Keystone pipeline would have minimal impact on environment, says State Department report

A highly anticipated report by the State Department on the possible environmental impact of the Keystone XL oil pipeline shows that it would have minimal impact. The results may lead to President Barack Obama eventually approving of the pipeline’s construction.

The proposed pipeline would bring crude from Canadian oil sands to the U.S., notes NBC News. The president had been reluctant to sign off on it, fearing that it would have a negative impact, but it had support from Republicans and even some Democrats. Labor unions also supported the plan.

According to the New York Times, the report concluded that the pipeline isn’t likely to make oil companies extract more or less tar sands oil, which produces more carbon pollution that oil drilling. Essentially, the State Department believes that the oil will be extracted this way anyway, so there’s no reason to expect that the pipeline would have an impact.

The reason why the State Department was the one evaluating the Keystone project was because it would cross the border with Canada. It is a $7 billion project lead by TransCanada Corp. and the State Department has been examining the proposal since 2008. Its next task is evaluating how the pipeline is in the national interest. Secretary of State John Kerry will have to weigh in, but it is Obama’s final decision to make.

“Mr. President, no more stalling– no more excuses,” Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) said Friday. “Please pick up that pen you’ve been talking so much about and make this happen. Americans need these jobs.”

image: Wikimedia Commons

WordPress › Error

There has been a critical error on your website.

Learn more about debugging in WordPress.