WASHINGTON —
Nebraska Gov. Dave Heineman’s approval of a revised route for the Keystone XL oil pipeline puts the long-delayed project back in the hands of the federal government.
But don’t look for a quick decision on the $7 billion project, which would carry oil from Canada to the Texas Gulf Coast if allowed to move forward.
State Department officials said they do not expect to complete a review of the project before the end of March.
“I think we need to let our folks continue to do the work that they’re doing,” State Department spokeswoman Victoria Nuland said Tuesday. “I think we obviously want to take the Nebraska environmental study, we want to compare it with the work that we’ve done ... and crunch it into our own work.”
The Obama administration has twice blocked the 1,700-mile pipeline, which Calgary-based TransCanada first proposed in late 2008. The project was thwarted after environmental groups and others raised concerns about a proposed route through environmentally sensitive land in Nebraska.
President Barack Obama himself blocked the project in January 2012, saying his concerns about the Nebraska route had not been resolved. TransCanada submitted a new application last spring.
House Speaker John Boehner, R-Ohio, said Heineman’s decision leaves Obama with no other choice but to approve the pipeline, which would carry up to 800,000 barrels of oil a day from tar sands in western Canada to refineries in Houston and other Texas ports. The pipeline also would travel though Montana, South Dakota, Nebraska, Kansas and Oklahoma.
“Nebraska’s approval of a new Keystone XL pipeline route means there is no bureaucratic excuse, hurdle or catch President Obama can use to delay this project any further,” Boehner said.
Boehner said all six states along the proposed route now support the project, which also is backed by a bipartisan coalition in Congress. Polls show a majority of Americans also back the pipeline.
Boehner said he recognizes the political pressure Obama faces from environmental groups and others who oppose the project, but said “with our energy security at stake and many jobs in limbo, he should find a way to say yes.”
White House spokesman Jay Carney said the State Department was reviewing the project and he did not want to “get ahead of that process.”
Once that review is completed, “we’ll obviously address that issue,” Carney said Tuesday.
Environmental groups have been pressuring Obama to reject the pipeline, which they say would transport “dirty oil” and produce heat-trapping gases that contribute to global warming. They also worry about a possible spill.
Even as they cheered Obama’s vow during his inaugural address to respond to climate change, some of the president’s strongest supporters say they fear his legacy on the issue could be damaged if he approves the pipeline.
Sen. Barbara Boxer, D-Calif., chairwoman of the Senate Environment Committee, said approval of the pipeline would “undo” much of the good on climate Obama achieved by sharply raising fuel-economy standards for cars and trucks.
“If he did that plus 17 other good things” her concerns might be lessened, Boxer said Tuesday. “It depends. It’s such a dirty pipeline.”
Heineman had previously said he would oppose any pipeline route that endangered the Ogallala Aquifer, a massive groundwater supply for much of the Midwest.
In a three-page letter to federal officials Tuesday, Heineman said he believes any spills along the new route would be localized and cleanup responsibilities would fall to TransCanada. He also said the project would result in $418.1 million in economic benefits for the state, plus $16.5 million in state tax revenue from the pipeline construction materials.
Canadian officials welcomed Heineman’s action and urged Obama to approve the project.
“As we have repeatedly said, the Keystone XL Pipeline will create thousands of jobs on both sides of the border — including 140,000 in Canada,” said Andrew MacDougall, a spokesman for Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper.
Jane Kleeb, a pipeline opponent, said Heineman “just performed one of the biggest flip-flops that we’ve seen in Nebraska political history.”
National News
Final Keystone pipeline decision still months away
- National News
-
-
Former TWA Flight 800 investigators want new probe
Former investigators are pushing to reopen the probe into the 1996 crash of TWA Flight 800 off the coast of New York, saying new evidence points to the often-discounted theory that a missile strike may have downed the jumbo jet.
-
Traffic returns to Washington bridge that collapsed
Cars and trucks are rolling again across the Interstate 5 Skagit River bridge, restoring the traffic flow on the main route between Seattle and Vancouver, British Columbia.
-
Investors look for answers on economy from Fed
Worry and speculation have consumed investors since Chairman Ben Bernanke spoke to Congress last month about the Federal Reserve’s drive to keep long-term interest rates at record lows.
-
Utah man shot in church upgraded to fair condition
It was a quiet part of the Father’s Day Mass as about 300 people stood up in preparation for communion.
-
House committee takes up tough immigration bill
A key committee in the Republican-led House moved Tuesday toward approving a tough enforcement-focused immigration bill, over objections from Democrats and disruptions from protesters shouting “Shame, shame, shame!”
-
Chrysler expected to formally refuse Jeep recall
In one of the biggest-ever showdowns between an automaker and the government, Chrysler on Tuesday is expected to file papers explaining its refusal to recall 2.7 million older Jeep SUVs that are at risk of catching fire in rear-end collisions.
-
Reputed Mafioso tip triggers new Hoffa body search
The FBI saw enough merit in a reputed Mafia captain’s tip to once again break out the digging equipment to search for the remains of former Teamsters union leader Jimmy Hoffa, last seen alive before a lunch meeting with two mobsters nearly 40 years ago.
-
Hitchhiking cat ’Mata Hairi’ headed home to Oregon
A well-traveled cat named “Mata Hairi” will soon be reunited with her owner after spending nearly 10 months traveling thousands of miles with a hitchhiker who rescued her from the rain.
-
For young immigrants, a delayed coming of age
As a child, Jorge Tume used to sit and do homework as his parents cleaned the desks and floors of a concrete company in Miami. When he was done, he’d take out the trash and help finish cleaning.
-
Court: Arizona citizenship proof law illegal
The Supreme Court ruled Monday that states cannot on their own require would-be voters to prove they are U.S. citizens before using a federal registration system designed to make signing up easier.
- More National News Headlines
-
Fmr. TWA Flight 800 Investigators Want New Probe
Raw: Heat, Spurs Back on Court Ahead of Game 7
Dolce and Gabbana Convicted of Tax Evasion
Paris, Prince Depositions Used in Jackson Trial
Coiffed Cattle Get Their Close-up
In Berlin, Obama Channels Cold War Activism
Police at Patriots Tight End's Home for 2nd Day
Fed Suggests Bond Purchases Could Slow
AP: DOJ Broke Own Rules Seizing Phone Records
Raw: Baby White Rhino Debuts at Australian Zoo
Time Lapse: Rebuilding Bridge Post-collapse
Ohio Woman Accuses 3 of Holding Her Captive
Hunt for Ex-Teamster Boss Hoffa's Remains Ends
Aug. Trial Set for Ohio Man in Triple Kidnapping
Car Crash in NYC's East Village Injures 8
