The Briefing Room
General Category => Economy/Business => Topic started by: IsailedawayfromFR on March 24, 2017, 05:56:35 pm
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President Trump hailed the State Department's approval of the controversial Keystone XL pipeline as a big win for American workers.
"It's a great day for American jobs," Trump said from the Oval Office on Friday after the State Department issued a permit allowing the pipeline proposed by TransCanada to go forward.
"Today, we take one more step towards putting the jobs, wages and economic security of American citizens first," the president said.
TransCanada (TRP) CEO Russell Girling, standing next to Trump, said Keystone XL will "create thousands of jobs."
The construction of the pipeline would indeed create thousands of jobs. But they will be temporary. The Alberta-to-Nebraska pipeline would create about 3,900 jobs if it was built in one year, according to a State Department report. That number would drop to 1,950 jobs if Keystone takes two years to build.
The report also estimated that only 35 permanent employees would be needed in addition to 15 temporary contractors to operate Keystone.
So, the Keystone XL isn't expected to be a boom for the job market by any stretch.
In addition, those temporary and limited permanent jobs could come at a significant environmental cost. The Canadian oil that would flow through the pipeline is considered among the dirtiest types of crude.
A 2015 study funded by the Department of Energy found that the oil sands from Canada emit 18% more greenhouse gases when processed into gasoline than that processed from traditional U.S. crude. And diesel fuel derived from oil sands emits 21% more of these harmful gases.
http://money.cnn.com/2017/03/24/investing/keystone-pipeline-jobs-trump/index.html
I never hardly read CNN any more, but found it amusing the spin they can put on this one.
I feel justified in avoiding CNN on tv and online for all these years.
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The report also estimated that only 35 permanent employees would be needed in addition to 15 temporary contractors to operate Keystone.
That is just so far from reality. Compare it to other major pipelines and you can see why that is just nonsense.
Keystone XL crude oil pipeline = 36 inch, 1,179 miles
Alyeska (Trans-Alaskan) crude oil pipeline = 42 inch, 800 miles
ALYESKA, Personnel: Approximately 800 Alyeska employees and 1,000 or more contractors operate and maintain the Trans Alaska Pipeline System.
http://alyeska-pipeline.com/assets/uploads/pagestructure/NewsCenter_MediaResources_FactSheets_Entries/636100447544232756_2016FactBook.pdf
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All construction jobs are temporary. The primary value of the project is in providing a lower cost domestic alternative to imported oil.
The Enviro-nuts are always opposed to any economic development, anywhere. In America, that is. China can build all the smoke-belching, river-contaminating factories they want, and nary a peep is heard from the Sierra Club, et al., all of whom seem to think that CO2 is a terrible planetary poison, as opposed to what is truly is: plant food. Never mind that the additional amount emitted by the pipeline in question would be negligible and essentially unmeasurable.
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The Enviro-nuts are always opposed to any economic development, anywhere. In America, that is.
well, almost. They perceive economic benefit from renewables(although there really isn't any) and glady embrace solar, wind and biofuels development, no matter how many birds may be fried or chopped to pieces.