Source:
Wash. PostPresident Obama said Tuesday that he will decide whether to approve or deny a permit for a controversial 1,700-mile Canadian oil pipeline , rather than delegating the decision to the State Department.
The proposal by the firm TransCanada to ship crude extracted from a region in Alberta called the “oil sands” to Gulf Coast refineries has become a charged political issue for the White House. Labor unions and business groups argue that it would create thousands of jobs in the midst of an economic downturn. Environmentalists — who plan to ring the White House in a protest on Sunday — say the extraction of the oil will accelerate global warming and the pipeline itself could spill, polluting waterways and causing severe environmental harm.
In an interview with the Omaha television station KETV, the president said he would weigh the Keystone XL pipeline’s potential economic benefits against its possible environmental consequences. The Nebraska legislature convened Tuesday in a special session, called by Gov. Dave Heineman (R), to consider whether it should adopt any measures that would block the pipeline.
Referring to the State Department, Obama told KETV, “They’ll be giving me a report over the next several months and, you know, my general attitude is: What is best for the American people? What’s best for our economy both short term and long term? But also: What’s best for the health of the American people?”
Read more:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/national/health-science/obama-to-make-decision-on-controversial-oil-pipeline/2011/11/01/gIQAp5M9dM_story.html?wprss=
So a Republican governor and Republican legislature want to block the pipeline. Given the scary implications of Keystone, this is one time when Obama SHOULD listen to Republicans.