Tar Sands Update: Vote in US House of Representatives and Widespread Opposition

Tar Sands Update: Vote in US House of Representatives and Widespread Opposition

Despite the overwhelming response to the online petition against new activity in the US House of Representatives and Senate to back-door permissions for the Keystone XL Pipeline to proceed, the House of Representatives has voted in favour of the pipeline.

Now this is not so straightforward as it seems, as the permission for the pipeline to go forward was grafted onto unrelated pending legislation. The Senate has not given clear signals on whether it will even vote on the measure that would give approval to the pipeline.

It is not only the indigenous community that is in vocal opposition to the approval of the pipeline. Surprisingly, even members of the Tea Party in Texas oppose the pipeline,. In Texas, the Tea Party opposition is in relation to land that would be taken under government powers of eminent domain for the pipeline to be built and concerns for health safety if the pipeline is built as planned.


In Wichita, Kansas, a group called Occupy Koch Town protested against the pipeline, signalling out Koch Industries as being supportive of the pipeline, something that is denied by Koch Industries.

It is clear that there is widespread opposition to the pipeline from a variety of groups that might not always see eye to eye on any other issue. The health and environmental concerns from the pipeline are well documented yet somehow ignored or denied by those who argue to press ahead with the pipeline.