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Welch Statement on Keystone Tar Sands Pipeline Decision

Statement

Date: Jan. 18, 2012
Location: Washington, DC
Issues: Oil and Gas

Rep. Peter Welch (D-Vt.) issued the following statement in response to President Obama's decision to reject the application of TransCanada to build a tar sands pipeline through the United States from Canada to the Gulf of Mexico. Welch has been a leading opponent of the pipeline in the House.

At the urging of Welch and others, the State Department Inspector General recently opened an investigation into possible conflicts of interest in the pipeline review process.

"The President did the right thing in rejecting the arbitrary short circuiting of the environmental review process. While I strongly oppose the tar sands pipeline because I believe it will be harmful to the environment and human health, the review process and related investigation should be allowed to run its course. The stakes are too high for Congress to put its thumb on the scale in favor of this risky project. Waiving away the review process at the point of a political gun is irresponsible and establishes a bad precedent. "


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