S. C. R. No. 7 As Introduced

As Introduced

130th General Assembly

Regular Session

2013-2014

S. C. R. No. 7

Senator Hite

Cosponsors: Senators Balderson, Beagle, Gardner, Jones, LaRose, Lehner, Schaffer, Seitz, Patton

A CONCURRENT RESOLUTION

To urge the United States Department of State to 1
approve the presidential permit application 2
allowing the construction and operation of the 3
TransCanada Keystone XL Pipeline between the 4
United States and Canada. 5

BE IT RESOLVED BY THE SENATE OF THE STATE OF OHIO
(THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES CONCURRING):

       WHEREAS, The United States accounts for 20% of world energy 6
consumption and is the world's largest petroleum consumer, 7
consuming 15 million barrels of oil each day, and these amounts 8
are not forecasted to change for decades; and 9

       WHEREAS, Current oil imports amount to over 8 million barrels 10
each day, approximately 50% of the United States' requirements; 11
and 12

       WHEREAS, The United States will remain dependent on imported 13
energy for decades regardless of new technology, oil discoveries, 14
alternative fuels, and conservation efforts; and 15

       WHEREAS, A secure supply of crude oil is needed by Americans 16
for heating their homes, cooking their food, and fueling their 17
vehicles, and to allow the United States economy to thrive and be 18
freed from the potential threats and disruptions of the crude oil 19
supply from less secure parts of the world; and 20

       WHEREAS, The growing production of conflict-free oil from the 21
Canadian oil sands and the Bakken formation in Saskatchewan, 22
Montana, and North Dakota can replace crude oil imported from 23
countries that do not share American values and therefore 24
additional pipeline capacity to refineries in the United States 25
Midwest and Gulf Coast regions is required; and 26

       WHEREAS, Increasing energy imports from Canada makes sense 27
for the United States because Canada is a trusted neighbor with a 28
stable democratic government, strong environmental standards equal 29
to that of the United States, and some of the most stringent human 30
rights and worker protection laws in the world; and 31

       WHEREAS, Improvements in production technology continue to 32
reduce the carbon footprint of Canadian oil sands development; and 33

       WHEREAS, Oil sands production accounts for 6.5% of Canada's 34
greenhouse gas emissions and 0.1% of global greenhouse gas 35
emissions, and total emissions from Canada's oil sands sector was 36
45 megatons in 2009 which is equivalent to 3.5% of emissions from 37
United States coal fired power generation in the same year, 38
despite oil sands crude having similar carbon dioxide emissions to 39
other heavy oils and being 6% more carbon-intensive than the 40
United States crude supply average on a wells-to-wheels basis; and 41

       WHEREAS, The 58 refineries in the Gulf Coast region provide a 42
total refining capacity of approximately 8.4 million barrels per 43
day, or nearly half of the United States' refining capacity; and 44

       WHEREAS, In 2009, Gulf Coast region refineries imported 45
approximately 5 million barrels per day of crude oil from more 46
than 40 countries with 21% coming from Mexico, 17% from Venezuela, 47
12% from Saudi Arabia, and 11% from Nigeria; and 48

       WHEREAS, Crude oil imports from Mexico and Venezuela are 49
declining as production from those countries decreases and supply 50
contracts expire; and 51

       WHEREAS, Once completed, the TransCanada's Keystone XL and 52
Gulf Coast Pipeline Projects could displace roughly 40% of the oil 53
the United States currently imports from the Middle East and 54
Venezuela; and 55

       WHEREAS, The Keystone XL Pipeline Project has been subject to 56
the most thorough public consultation process of any proposed 57
United States pipeline and the subject of multiple environmental 58
impact statements and several United States Department of State 59
studies that have concluded that the Pipeline poses the least 60
impact to the environment as compared to, and is much safer than, 61
other modes of transporting crude oil; and 62

       WHEREAS, Pipelines are the safest method for the 63
transportation of petroleum products when compared to other 64
methods of transportation - for example, transporting by pipeline 65
is 100 times safer than transporting by truck and 40 times safer 66
than transporting by rail; and 67

       WHEREAS, The Keystone XL Pipeline will replace the hauling 68
capacity of a tanker train that is 25 miles long or 200 ocean 69
tankers per year thereby reducing greenhouse gas emissions by as 70
much as 19 million tons, which is the equivalent of taking almost 71
4 million cars off the road; and 72

       WHEREAS, The Keystone XL Pipeline Project will support over 73
10,000 jobs in United States construction and manufacturing 74
industries such as pipefitting, welding, electrical, heavy 75
equipment operating, and other sectors in virtually every state in 76
the United States; and 77

       WHEREAS, 75% of the pipe used to build the Keystone XL 78
Pipeline in the United States will come from North American mills, 79
including half made by workers in the United States, and goods for 80
the pipeline valued at approximately $800 million have already 81
been sourced from manufacturers in the United States; now 82
therefore be it 83

       RESOLVED, That we, the members of the Ohio Senate of the 84
130th General Assembly, respectfully urge the United States 85
Department of State to approve the presidential permit application 86
allowing the construction and operation of the TransCanada 87
Keystone XL Pipeline between the United States and Canada in order 88
to strengthen the United States' energy security, provide for 89
critical pipeline infrastructure to achieve North American energy 90
independence, and to stimulate the economy and create jobs; and be 91
it further 92

       RESOLVED, That the Clerk of the Senate transmit duly 93
authenticated copies of this resolution to the Secretary of State 94
of the United States, the President of the United States, the 95
Speaker and Clerk of the United States House of Representatives, 96
the President Pro Tempore and Secretary of the United States 97
Senate, the members of the Ohio Congressional delegation, and the 98
news media of Ohio. 99

WHEREAS, The United States accounts for 20% of world energy	6
consumption and is the world's largest petroleum consumer,	7
consuming 15 million barrels of oil each day, and these amounts	8
are not forecasted to change for decades; and	9

WHEREAS, Current oil imports amount to over 8 million barrels	10
each day, approximately 50% of the United States' requirements;	11
and	12

WHEREAS, The United States will remain dependent on imported	13
energy for decades regardless of new technology, oil discoveries,	14
alternative fuels, and conservation efforts; and	15

WHEREAS, A secure supply of crude oil is needed by Americans	16
for heating their homes, cooking their food, and fueling their	17
vehicles, and to allow the United States economy to thrive and be	18
freed from the potential threats and disruptions of the crude oil	19
supply from less secure parts of the world; and	20

WHEREAS, The growing production of conflict-free oil from the	21
Canadian oil sands and the Bakken formation in Saskatchewan,	22
Montana, and North Dakota can replace crude oil imported from	23
countries that do not share American values and therefore	24
additional pipeline capacity to refineries in the United States	25
Midwest and Gulf Coast regions is required; and	26

WHEREAS, Increasing energy imports from Canada makes sense	27
for the United States because Canada is a trusted neighbor with a	28
stable democratic government, strong environmental standards equal	29
to that of the United States, and some of the most stringent human	30
rights and worker protection laws in the world; and	31

WHEREAS, Improvements in production technology continue to	32
reduce the carbon footprint of Canadian oil sands development; and	33

WHEREAS, Oil sands production accounts for 6.5% of Canada's	34
greenhouse gas emissions and 0.1% of global greenhouse gas	35
emissions, and total emissions from Canada's oil sands sector was	36
45 megatons in 2009 which is equivalent to 3.5% of emissions from	37
United States coal fired power generation in the same year,	38
despite oil sands crude having similar carbon dioxide emissions to	39
other heavy oils and being 6% more carbon-intensive than the	40
United States crude supply average on a wells-to-wheels basis; and	41

WHEREAS, The 58 refineries in the Gulf Coast region provide a	42
total refining capacity of approximately 8.4 million barrels per	43
day, or nearly half of the United States' refining capacity; and	44

WHEREAS, In 2009, Gulf Coast region refineries imported	45
approximately 5 million barrels per day of crude oil from more	46
than 40 countries with 21% coming from Mexico, 17% from Venezuela,	47
12% from Saudi Arabia, and 11% from Nigeria; and	48

WHEREAS, Crude oil imports from Mexico and Venezuela are	49
declining as production from those countries decreases and supply	50
contracts expire; and	51

WHEREAS, Once completed, the TransCanada's Keystone XL and	52
Gulf Coast Pipeline Projects could displace roughly 40% of the oil	53
the United States currently imports from the Middle East and	54
Venezuela; and	55

WHEREAS, The Keystone XL Pipeline Project has been subject to	56
the most thorough public consultation process of any proposed	57
United States pipeline and the subject of multiple environmental	58
impact statements and several United States Department of State	59
studies that have concluded that the Pipeline poses the least	60
impact to the environment as compared to, and is much safer than,	61
other modes of transporting crude oil; and	62

WHEREAS, Pipelines are the safest method for the	63
transportation of petroleum products when compared to other	64
methods of transportation - for example, transporting by pipeline	65
is 100 times safer than transporting by truck and 40 times safer	66
than transporting by rail; and	67

WHEREAS, The Keystone XL Pipeline will replace the hauling	68
capacity of a tanker train that is 25 miles long or 200 ocean	69
tankers per year thereby reducing greenhouse gas emissions by as	70
much as 19 million tons, which is the equivalent of taking almost	71
4 million cars off the road; and	72

WHEREAS, The Keystone XL Pipeline Project will support over	73
10,000 jobs in United States construction and manufacturing	74
industries such as pipefitting, welding, electrical, heavy	75
equipment operating, and other sectors in virtually every state in	76
the United States; and	77

WHEREAS, 75% of the pipe used to build the Keystone XL	78
Pipeline in the United States will come from North American mills,	79
including half made by workers in the United States, and goods for	80
the pipeline valued at approximately $800 million have already	81
been sourced from manufacturers in the United States; now	82
therefore be it	83

RESOLVED, That we, the members of the Ohio Senate of the	84
130th General Assembly, respectfully urge the United States	85
Department of State to approve the presidential permit application	86
allowing the construction and operation of the TransCanada	87
Keystone XL Pipeline between the United States and Canada in order	88
to strengthen the United States' energy security, provide for	89
critical pipeline infrastructure to achieve North American energy	90
independence, and to stimulate the economy and create jobs; and be	91
it further	92

RESOLVED, That the Clerk of the Senate transmit duly	93
authenticated copies of this resolution to the Secretary of State	94
of the United States, the President of the United States, the	95
Speaker and Clerk of the United States House of Representatives,	96
the President Pro Tempore and Secretary of the United States	97
Senate, the members of the Ohio Congressional delegation, and the	98
news media of Ohio.	99