The American Iron and Steel Institute (AISI) and more than 40 other associations are urging the State Department to move ahead toward completion of the Keystone XL pipeline. In a letter sent Tuesday to Secretary of State John Kerry, in whose jurisdiction the pipeline evaluation process lies, the groups state that the Department earlier this year found that over 42,000 jobs would be created and $3.4 billion in additional revenue to GDP would result in the building of the pipeline. The letter also stated that "more than 70 percent of Americans support the building of the project, yet we continue to wait."
Thomas J. Gibson, president and CEO of AISI, said, "Steel products play a valuable role in the Keystone XL pipeline. Steel pipe and tube products form the essential infrastructure for producing oil and gas natural resources, transmitting them to processers, then eventually getting them to final customers. Pipelines have long been recognized as one of the safest, most reliable and well-regulated ways to move crude oil and petroleum products. The Keystone XL pipeline will be built to the most advanced specifications and will be monitored and maintained by state-of-the-art technologies. It is time to move ahead and put the steel to work."
The joint letter concluded that, "The Keystone XL Pipeline has been studied longer than any pipeline project in US history. Since the initial permit application was filed in 2008, more than 10,000 miles of oil and natural gas pipeline have been built in the US; this is enough pipe to cross our country nearly four times. However, after nearly six years of studies showing no significant impacts – yet positive benefits to our energy and economic security – politics are still trumping good policy."