Pat Barcas/staff photographer
Obama visited the Chicagoland area April 2. Along his motorcade route, he was met by protestors concerned about him not keeping his environmental promises regarding the Keystone XL pipeline — a venture which would benefit union members.
By Pat Barcas
Staff writer
Thursday, April 3, 2014
Email Pat Barcas at pat@foxvalleylabornews.com
CHICAGO — Protestors took advantage of President Obama’s April 2 fundraising visit to Chicago, holding a rally along his motorcade route in Lincoln Park and asking him to keep his environmental promises to safeguard the planet for future generations.
The topic of discussion was the Keystone XL (eXport Limited) pipeline, the fourth phase of an oil pipeline that is slated to run from Alberta Canada, and join the existing pipeline in Nebraska. It would eventually terminate at the gulf in Texas.
The pipeline does have union support from the Laborers International Union of North America and the AFL-CIO, but overall, unions are divided on the issue.
Supporters say the pipeline will bring economic growth, jobs, and less dependance on foreign oil, but environmentalists say the pipeline poses a specific risk to the Ogallala Aquifer in Nebraska, one of the largest freshwater reserves in the world.
Representatives from the Sierra Club of Chicago held a rally at Fullerton and Jackson during Obama’s April 2 visit, asking him to reject the construction permit for the project. They say the promised economic gains don’t outweigh the potential environmental negatives the extended pipeline could bring.
“It’s becoming more and more evident that with such a large pipeline, the potential for disaster is serious,” said Laura Sabransky, Sierra Club member and co-organizer of the rally. “We called it a rally because we are just trying to get our message heard. All presidents need to be pushed to do the right thing, and we’re doing our civic duty. We need to see his actions match his words.”
Sabransky said evidence shows the first section of the pipeline had 12 leaks in the first year of operation alone, and the tar sands it carries are even more dangerous to the environment than traditional crude oil.
LiUNA, however, calls stage four of the pipeline “A lifeline for working men and women and for our nation’s energy security.”
They say a Project Labor Agreement with the four Canadian construction crafts that are signatories to the National Pipeline Agreement guarantee a standard of construction that will enable extensive safety measures, technological advancements, and mitigation efforts.
Once again, critics say more jobs could be created in updating America’s infrastructure and transitioning power sources to wind, solar and other renewable energies.
“Rather than look at the temporary jobs created, let’s look at the permanent jobs. Studies show fewer than 50 will be created,” said Sabransky. “There are too many negatives here. We represent the majority and we hope the President sees that.”