There are 20,000 miles of pipeline in Nebraska criss-crossing the Ogalalla aquifier. A company wanted to add 400 more but President Obama overruled scientists and declared the addition environmentally risky. So the Keystone XL extension did not happen and the president who promised to promote more domestic oil came across as a political obstructionist for blocking it due to...why exactly? No one knows, really. Because he wanted to prove he can do nothing right and still get re-elected, I suppose. I bet he can.
But to at least make an effort to placate his liberal union base, who had to be at least a little annoyed he caved into anti-science progressives and cost them a lot of jobs, he then declared he would fast track the extension of the extension. Yes, he said he would prod the same agencies that could not be bothered to approve Keystone XL during most of his presidency to rush unimportant details like environmental impact reports. Except TransCanada is as confused as anyone; they haven't even applied for the new extension since the old one was denied so what is he going to approve?
But regardless on whether or not this phantom extension gets fast-tracked if TransCanada ever applies, native Americans in the proposed construction zones are not amused. If President Obama was so concerned about an aquifier than could not be impacted at all by construction, how can be be unaware of Native American burial grounds that could most certainly be impacted if it is built?
Well, are there Native American burial grounds there? No one knows, including the Native Americans - they are worried about unmarked graves that would be disturbed. But what can he do, now suddenly get all Big Corporation about trampling the rights of minorities?
TransCanada, the evil company supposedly not caring about anyone, knows what Native Americans do not; they disclosed 70 archaeological sites, 18 individual artifacts and 34 historic structures in the area where the pipeline will be built in Oklahoma. Good thing oil companies are on the job. If we left it up to presidents, the environment would be in a shambles.
http://www.sunherald.com/2012/03/26/3843566/indian-tribe-worries-pipeli…
