelly Trout, 202-222-0722, ktrout@foe.org
Alex Moore, 202-222-0733, amoore@foe.org
Senators Rebuke Clinton Over Controversial Pipeline
WASHINGTON
Eleven influential senators sent a letter
to Secretary of State Hillary Clinton today rebuking her for stating
support for a controversial pipeline before her own agency has completed
a legally mandated environmental impact analysis.
The letter criticizes remarks
Secretary Clinton made October 15 at San Francisco's Commonwealth Club
indicating that she is "inclined" to approve the controversial pipeline.
"Approval of this pipeline will significantly increase our
dependence on this oil for decades," the senators wrote. "We believe the
Department of State (DOS) should not pre-judge the outcome of what
should be a thorough, transparent analysis of the need for this oil and
its impacts on our climate and clean energy goals."
The eleven senators, led by Senator Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.), included
several members of the Foreign Relations Committee and other committees
with jurisdiction over the State Department. Senator Leahy, as chairman
of the State Appropriations Subcommittee, controls the State
Department's purse strings.
"We applaud Senator Leahy's leadership in championing clean energy
over more dirty, dangerous oil," said Alex Moore, dirty fuels campaigner
for Friends of the Earth. "The senators raise necessary questions about
the thoroughness and transparency of the State Department's review
process."
Moore added, "Secretary Clinton's comments were inappropriate and
she should heed these senators' concerns. Secretary Clinton must not
fast-track this process: The public has the right to know just how
dangerous and unnecessary this pipeline and tar sands oil are."
"The Keystone XL pipeline is an environmental disaster in the
making. It would double our country's dependence on the dirtiest oil
available and exacerbate climate change. The threat of spills in
America's heartland and the additional air and water pollution it would
unquestionably cause make this pipeline dangerous for people all along
its path," Moore said.
The letter is the latest in an outpouring of criticism Secretary
Clinton has confronted after her remarks regarding the pipeline. Last
week, Senators Mike Johanns (R) and Ben Nelson (D) of Nebraska, one of
the states in the pipeline's path, were joined by Senator Jeff Merkley
(D-Ore.) in urging Secretary Clinton to let her agency complete its
legally mandated review of the dangers the pipeline poses before rushing
to conclusions about the outcome. The Ogallala Aquifer, a drinking
water source for Nebraskans, would be crossed and endangered by the
pipeline.
The Keystone XL pipeline would be constructed by Canadian oil and
gas giant TransCanada. If approved by the Obama administration, it would
bring high-carbon, dirty tar sands oil from Canada through the plains
states of the U.S. to Gulf Coast refineries near Houston at a rate of
900,000 barrels per day.
The pipeline has been opposed by environmental, agricultural, and
tribal organizations, and more than 50 members of Congress have also
voiced strong concerns. More than 48,000 activists joined Friends of the
Earth in urging the Obama administration to reject the pipeline during
the State Department's public comment period.
The text of the letter, signed by Senators Leahy, Merkley,
Lautenberg (D-N.J.), Dodd (D-Conn.), Shaheen (D-N.H.), Menendez
(D-N.J.), Gillibrand (D-N.Y.), Whitehouse (D-R.I.), Burris (D-Ill.),
Sanders (I-Vt.), and Cardin (D-Md.), is available below. Click here to view the pdf with signatures.
More information about the Keystone XL pipeline is available here: https://www.foe.org/keystone-xl-pipeline
###
October 29, 2010
The Honorable Hillary Clinton
Secretary of State
Department of State
Washington, DC 20520
Dear Madam Secretary,
Thank you for your personal commitment to making progress on climate
change. It is in light of this commitment that we write to you about our
concerns with the proposed TransCanada Keystone XL tar sands pipeline.
As you recently stated, tar sands oil is "dirty oil". Approval of this
pipeline will significantly increase our dependence on this oil for
decades. We believe the Department of State (DOS) should not pre-judge
the outcome of what should be a thorough, transparent analysis of the
need for this oil and its impacts on our climate and clean energy goals.
As you know, serious concerns have been raised in the comments on the
Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS) that your agency recently
issued for the pipeline proposal. These concerns describe, among other
things, the significant environmental degradation caused by the
extraction of oil from Canadian tar sands, the emissions of greenhouse
gases from this extraction, and the risks associated with transporting
this oil into and across the United States. These concerns caused the
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to issue the DEIS its lowest
possible ranking, and led the Department of Energy (DOE) and the
Department of Interior (DOI) to request significant additional analysis.
We write to request your answers to the following questions:
1. The DEIS fails to estimate the additional greenhouse gases that the
pipeline will produce by increasing the production of tar sands oil,
which has a significantly higher life-cycle of greenhouse gas emissions
compared to conventional oil. EPA states that, "[I]t is reasonable to
conclude that extraction will likely increase if the pipeline is
constructed."
- Does the Department of State (DOS) agree with EPA, that extraction will likely increase if the pipeline is constructed?
- Assuming that production is increased to fill the pipeline, how many tons of greenhouse gas emissions would this produce?
- Does DOS plan to ask EPA to provide an estimate for lifecycle emissions for tar sands?
2. While substantial expansion of tar sands oil production is planned,
this presumably depends on producers being able to transport and sell
the oil. The DEIS states that "Producers in Canada have indicated that
if the U.S. market is not available to them, much of the crude would be
shipped outside of North America, particularly to Japan, China, and
India . . ."
- What is the current status of the pipeline proposals to the West Coast?
- What is the capacity of these pipeline proposals relative to the
capacity of pipelines to the U.S., with and without Keystone XL?
- Given that existing U.S. pipeline capacity for tar sands oil will
soon be around 2 million barrels a day and Keystone XL would add close
to another 1 million in potential pipeline capacity, will Canada have to
increase its production to fill these pipelines?
- Could Keystone XL open up a market for refined tar sands products through the Gulf Coast?
3. The DEIS does not address the trans-boundary impacts that would result from the production of oil to fill the pipeline.
- Does DOS plan to incorporate the CEQ guidance on trans-boundary impacts and climate change in a revised DEIS?
- What is the impact of the production to fill the pipeline and the pipeline itself on migratory birds?
4. The pipeline would commit the U.S. to a high carbon source of oil for many decades.
- Is it possible that the wider use of fuel efficient technologies,
advanced biofuels, and electric vehicles could offset the need for the
pipeline?
- What types of disincentives would expansion of tar sands imports into the U.S. pose to achieving reductions in oil use?
5. Local communities and first responders may not have access to the
emergency response plans submitted by TransCanada. Please provide us
with draft copies of the Emergency Response Plan, Facility Response
Plans, and Spill Prevention Control and Countermeasure Plans for
Keystone XL.
- Will DOS require TransCanada to give landowners, first responders,
and local government officials the opportunity to review and comment on
these plans?
- Will they be published in a revised DEIS?
6. Both the Athabasca watershed, downstream from the tar sands oil
extraction, and the Ogallala Aquifer, through which the pipeline would
extend, are at risk of contamination by tar sands oil production and
transportation.
- Has the DOS considered the potential for adverse impacts to the Ogallala Aquifer along the pipeline route?
- What design changes will be made to Keystone XL, in light of the fact
that the Keystone pipeline has already had two leaks - at the Roswell
and Carpenter pump stations.
7. TransCanada has withdrawn its application for a special permit from
the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration, and DOT is
therefore no longer conducting a separate Environmental Assessment of
pipeline safety issues.
- Will DOS provide additional analysis in a revised DEIS that details
pipeline thickness, quality, construction, operating procedures, and
potential environmental risks?
8. EPA raised concerns about the impact on communities already
experiencing high levels of air and water pollution surrounding the
refineries that would refine tar sands oil from the Keystone XL
pipeline.
- Will DOS evaluate the environmental issues associated with potential
impacts to communities near the refineries and other facilities
associated with the pipeline?
- Will DOS analyze the combined impact of the refineries that would
refine tar sands oil and industrial facilities already contributing to
exposure in communities?
9. Please provide us with a time-line for revising the DEIS. Please
also provide us with any additional agency comments that were submitted
to DOS.
- Will DOS publish a revised DEIS with the opportunity for full public comment?
- Will DOS conduct and include the additional analysis requested by the
EPA, DOE, and DOI and include that analysis in the revised DEIS?
10. Once DOS has completed a final EIS, it states that it will conduct a
National Interest Determination under Executive Order 13337.
- Will DOS make public its criteria and procedures for making its National Interest Determination?
- Will there be an opportunity for public comment on the criteria and procedures in advance of the determination?
Thank you for your assistance in answering these questions. We
believe it is in the national interest to do a careful assessment before
reaching a decision about this project.
Friends of the Earth fights for a more healthy and just world. Together we speak truth to power and expose those who endanger the health of people and the planet for corporate profit. We organize to build long-term political power and campaign to change the rules of our economic and political systems that create injustice and destroy nature.
(202) 783-7400LATEST NEWS
Listen Live: US Supreme Court Hears Outrageous Argument That Trump Is Above the Law
"The American people deserve a Supreme Court that does not hesitate to declare that no one is above the law, including a former president," said one campaigner.
Apr 25, 2024
After months of delay, the U.S. Supreme Court on Thursday will hear oral arguments in a closely watched case on whether former President Donald Trump should be immune from criminal charges stemming from his efforts to overturn his 2020 election loss—an argument that legal experts say is both absurd and dangerous.
Listen live to the oral arguments, which are set to begin at 10:00 am ET:
Thursday's proceedings mark the high court's final argument of its current term, and pro-democracy campaigners are calling on the justices to quickly reject the former president's sweeping immunity claim so he can face trial on federal election subversion charges before his November rematch with President Joe Biden.
As Bloomberg's Greg Stohr noted earlier this week, Thursday's oral arguments give "Special Counsel Jack Smith only a narrow window to put the former president in front of a Washington jury before voters go to the polls on November 5."
"With the trial on hold until the high court rules," Stohr added, "Smith needs a clear-cut victory, and he needs it quickly."
Sean Eldridge, founder and president of the progressive advocacy group Stand Up America, said in a statement Thursday that "the Supreme Court's right-wing majority has already handed Trump a temporary victory by stalling this case for months, allowing him to delay accountability for his criminal attempts to cling to power."
"With so much at stake for our democracy, the Supreme Court should rule swiftly and decisively in this case," said Eldridge. "Accountability delayed could mean accountability denied."
Keep ReadingShow Less
Grand Jury Indicts Top Trump Aides, 11 Arizona Republicans Over 'Fake Electors' Scheme
Had it succeeded, said the state's attorney general, the scheme would have "deprived Arizona's voters of their right to have their votes counted for their chosen president."
Apr 25, 2024
A grand jury in Arizona on Wednesday charged seven aides to Donald Trump and nearly a dozen Republican officials over a "fake electors" scheme in the state that aimed to keep the former president in power after his 2020 loss to President Joe Biden.
Trump, who is currently facing nearly 90 charges across four criminal cases as he runs for another White House term, was described as "unindicted co-conspirator 1" in the 58-page indictment, which was announced by Arizona Attorney General Kris Mayes.
"The people of Arizona elected President Biden," Mayes, a Democrat, said Wednesday. "Unwilling to accept this fact, the defendants charged by the state grand jury allegedly schemed to prevent the lawful transfer of the presidency. Whatever their reasoning was, the plot to violate the law must be answered for."
The indictment names former Arizona Republican Party Chair Kelli Ward, sitting state Republican Sens. Jake Hoffman and Anthony Kern, former U.S. Senate candidate Jim Lamon, and seven others as the "fake electors" who sought to declare Trump the rightful winner of the state's presidential contest.
The names of other individuals indicted by the state grand jury are redacted, but the document's descriptions make clear that former White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows, former Trump attorney Rudy Giuliani, and top Trump legal strategist Boris Epshteyn are among those facing felony charges—including fraud, forgery, and conspiracy.
"In Arizona, defendants, unindicted coconspirators, and others pressured the three groups of election officials responsible for certifying election results to encourage them to change the election results," the document reads. "Discussions about using the Republican electors to change the outcome of the election began as early as November 4, 2020. Those plans evolved during November based on memos drafted by [an attorney for the Trump campaign, Kenneth Chesebro]."
Mayes said Wednesday that had the fake elector scheme succeeded, it would have "deprived Arizona's voters of their right to have their votes counted for their chosen president."
"It effectively would have made their right to vote meaningless," said Mayes.
A state grand jury, made up of everyday, regular Arizonans, has handed down felony indictments in the ongoing investigation into the fake elector scheme in Arizona. pic.twitter.com/Nu8GcD4ZqJ
— AZ Attorney General Kris Mayes (@AZAGMayes) April 24, 2024
Alex Gulotta, state director of All Voting Is Local Action Arizona, said Wednesday that "the indictment of the eleven fake electors is one of the first steps required in holding these election deniers accountable for their alleged attempts to take power away from voters by disrupting our free and fair elections."
"Arizonans deserve to trust the election officials responsible for administering our elections and preserving our democracy," said Gulotta, "and this is a positive step forward as we continue to strengthen the foundations of our democracy and restore faith in our elections."
The Arizona Republicreported Wednesday that "several of the Arizona electors have previously claimed they were merely offering Congress a backup plan, though nothing in the documents they sent to Congress and the National Archives backs up that assertion."
"The indictment includes several statements the false electors made on social media that contradict those claims," the newspaper observed.
Jenny Guzman, director of Common Cause's Arizona program, said the indictment "marks the start of a new chapter for the fake elector scheme that has plagued Arizona."
"Arizonans are still dealing with the fallout from the false electors and the Big Lie about the 2020 elections," said Guzman. "We are relieved that the investigation by Attorney General Mayes has concluded and Arizonans can now know that what comes next is accountability. These efforts by these fake electors to undermine the will of Arizona’s voters have had implications far beyond their failed attempt to overthrow the 2020 election."
"This indictment can reassure all Arizonans that if anyone, regardless of their political affiliation, attempts to undermine their vote, consequences will follow," Guzman added.
Keep ReadingShow Less
Watchdog Urges FEC to Investigate Trump Campaign Over Scheme for Legal Fees
"By not disclosing the vendors that actually provided legal services, the Trump-affiliated committees effectively blocked the public from knowing which attorneys and firms are being paid—and how much."
Apr 24, 2024
A campaign finance watchdog on Wednesday filed a Federal Election Commission complaint accusing former President Donald Trump's 2024 campaign, affiliated political groups, and an accounting firm of violating U.S. law in a scheme "seemingly designed to obscure the true recipients of a noteworthy portion of Trump's legal bills."
The Washington, D.C.-based Campaign Legal Center (CLC) said that "evidence appears to show an illegal arrangement between several Trump-affiliated committees and a compliance firm named Red Curve Solutions that is designed to obscure the identities of those providing legal services and how much they are being paid."
"Voters have a right to know how the presidential campaigns and other committees supporting presidential candidates spend their money."
CLC alleges that the Trump campaign, Trump's political action committee (PAC) Save America, and three affiliated organizations "violated federal reporting requirements based on a scheme in which the committees reportedly paid over $7.2 million—described as 'reimbursement for legal' costs or expenses"—to Red Curve.
The watchdog also said that Red Curve appears to be "making or facilitating illegal contributions that violate either federal contribution limits or the prohibition on corporate contributions."
According to CLC:
Red Curve is a domestic limited liability company that offers compliance and FEC reporting services but does not appear to offer any legal services. It is managed by Bradley Crate, who also serves as the treasurer for each of the five Trump-affiliated committees concerned in this complaint, as well as over 200 other federal committees.
According to filings with the FEC, Red Curve appears to have been fronting legal costs for Trump since at least December 2022, with Trump-affiliated committees repaying the company later. This arrangement appears to violate FEC rules that require campaigns to disclose not only the entity being reimbursed (here, Red Curve) but also the underlying vendor. By not disclosing the vendors that actually provided legal services, the Trump-affiliated committees effectively blocked the public from knowing which attorneys and firms are being paid—and how much they are being paid—through this arrangement.
"Voters have a right to know how the presidential campaigns and other committees supporting presidential candidates spend their money," CLC senior director of campaign finance Erin Chlopak said in a statement. "When campaigns and committees obscure that information from the public, not only do they make it difficult to determine if the law has been violated, but they deny voters the ability to make an informed choice when casting a ballot."
"The steps taken by the Trump campaign, its affiliated committees, and Red Curve Solutions concealed information about how campaign funds were used to pay former President Trump's legal expenditures, including the amounts and ultimate recipients of these expenditures—and the FEC must investigate immediately," Chlopak added.
Trump—who is the presumptive 2024 GOP presidential nominee—faces 91 federal and state felony charges related to his role in the January 6 insurrection and his organization's business practices. He is currently on trial in New York for allegedly falsifying business records related to hush money payments to cover up sex scandals during the 2016 election cycle. The twice-impeached former president has been open about his use of campaign donations to pay his legal costs.
The new CLC filing comes a day after the watchdog filed separate FEC complaints urging investigations into a pair of Trump-affiliated "scam PACs," which "pretend to fundraise for major candidates or issues while secretly diverting almost all of their donors' money back into fundraising or the fraudsters' own pockets."
Keep ReadingShow Less
Most Popular