EPA Chief Gina McCarthy
EPA Chief Gina McCarthy has deliciously contradicted claims by envirowhacktivists that the Keystone pipeline would wreak havoc on the climate and spell doomsday for the planet.
This is what League of Conservation Voters VP Tiernan Sittenfeld said in a statement last month:
“The EPA’s comments confirm that Keystone XL fails the President’s climate test. From the risk of spills to a dramatic increase in greenhouse emissions, it’s clear that tar sands oil should stay in the ground. President Obama has all the information he needs to reject Keystone XL, and today’s comments from EPA make us more confident than ever that he will continue to build on his incredible climate leadership by rejecting this dirty and dangerous pipeline once and for all.”
Turns out that’s NOT AT ALL what the EPA has to say on the subject, according to Politico:
“EPA Administrator Gina McCarthy said Monday that building the Keystone XL oil pipeline alone would not be a disaster for the climate, as some opponents of the project have alleged.
“No, I don’t think that any one issue is a disaster for the climate, nor do I think there is one solution for the climate change challenge that we have,” McCarthy said during an interview with POLITICO’s Mike Allen.
Keystone critics have long alleged that the pipeline, if approved, would greatly exacerbate climate change. EPA has raised concerns about Keystone’s climate impact. In comments to the State Department released in February, the agency said State should give “additional weight” to whether the sharp drop in oil prices would increase the pipeline’s environmental impact and stimulate production in the carbon-rich Canadian oil sands.
It’s rare to see a Democratic administration disagree so sharply with their green base. We’re just going to sit back and savor the moment.