The Hill News

Imagine this: you come up with a business plan. You raise the funds to get it started and you file applications for all of the legally-required permits.

Then, you start to wait for a decision on your permits. You wait a year. You start to wonder what is taking so long with the permit evaluations.

You wait another year. You notice that similar projects are receiving their permits, though you haven’t. You wait a third year and you still don’t receive a determination on your permits. The entire time you’re waiting, you’re dedicating time and precious financial resources to making certain your project remains viable.   
 
Well, now you can relate to the people who planned the Keystone pipeline extension. In September of 2008, the extension’s developer filed an Application for a Presidential Permit with the State Department (required because the pipeline extension crosses the U.S.-Canadian border). The developer still hasn’! t received a decision on the permit, and the project remains in limbo. All other cross-border pipelines have been approved within an 18 to 24 month time frame, but the Keystone extension continues to wait for President Obama’s verdict.  

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