Hank Johnson: “This bill is about profits over people. This bill puts the Koch brothers' profits above people's health. No one knows…”

“This bill is about profits over people. This bill puts the Koch brothers' profits above people's health. No one knows how much air pollution this pipeline will cause or how the pollution will impact public health. My amendment, which has been endorsed by the National Resources Defense Council and by the Sierra Club, is common sense. I'm simply requesting a thorough analysis of the potential health risks. I am essentially asking that that analysis be completed before any decision is made on the pipeline. Even though the State Department has submitted two Environmental Impact Statements on the Keystone XL pipeline, the Environmental Protection Agency has found that neither statement included a satisfactory evaluation of the increased air pollution that would come as a result of the pipeline's operation. Communities surrounding the oil refineries that would be transporting raw tar sands crude through this proposed pipeline are already exposed to dirty air. Approval of the Keystone XL pipeline will only make it worse. The raw tar sands crude is more toxic and acidic than other types of crude, Mr. Chairman. Raw tar sands crude produces significantly more harmful pollutants and greenhouse gas emissions than conventional crude oil due to the complex refining process it must go through before it reaches the gas pumps.…”