Northern Route Approval Act

Floor Speech

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Mr. JOHNSON of Georgia. This bill is about profits over people. This bill puts the Koch brothers' profits above people's health.

No one knows how much air pollution this pipeline will cause or how the pollution will impact public health. My amendment, which has been endorsed by the National Resources Defense Council and by the Sierra Club, is common sense. I'm simply requesting a thorough analysis of the potential health risks. I am essentially asking that that analysis be completed before any decision is made on the pipeline.

Even though the State Department has submitted two Environmental Impact Statements on the Keystone XL pipeline, the Environmental Protection Agency has found that neither statement included a satisfactory evaluation of the increased air pollution that would come as a result of the pipeline operation. Communities surrounding the oil refineries that would be transporting raw tar sands crude through this proposed pipeline are already exposed to dirty air. Approval of the Keystone XL pipeline will only make it worse.

The raw tar sands crude is more toxic and acidic than other types of crude, Mr. Chairman. Raw tar sands crude produces significantly more harmful pollutants and greenhouse gas emissions than conventional crude oil due to the complex refining process it must go through before it reaches the gas pumps.

As this type of crude has only been exported to the United States from Canada for a relatively short period of time, there has not been a thorough study on how its transport would affect air quality in our Nation. It is troubling that the construction of the Keystone XL pipeline, which would transport 900,000 barrels of this crude oil daily, should take place before such a study that would evaluate its effects on health has ever been done. We have a responsibility to the American people to properly assess what risks the construction of this pipeline may pose to our health. It would be irresponsible of us to sweep these concerns under the rug just to rush this project to the finish line.

Valid questions have been raised about the health risks associated with the increased air pollution this pipeline will produce. These questions deserve legitimate answers. For this reason, I'm requesting a study on the health impacts of raw tar sands crude pollution in our communities surrounding the refineries where the Keystone XL pipeline will operate. I urge my colleagues to share my commitment to safeguarding Americans' health, and I ask that you approve my amendment and allow for such a study to be done before we make any decision on the pipeline's construction.

I reserve the balance of my time.

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