Megan Graham’s column (Herald, Jan. 11) was refreshing for its effort at balance. That’s a great improvement over the columns by Dan Olson, the bomb-throwing executive director of the San Juan Citizens Alliance. I do, however, have issues with Graham’s column.

She addresses a number of issues, one of which is the approval of the Keystone XL pipeline and her comments are at least disingenuous. Many in Congress want to approve the pipeline, and the president is opposed to it. But what really is being approved? The only reason the government is involved at all is because the pipeline crosses the international border of the United States and Canada. It is only the crossing of that boundary that is under consideration.

Graham maintains that a Senate Energy Committee measure authorizes construction of the 1,179 mile pipeline. That is not true. In fact, much of the pipeline has already been built, and the only issue is the crossing of the border.

Graham further points out that the construction cost is estimated at $8 billion and, by omission, implies that the cost would be borne by us. This too is incorrect. The pipeline will be built, owned and financed by TransCanada Corp. If, because of falling oil prices, the project is not economically viable, then that will be TransCanada’s problem. The decision as to whether or not to continue construction from Steele City, Nebraska, into Alberta, Canada, will be made by TransCanada only after the border crossing is approved.

Graham writes: “Maybe we should cool our collective jets.” There is no “we” or “our”; the decision to build or not is up to the directors of TransCanada.

George Thompson

Durango