I don't care how many temporary or full-time jobs it provides, this plan is nuts: any plan that takes land to put a big pipe filled with anything across our country, but especially oil across or even near "a critical aquifer in Nebraska, including the Ogallala Aquifer that serves 30 percent of the nation’s agriculture" (Note 1) is grossly irresponsible - totally nuts.

Can you not imagine the thousands of acres of land and homes that will be taken from homeowners by Imminent domain, the trees that will be cut, the service roads and buildings that will be built to maintain the pipeline, the miles of causeways over wet or lower ground, and the various other intrusions and permanent disruptions that will come as a result of such a hideous structure? What about the intrusions on the natural world, and the night lights and security patrols? What about bullet holes from radicals and acts of terrorism? This is clearly a 'not-in my-backyard' project because no one would want it next door.

The proposed "$7 billion Keystone XL would cross six states before ending up near the Gulf of Mexico. It would allow oil producers to pump 900,000 barrels a day more from the world’s second-largest oil reserve. The U.S. already gets 2 million barrels of oil per day from Canada which accounts for 20 percent of its imports." (Note 2)

If the oil from Canada is desired then a new refinery should be built on the Canadian border. Having a second major refinery at a distant location from the first would also reduce the risk of a national energy disaster should an accident severely damage or terrorists attack the Gulf Coast refinery.

Note 1, 2: http://www.foxnews.com/us/2011/08/17/energy-in-america-keystone-xls-oil-sands-pipeline-up-in-air/?