E2-Wire

OVERNIGHT ENERGY: Keystone pipeline advocates strike back

by Andrew Restuccia and Ben Geman - 10/26/11 10:16 PM ET

On Wednesday House Energy and Commerce Committee Republicans pressed the White House to approve TransCanada Corp.’s pipeline, which would bring crude from Alberta’s oil sands projects to Gulf Coast refineries.

They pointed to GOP legislation that passed the House in July — with 47 Democratic votes — that would require a decision on whether to permit the pipeline by
November.

{mosads}“It may seem unusual for Congress to have to publicly vote on a bill that simply asks the president to do his job; unfortunately, such action is warranted as the long-delayed Keystone XL pipeline continues to languish and workers continue to wait for the Obama administration to make a decision,” the Republicans said in a statement.

Republicans also continued an effort to turn the White House’s newly minted
“we can’t wait” slogan into political ammunition for their priorities.

“It’s time for the Obama administration to make a decision. #WeCantWait any longer,” an Energy committee statement said.

The GOP comments followed a report that the Keystone XL decision, which is planned by year’s end, could slip into 2012. The National Association of Manufacturers called the news report “disappointing” and said the project would create 20,000 U.S. construction and manufacturing jobs. Environmentalists call the job estimates overstated.

Also Wednesday, a group of Democrats ramped up their opposition by seeking a State Department inspector general probe of State’s review process, which pipeline opponents call rigged in favor of TransCanada.

TransCanada spokesman Shawn Howard slammed the Democrats’ IG probe request.

“The real issue is does this proposed pipeline meet U.S. regulatory standards to be constructed and operated to deliver oil. The rest of this is noise and an attempt to distract from the real issues that the Department of State needs to evaluate before a decision can be made,” he said.

NEWS BITES

Oil spill compensation czar to face critics: Kenneth Feinberg, the Washington lawyer who has been tasked with compensating the victims of last year’s Gulf oil spill, will appear before the House Natural Resources Committee Thursday.

Feinberg, who heads the Gulf Coast Claims Facility (GCCF), has come under fire from Gulf Coast officials in recent months who say the program has not doled out compensation fairly. BP, on the other hand, says he’s been too generous.

“When President Obama announced the creation of this compensation fund, he assured families and businesses suffering in the Gulf that payments would be administered ‘quickly, fairly, and transparently,’ ” committee Chairman Doc Hastings (R-Wash.) said in a statement. “Nearly a year and a half later, as the Gulf economy continues to struggle, there are serious questions about the fund’s effectiveness.”

Feinberg has defended himself against the criticism, arguing he has compensated all “legitimate claims.”

The GCCF has distributed about $5.5 billion to spill victims in the last year. The money comes from a $20 billion fund BP set aside in the aftermath of the spill.

Interior moves closer to Grand Canyon uranium ban: The Interior Department’s Bureau of Land Management issued a final environmental impact statement Wednesday on a proposal to ban new uranium mining around the Grand Canyon for the next 20 years.

The statement brings the proposal, which faces opposition from Republicans, one step closer to being implemented. Interior officials have called the plan their preferred approach.

After a 30-day review period, Interior Secretary Ken Salazar can issue a final decision on the proposal, according to BLM.

“Uranium remains an important part of our nation’s comprehensive energy resources, but it is appropriate to pause, identify what the predicted level of mining and its impacts on the Grand Canyon would be, and decide what level of risk is acceptable to take with this national treasure,” BLM Director Bob Abbey said in a statement Wednesday.

“The preferred alternative would allow for cautious, continued development with strong oversight that could help us fill critical gaps in our knowledge about water quality and environmental impacts of uranium mining in the area.”

More on the final statement here.

Enviro-labor coalition expands: The BlueGreen Alliance that brings several unions and environmental groups together has a new member: The United Association of Plumbers, Pipefitters, Sprinkler Fitters and Service Technicians (UA).

“With 340,000 highly-skilled members who are engaged in the fabrication, installation and servicing of piping systems, the UA brings to the BlueGreen Alliance a special commitment to the design, installation and maintenance of sustainable water and energy systems in commercial and public buildings and in our homes,” the group said in a statement.

ON TAP THURSDAY

House panel to review nuke waste policy: A House Science, Space and Technology Committee panel will hold a hearing about the Blue Ribbon Commission on America’s Nuclear Future, which is advising the Energy Department on nuclear waste policy.

EPA chief to meet with youth leaders: Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Lisa Jackson will meet with youth advocates at Howard University to discuss a number of issues Thursday. The advocates will ask Jackson to put pressure on President Obama to reject the Keystone XL pipeline.

Seminar to probe climate policy future: The Stanford Institute for Economic Policy Research and Resources for the Future open a two-day event in Washington, D.C., on “The Next Round of Climate Economics and Policy Research.”

{mossecondads}Speakers include Steve Koonin, the Energy Department’s under secretary for science. More here.

Air quality in focus: Thursday brings the final day of the big Air Quality VIII conference in Arlington, Va.

IN CASE YOU MISSED IT…

Here’s a quick roundup of Wednesday’s E2 stories:

— House approves land swap bill after fight over Iran
— Interior plans merger of lands, coal mining agencies
— Obama speech interrupted by anti-Keystone hecklers
— Dems seek State Dept. IG probe of Keystone pipeline review
— House Dems to Republicans: What about nuclear loan guarantees?
— BP wins first drilling permit since spill
— Report: Keystone pipeline decision timeline might slip
— Grijalva presses mining, oil companies for resource data