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Regular Session, 2013
SENATE CONCURRENT RESOLUTI ON NO. 115
BY SENATOR CHABERT
COMMITTEE STUDIES. Requests joint committee study of the presidential permit
application allowing the construction and operation of the TransCanada Keystone XL
pipeline between the United States and Canada.
A CONCURRENT RESOLUTI ON1
To urge and request the Senate Committee on Natural Resources and the House Committee2
on Natural Resources and Environment to meet and function as a joint committee to3
study and make recommendations with respect to the presidential permit application4
allowing the construction and operation of the TransCanada Keystone XL pipeline5
between the United States of America and Canada.6
WHEREAS, the United States of America accounts for nearly nineteen percent of7
the world energy consumption and is the world's largest petroleum consumer with a daily8
consumption of almost nineteen million barrels of oil; and9
WHEREAS, current imports amount to more than eight million barrels each day that10
represents approximately fifty percent of this country's requirements; and11
WHEREAS, even with new technology, oil discoveries, alternative fuels and12
conservation efforts, the United States will continue to remain dependent on imported oil;13
and14
WHEREAS, the growing production of oil from Canada's oil sands and the Bakken15
formation in Saskatchewan, Montana, North Dakota and South Dakota has the potential to16
replace the oil imported from other countries; and17
WHEREAS, the fifty-seven operable refineries of the Petroleum Administration for18 SCR NO. 115
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Defense Districts 3 which consists of the states of Alabama, Arkansas, Louisiana,1
Mississippi, New Mexico, and Texas produces 8.7 million barrels of oil per day that2
represents nearly half of the United States refining capacity and imports approximately 53
million barrels of oil per day; and4
WHEREAS, once completed the TransCanada Keystone XL pipeline and the5
additional Gulf Coast Expansion project could displace about forty percent of the oil the6
United States currently imports from the Middle East and Venezuela; and7
WHEREAS, the TransCanada Keystone XL pipeline has been the subject of the most8
thorough public consultation process of any proposed pipeline, and the subject of multiple9
environmental impact statements and several United States Department of State studies; and10
WHEREAS, these statements and studies have concluded that it poses the least11
impact to the environment and is much safer than other modes of transporting oil; and12
WHEREAS, the TransCanada Keystone XL pipeline will support over ten thousand13
jobs in construction and manufacturing in the United States.14
THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the Legislature of Louisiana hereby urges15
and requests the Senate Committee on Natural Resources and the House Committee on16
Natural Resources and Environment to meet and function as a joint committee to study and17
make recommendations with respect to the presidential permit application allowing the18
construction and operation of the TransCanada Keystone XL pipeline between the United19
States of America and Canada.20
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the joint committee shall submit21
recommendations to the Legislature of Louisiana no later than February 1, 2014.22
The original instrument and the following digest, which constitutes no part
of the legislative instrument, were prepared by J. W. Wiley.
DIGEST
Chabert SCR No. 115
Requests the Senate Committee on Natural Resources and the House Committee on Natural
Resources and Environment to jointly study and make recommendations with respect to the
presidential permit application allowing the construction and operation of the TransCanada
Keystone XL pipeline between the United States of America and Canada.
Requires submission of recommendation to legislature no later than February 1, 2014.