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Montana politics, elections and legislative news

Montana Senate Considers Keystone Pipeline Resolution

Pipes for Keystone XL Pipeline.
shannonpatrick17 (CC-BY-2.0)

Montana Lawmakers are considering a resolution asking Congress and the President to approve the Keystone XL pipeline, which President Obama has already vetoed once. Malta Republican Representative Mike Lang told the Senate Energy Committee the pipeline promises benefits for the state and the nation as a whole.

"Pipelines are the safest, most reliable, economical, and environmentally favorable way to transport oil and other petroleum products. Presently, a lot of people don’t know but in Montana, 88 percent of the oil that’s in our refineries comes from Canada, right now, today."

Environmental groups oppose the pipeline project because of the risk of oil spills, and because they charge that the Canadian crude oil derived from tar sands is some of the “dirtiest” petroleum on the planet.

The pipeline would run through Baker, Montana, where some crude oil pumped from the Bakken formation would be added to the mix.

The project is stalled while the State Department completes a review,  Congress tried to kick start the project with a bill it passed last month, but President Obama vetoed the measure, saying the decision should be left to the executive branch.

The Montana House has already passed the resolution asking for “prompt” approval of the pipeline.  It’s now being heard in the Senate.

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