“C” is for Catastrophe
The EPA’s top official gave the State Department’s Keystone XL Draft Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement (DSEIS) a “C” grade, and told State that the time is now to improve their analysis.
In its letter to the State Department, the EPA expressed “environmental objections” to Keystone XL and found that the DSEIS included “insufficient information” about greenhouse gas emissions, pipeline safety, alternative pipeline routes, and community and environmental justice impacts.
In particular, the EPA told the State Department that it needs to “address the additional risks” to public health of tar sands oil, as compared to a spill of conventional crude, and that State must also “more clearly acknowledge” the unique difficulties of cleaning up a tar sands spill. The EPA has also urged the State Department to provide a more “complete and accurate” assessment of Keystone XL’s climate impacts when State releases its Final Environmental Impact Statement this summer.
The State Department has another opportunity to address the flaws in the original analysis with its final environmental impact report. In light of Secretary Kerry’s 30 year record as a climate champion, we expect him to take a careful look at the facts and issue a final analysis that finds Keystone XL is all risk and no reward.
