Update On Keystone XL 2.0 North Pipeline Milestones

 Updates

January 29, 2015: House has already passed the bill. Senate passes the Keystone XL bill earlier today, 62 - 36. 

Original Post

About one year ago, I posted my best-guess estimates for the Presidential Keystone XL 2.0 North decision. The estimates (E) are brought forward below. I was wildly optimistic, expecting that the recently released State Department SEIS would have been released almost one year ago. Wow, was I wrong. I assume all the "snow-days" in Washington, DC, slowed things down for the State Department:

The old timeline

February 28, 2014 (E) White House approves with conditions. Any decision later than this will impact the mid-term elections.

January 30, 2014 (E): On President Obama's desk. 

January 15, 2014 (E): State Dept makes recommendation. Other departments can object. In early 2013, State Department said they would not make decision before end of 1H13, and then revised it by saying "not before March, 2013," so the January 15, 2014, date may be six months too long.

November 15, 2013 (E): Mandatory 30-day wait.

October 15, 2013 (E): State Dept publishes final SEIS in the Federal Register.

September 30, 2013 (E): State Dept compiles comments and answers any "substantitve" concerns.

June 30, 2013 (E): EPA places summary in Federal Register.

June 15, 2013 (E): 45-day comment period ends.

May 1, 2013 (E): EPA's mandatory 45-day comment period. Impacted by new EPA chief.

March 4, 2013: EPA has to review the draft Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement (SEIS). No deadline to complete.

March 1, 2013: State Department's Keystone Pipeline report Friday. This was a draft statement.

The new timeline

I suggested the SEIS might be released by May 1, 2013, at which time the EPA would review the environmental study. In fact, that occurred, not on May 1, 2013, but on January 31, 2014. So, the new timeline:

• The EPA has 45 days to review the SEIS (E): March 15, 2014.
• State Dept has unlimited time to study the EPA concerns (E): reports September 15, 2014
• SecState signs off on final State Dept report, places it in Federal register (E): December 15, 2014
• President Obama makes remarks in State of the Union Address, 2015 (E): January 20, 2015

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I updated the timeline today following The Dickinson Press op-ed on same. The managing editor's position: it's time for the President to make a decision. Okay.

Meanwhile,  here are the results of the poll at the sidebar in which was asked whether President Obama will eventually approve the Keystone XL 2.0 North pipeline:

• Yes: 31%
• No: 39%
• No longer matters: 30%

I won't take the poll down but I doubt I will update any new results.