Trump resurrects Keystone pipeline
Friday, January 27, 2017
Just four days into his first four-year term, President Donald Trump cleared the way for two major oil pipelines that had previously been blocked and put a plan in place to reduce regulations that slow other building projects, according to The New York Times.
Trump revived the Keystone XL pipeline and expedited the Dakota Access pipeline in North Dakota. Additionally, he signed a directive to order the end of prolonged environmental reviews.
TransCanada estimates the Keystone pipeline would carry 800, 000 barrels a day from the Canadian oil sands to the Gulf Coast. The State Department estimates it would support 42,000 temporary jobs for two years, but only 35 permanent jobs.
Former President Barack Obama rejected the Keystone pipeline in 2015 in an effort to curb America’s reliance on carbon energy. The government concluded it’s carbon emissions would be less than one percent of the total greenhouse gas emissions in the country.
Learn more: The New York Times > Trump Revives Keystone Pipeline Rejected by Obama
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Shale FAQ
What is fracking?
Fracking is a slang term for hydraulic fracturing. Fracturing is a process by which highly pressurized fluid is pumped thousands of feet into the ground to fracture rock formations. The goal is to release the natural gas that’s locked inside the rock.
Is it safe?
What most concerns people about fracturing is ground water contamination. The worry is that fractures underground, caused by the process, will extending upwards and into aquifers, releasing gas and chemicals into the ground water supply. There’s been no confirmed reports of such a thing happening. Though surface spills and drill site blowouts can lead to localized environmental concerns.
Will my water catch on fire?
Flammable water is caused by the release of methane gas into a drinking water supply. Methane gas occurs naturally and can be released by any kind of drilling, including water wells. In Pennsylvania officials fined Chesapeake Energy $1 million for contaminating ground water with methane. It was determined that the company had not properly cemented it’s boreholes and gas migrated up the well, between rock and into aquifers.