Premium ContentMouse over Home then click on Premium Content for information.WASHINGTON — Sen. Mike Johanns, R-Neb., announced Monday that he supports legislation to force approval of TransCanada's Keystone XL pipeline and to allow construction on the project to begin immediately.
Sen. John Hoeven, R-N.D., planned to introduce the bill Monday with the support of 44 senators, including Johanns. The only Democrat on the list of supporters so far is Sen. Joe Manchin of West Virginia.
The bill would grant TransCanada the required permits to begin construction on the pipeline but continue the process of finding a new route around Nebraska's environmentally sensitive Sand Hills. Under Hoeven's bill, construction of the Nebraska portions of the pipeline could start only after approval of a new route.
"The president gives speeches about energy security and creating jobs, but this legislation would actually do it. Our bill approves the pipeline while allowing Nebraska and TransCanada the time they need to find the right route through our state," Johanns said. "This pipeline is not only a national priority because of the energy and jobs it will bring, it's also a Nebraska priority."
President Barack Obama recently rejected the pipeline's permit, saying there was not enough time to complete all the necessary reviews of the project before a Feb. 21 deadline imposed by congressional Republicans.
The Republicans say the administration has all the information it needs to sign off on the pipeline and create thousands of construction jobs. They said Obama's rejection was politically motivated.
Pipeline opponents say that the project risks catastrophic spills that would foul groundwater and that it's absurd to approve the project before the final route has been determined.
Contact the writer: 202-630-4823, joe.morton@owh.com
