Obama rejects plans for Canada-US oil pipeline

“We never expected him to approve the pipeline in the first place”. To do otherwise would, in particular, disrespect Canada, rightly described by the State Department on Friday as “one of our closest strategic allies and energy trading partners”. David Vitter, jumped into the fray and issued statements about the rejection.

In Louisiana both gubernatorial candidates weighed in. senator David Vitter said the pipeline decision amounted to: “choosing the far left liberal agenda over creating tens of thousands of American jobs”. However, he also questioned the decision, stating that the decision contradicts the stated objective of Obama’s opposition, which was to avoid contributing to so-called anthropogenic climate change.

So sad that Obama rejected Keystone Pipeline.

The project has become an environmental lightning rod in both Canada and the United States over energy security and the environmental impacts of carbon-intensive oilsands production. He went on to say the pipeline would not lower gas prices and it’s been steadily falling, about 77 cents over the past year.

Tar sands are a mixture of clay, sand and heavy crude oil.

“Those of us who remember the 2013 tar sands pipeline rupture in Mayflower are celebrating today’s decision”, Hooks said.

And transporting oil by either train or ship will increase the potential of a major accident.

The pipeline was widely opposed by several environmental groups, including the Sierra Club and 350.org, which considered the Keystone XL Pipeline as a step backwards for climate change and would only encourage consumers to continue to rely on fossil fuels. “The Canada-U.S. relationship is much bigger than any one project and I look forward to a fresh start with President Obama to strengthen our remarkable ties in a spirit of friendship and co-operation”. They argued it would create jobs, reduce oil prices, and reduce America’s dependency on foreign oil.

In Missoula, many people NBC Montana spoke with were uncertain of their opinion, given their knowledge of the pipeline.

TransCanada said it would review its options, an indication that it might re-apply after the presidential election in 2016. “Louisiana families want Keystone built”.

U.S. Rep. Charles Boustany, R-Lafayette, called the president’s decision “a tragic missed opportunity for our country”.

Killing the pipeline allows Obama to claim aggressive action on the environment.

“The oil is still up there and in the ground, and it means money to the Canadians and to the big oil companies in this country too, so they’re going to keep fighting”, Carlson says. The bill authorized the construction, connection, operation, and maintenance of the pipeline, deeming the Secretary of State’s January 2014 Final Supplemental Environmental Impact sufficient to satisfy the requirements of the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969, and all other federal agency consultation or review. Between producing more oil here at home, and using less oil throughout our economy, we met that goal last year – five years early.