State Dept. delays Keystone XL pipeline until Q1 2013 pending assessment of alternate NE routes away from Sandhills/Ogallala Aquifer

Denying the permit for a brutally stupid money grab like the Keystone XL pipeline is a no-brainer, right Mr. President? It's a chance for you to make good on your promises to remind us all of why we were so happy to support you when you ran for president the first time around.
     ...Just in case you've forgotten all of that, next Sunday, on November 6th, thousands of people are going to hold hands and completely surround your house -- the white house -- to show you that you have all the support you need to stand up to the special interests behind the pipeline!

Today the State Department, which is dealing with two separate congressional inquiries (here and here) about its conduct during TransCanada's Keystone XL permit application process, delayed the project until after the 2012 elections.

State law primarily governs routes for interstate petroleum pipelines; however, Nebraska currently has no such law or regulatory framework authorizing state or local authorities to determine where a pipeline goes. Taken together with the national concern about the pipeline’s route, the Department has determined it is necessary to examine in-depth alternative routes that would avoid the Sand Hills in Nebraska in order to move forward with a National Interest Determination for the Presidential Permit.

The Department's Inspector General is now looking into conflicts of interest during the process.

Bold Nebraska had reactions from all the usual suspects. Randy Thompson, official mascot of the landowners that TransCanada has been trying to grind into the dirt like cigarette butts, said:  "It's really ironic that the folks in Washington, DC understand the gravity of the situation in Nebraska even when some of our own state legislators don't seem to."

Jane Kleeb of Bold Nebraska said, "The announcement contradicts those in Nebraska that say it’s too late to put regulations in place... They have run out of excuses."

John Hansen, President of the Nebraska Farmers Union and lobbyist extraordinaire, said, "This President's delay provides the Legislature with a green light to get caught up with other states who have already claimed their state authorities for oil pipeline routing and siting. Nebraska must use this welcome window of opportunity to claim its routing and siting authority so that the interests of our water, soil, and especially our landowners can be protected. We do not want our state to continue to be dependent on either the political whims of the State Department or the selfish economic interests of oil pipeline companies."

Ken Winston, Nebraska Sierra Club policy advocate, told the Unicameral to get cracking, “...We cannot rely on the federal government to protect our land and water."

Ken Haar, a Nebraska state senator who has led the way on pipeline regulations said, "...The need for a siting authority has not been relinquished. Let's stay here and finish the job we started. "