Obama To Reject Keystone XL Pipeline
He will cite climate concerns.
President Obama will reject a presidential permit Friday for the controversial Keystone XL pipeline, according to individuals briefed on the decision, citing concerns about its impact on the climate.
The decision to deny TransCanada Corp. a cross-border permit for a 1,179-mile pipeline between Hardisty, Alberta, and Steele City, Neb. puts an end -- at least for now -- to a seven-year fight over a project that came to symbolize what Obama could do unilaterally to keep fossil fuels in the ground.
On Wednesday the State Department rejected TransCanada's request to suspend its review of the pipeline until the Nebraska Public Service Commission approved a revised route through the state. The completed pipeline would move roughly 830,000 barrels a day of heavy crude oil to U.S. Gulf Coast refineries.
The move, which is sure to anger congressional Republicans, the oil industry and some Democratic backers of the pipeline, drew immediate praise from environmentalists.