BILL REQ. #: S-4228.1
State of Washington | 62nd Legislature | 2012 Regular Session |
Read first time 02/02/12. Referred to Committee on Energy, Natural Resources & Marine Waters.
TO THE HONORABLE BARACK OBAMA, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES, AND
TO THE PRESIDENT OF THE SENATE AND THE SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE OF
REPRESENTATIVES, AND TO THE SENATE AND HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE
UNITED STATES, IN CONGRESS ASSEMBLED, AND TO THE HONORABLE CHRISTINE
GREGOIRE, GOVERNOR OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON:
We, your Memorialists, the Senate and House of Representatives of
the State of Washington, in legislative session assembled, respectfully
represent and petition as follows:
WHEREAS, The United States relies, and will continue to rely for
many years, on gasoline, diesel, and jet fuel despite the recent focus
on renewable and alternative sources of energy; and
WHEREAS, In order to fuel our economy, the United States will need
more oil and natural gas while also requiring additional alternative
energy sources; and
WHEREAS, The United States currently depends on foreign imports for
more than half of its petroleum usage, and is the largest consumer of
petroleum in the world; United States dependence on overseas oil has
created difficult geopolitical relationships with potentially damaging
consequences for our national security; and
WHEREAS, Oil deposits in the Bakken Reserves of Montana, North
Dakota, and South Dakota are an increasingly important crude oil
resource with an estimated 11 billion barrels of recoverable crude oil,
and there is not enough pipeline capacity for crude oil supplies from
Montana, North Dakota, South Dakota, Oklahoma, and Texas to American
refineries; and
WHEREAS, Canadian oil reserves contain an estimated 173 billion
barrels of recoverable oil, and Canada is the single largest supplier
of oil to the United States at 2.62 million barrels per day and has the
capacity to significantly increase that rate; and
WHEREAS, The Keystone XL pipeline will, when completed, carry
700,000 barrels per day of North American crude oil to American
refineries in the Gulf Coast region; and
WHEREAS, Construction of the project will create 20,000 jobs
nationwide, including construction and manufacturing jobs, create 20
billion dollars in economic growth, and generate 3 billion dollars of
government receipts; and
WHEREAS, A recent study by the United States Department of Energy
found that increasing delivery of crude oil from Montana, North Dakota,
South Dakota, and Alberta, Canada, as well as Texas and Oklahoma, to
American refineries has the potential to substantially reduce our
country's dependency on sources outside of North America; and
WHEREAS, Canada sends more than ninety-nine percent of its oil
exports to the United States, the bulk of which goes to Midwestern
refineries; oil companies are investing huge sums to expand and upgrade
refineries in the Midwest and elsewhere to make gasoline and other
refined products from Canadian oil derived from oil sands; and the
expansion and upgrade projects will create many new construction jobs
over the next five years; and
WHEREAS, Ninety percent of the money used to buy Canadian oil will
likely later be spent directly on United States goods and services in
contrast with increasing the trade relationship with unstable regions,
and, therefore, supporting the continued shift towards reliable and
secure sources of North American oil is of vital interest to the United
States and the state of Washington; and
WHEREAS, The Keystone XL pipeline is critical to jobs and energy
independence for the citizens of Washington as well as all other
states, and it is therefore fitting and proper that the legislature
call upon the federal government to immediately address this issue;
NOW, THEREFORE, Your Memorialists respectively pray that the United
States Congress and the Administration support continued and increased
development and delivery of oil from Canada to the United States, and
that the President of the United States approve the Keystone XL
pipeline project that has been awaiting a presidential permit since
2008 to ensure America's oil independence, improve our national
security, reduce the cost of gasoline, create new jobs, and strengthen
ties between the United States and Canada.
BE IT RESOLVED, That copies of this Memorial be immediately
transmitted to the Honorable Barack Obama, President of the United
States, the Honorable Christine Gregoire, Governor of the State of
Washington, the President of the United States Senate, the Speaker of
the House of Representatives, and each member of Congress from the
State of Washington.