60 Plus chairman urges swift approval of delayed $7 billion pipeline

Alexandria, VA – Chairman James L. Martin of the senior advocacy group 60 Plus Association came out today ahead of demonstrators who will be encircling the White House this weekend to protest the Keystone XL pipeline,   an infrastructure project that will strengthen U.S. energy security and help get our economy back on track.

“60 Plus urges the Obama administration not to appease the environmental activists scheduled to descend on 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue this Sunday and avoid delaying further the approval of the Keystone XL Pipeline. We simply cannot afford to leave our future energy and economic prosperity in the balance any longer,” said Martin. “Unfortunately, earlier this week, the White House indicated that approval of the pipeline may not come until next year; and this is welcome news for those opposing the project. But with government programs destined to be cut by the Supercommittee, and increased volatility in oil-producing nations overseas, projects like the $7 billion Keystone XL pipeline are essential for Americans operating within a strict budgetary framework. What’s more, if the pipeline is not approved, our over dependence on unfriendly sources of oil will become even greater, serving as a clear and present danger to our national security.”

“The Keystone XL pipeline has the capacity to bring 500,000 barrels of oil each day to market in the United States, and this means that consumers will have access to more secure and more affordable energy from a friendly neighbor. In this difficult economy, this is especially important for people who are on fixed incomes like seniors,” said Martin. “With a gallon of gas costing approximately 60 cents more today than this time last year, people on fixed incomes need to know that their government is working in their best interest to help make ends meet. The president, therefore, must ignore the noise from the anti-Keystone XL crowd, and work expediently to approve this project. Failure to construct the pipeline will only further weaken our economy and jeopardize our future energy security.”

After three years of rigorous environmental risk assessment, the U.S. State Department concluded that the Keystone XL Pipeline poses no significant threat. The administration’s continued lingering is putting at risk an increase in personal income of $6.5 billion for Americans nationwide.

TransCanada, the pipeline developer, stated earlier this week that further delay of the Keystone XL project will cost the company $1 million per day. Canada’s ambassador to the United States, Gary Doer, also recently explained the chances of the administration approving the pipeline surrounding this weekend’s protests, saying, “I believe if it’s on merit, it will proceed. If it’s on noise it won’t.”

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