Keystone pipeline goes from technical phase to political
Posted Jan 31, 2014 11:50 am.
This article is more than 5 years old.
A hotly anticipated report on the environmental impact of the Keystone XL pipeline project is expected to be announced Friday afternoon.
Though the technical assessment phase is wrapping up, a final decision from Washington could be months or years away.
Even if the State Department approves the construction of the pipeline, which would boost Alberta oilsands shipments to the Gulf Coast, the American public and eight other government agencies will be given 90 days to review the go-ahead.
“The president and Secretary of State John Kerry are going to be deciding whether this is in the best interest of the United States,” said Clare Demerse, director of federal policy for the Pembina Institute.
“If any goverment department, like Envrionmental Protection or the Department of the Interior decide they need more information, they can put in a request for additional study, and that would stop the review clock.”
Demerse said, because of the complexity of the project and concerns about its impact on climate change, nobody should be surprised if a decision is still a long way off.
