[Congressional Record Volume 157, Number 167 (Thursday, November 3, 2011)]
[House]
[Pages H7262-H7263]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                   JOBS FOR ALBERTA, JOBS FOR AMERICA

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Chair recognizes the gentleman from 
South Carolina (Mr. Wilson) for 5 minutes.
  Mr. WILSON of South Carolina. Two weeks ago, I traveled to Fort 
McMurray in the province of Alberta, in Canada, with subcommittee 
chairman John Shimkus of Illinois and Congressman Bob Latta of Ohio of 
the Energy and Commerce Committee. We were accompanied by the Honorable 
Cal Dallas, the Minister of Intergovernmental, International and 
Aboriginal Relations for Alberta. We were welcomed to Edmonton by the 
Honorable Alison Redford, the newly inaugurated Premier of Alberta.
  The purpose of this visit was to see firsthand the development of 
Canadian oil sands and to fully understand the positive impact this 
exploration has for the American people. We were briefed on the 
Keystone pipeline and how this project creates jobs. We saw the 
environmental stewardship where development is subject to environmental 
standards that are among the most stringent in the world. The 
Government of Alberta requires that companies remediate and reclaim 100 
percent of the land after the oil has been extracted.
  This project will connect a growing supply of Canadian oil with the 
largest

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refining markets in the United States and will significantly reduce 
America's reliance on oil from overseas as new jobs are created in 
Canada and America. As oil sands production grows in the next 4 years, 
the industry is expected to generate 340,000 new jobs. This is in 
addition to the 110,000 jobs currently provided. There are more than 
900 American businesses that supply goods and services for the Canadian 
oil sands development.
  In my home State of South Carolina, oil sands development will add up 
to $128 million per year to the State's economy, and it will support 
nearly 2,000 jobs per year. Companies in South Carolina supply 
equipment, parts and services used in the oil sands projects and 
pipelines.
  In this picture, we are standing in front of a 12-foot-high tire made 
by Michelin in Lexington County, South Carolina. Each tire is valued at 
$60,000. The Michelin plants in Lexington currently employ over 500 
people in the Earth-mover division. The tire manufacturer also has 
facilities in the upcountry of our State, with their North American 
headquarters in Greenville.
  There are also over 100 large mine haul trucks operating in the oil 
sands, powered by MTU engines. The engines are produced in Aiken 
County, South Carolina. By next year, the plant in Graniteville will be 
producing MTU's largest engine for the haul truck market. When MTU 
announced last year that Aiken County was to be its home for its new 
manufacturing facility, the company pledged to invest $45 million and 
to create 250 new jobs over 4 years. However, last month, plant 
officials said MTU is already employing 250 people and will achieve its 
investment goal by the end of this year.
  It's very simple. If Canadian families do well, American families do 
well. For every dollar the U.S. spends on imports from Canada, 90 cents 
is returned to the American economy, paying for equipment and services. 
Developing the oil sands is clearly more jobs for Canada and more jobs 
for America. We all know our country needs to be less dependent on oil 
from overseas. Canada's oil sands are clearly mutually beneficial to 
Canada and America and the security of North America.
  Very significantly, Canada's enormous deposits of 175.2 billion 
barrels of proven reserves of oil place it third in the world, and 170 
billion of these barrels are in the oil sands. These deposits place 
Canada as one of the central sources of production growth in the coming 
decades. It represents about 60 percent of the world's accessible oil, 
which is right here in our neighborhood. I am grateful that Canada is 
our largest trading partner and the largest supplier of oil to America. 
Canada contributes 22 percent of the total oil imports for America's 
daily use of 19.1 million barrels.
  Congress has indicated its support for oil sands. In July, we passed 
the North American-Made Energy Security Act. This bill urges the 
President to approve the pipeline. I appreciate jobs for Alberta which 
produce jobs for America.

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