Canada urges US Keystone XL decision

Canada is urging President Barack Obama’s administration to make a decision on the controversial Keystone XL pipeline, amid signs of further delays.

Canada’s Foreign Minister, John Baird, used his trip to Washington to urge the US to decide the fate of the US$ 5.4 billion project.

Speaking at the US Chamber of Commerce, Baird announced “The time for a decision on Keystone is now, even if it is not the right one.” He added, “We cannot continue in this state of limbo.”

The Keystone XL project is currently under review at the State Department. Earlier this week, Prime Minister Stephan Harper said the US move to seek more public comments suggests Obama’s government may further postpone a decision. Haper said any further delay is "clearly another punt."

Baird warned if no new pipelines are built, Canadian and Bakken oil will be shipped to the US Gulf Coast by rail. Baird said, “Compared to sending by pipelines, sending by rail causes higher greenhouse-gas emissions and raises the per-mile incident rate.”

TransCanada Chief Executive Russ Girling has also expressed the possibility of building rail terminals if the Obama administration fails to approve the pipeline. Girling emphasised, however, that pipelines are “by far a safer alternative”.

Edited from various sources by Hannah Priestley-Eaton

Read the article online at: https://www.worldpipelines.com/business-news/20012014/canada_urges_us_keystone_xl_decision/