Northern Route Approval Act, H.R. 3

This post Northern Route Approval Act, H.R. 3 originally appeared on Truth About Bills

The Bill: H.R. 3, the Northern Route Approval Act

Annualized Cost: “No Cost” — Regulatory

Number of Cosponsors: 134 Congressmen

Whether or not to authorize the construction of the Keystone XL oil pipeline has been an ongoing debate in state capitals and the halls of Congress since its proposal in 2008. The project would create a new pipeline to transport oil sands from Alberta, Canada to refineries in eastern Texas. The proposed pipeline would run through Montana, South Dakota, and Nebraska where it would hook up with an existing line that runs from Steele City to Cushing, Oklahoma. The southern extension of the pipeline from Cushing to the Texas Gulf coast is expected to be completed later this year. The northern leg of the project has been awaiting Presidential approval because it crosses a national border.

The debate pits environmental concerns against economic benefits. Environmentalists and many Congressional Democrats argue that the construction will risk oil spills along the pipeline and threaten sensitive areas along the way, such as the Ogallala Aquifer (one of the largest fresh water reserves in the world). On the other hand, Republicans and business interests tout that XL would create thousands of temporary constructions jobs in America and additional jobs for maintenance.

Although the initial permit request for the northern pipeline was submitted in September 2008, in early 2012 the State Department denied the Keystone XL permit citing that it did not have enough time to complete an environment impact review after the proposed route through Nebraska was altered. A new permit was submitted in May of 2012 and is expected to undergo another lengthy review process.

Congressman Lee Terry (R-NE) introduced the Northern Route Approval Act to exempt the Keystone XL project from requiring a Presidential permit. Currently, the permit is required because the pipeline would cross international borders. The bill would also grant other federal permits in order to start construction as soon as possible. CBO has determined that H.R. 3 would not affect federal spending and that the measure would not significantly affect current law.

Upon introducing the Act, Rep Terry said that “[o]ver 1,600 days ago, the initial permits were filed to apply to build the Keystone pipeline. To put that time frame in perspective, it took the United States just over 1,300 days to win World War II; and it took Lewis and Clark just over 1,100 days to walk the Louisiana Purchase. … The time is up. No more delays. It’s time to build the Keystone pipeline.”

Cosponsors of H.R. 3 include two Democrats and 132 Republicans.

This article originally appeared in the National Taxpayers Union Foundation’s Taxpayer’s Tab weekly newsletter, The Taxpayer’s Tab, on July 18, 2013. The Foundation’s BillTally project scores the potential spending of every introduced bill in Congress.

This post Northern Route Approval Act, H.R. 3 originally appeared on Truth About Bills