US President supports Keystone XL pipeline with conditions
Posted June 25, 2013 12:08 pm.
This article is more than 5 years old.
WASHINGTON (NEWS1130) – US President Barack Obama says TransCanada’s Keystone XL pipeline should only be approved by US authorities if it won’t lead to a net increase of greenhouse gas emissions.
Obama made the statement today as he unveiled a national plan to combat climate change.
He weighed in on Keystone despite suggestions he would steer clear of the controversial project, which is in the midst of a State Department review.
Obama says ensuring the project doesn’t significantly increase emissions is “absolutely critical” to determine whether it will go ahead.
He says the project needs to be in the national interest of the United States in order to win approval.
Keystone XL has become a flashpoint for US environmentalists, who have branded it a symbol of “dirty oil” amid a fierce public relations battle against the project.
