Canada Urging U.S. Keystone Decision as Obama Seen Punting
By Theophilos Argitis and Andrew Mayeda - Jan 17, 2014
Canada is urging President Barack Obama’s administration to make a decision on the Keystone XL pipeline amid signs of further delays in a final ruling on the $5.4-billion project.
Prime Minister Stephen Harper said in an interview yesterday the U.S. move to seek more public comment suggests Obama’s government may postpone a decision further, while Canadian Foreign Minister John Baird called on the U.S. to end the “state of limbo” over the project.
“How much consultation do you need to do?” Harper said in an interview in his Ottawa office. “It’s clearly another punt.”
The U.S. State Department will give the public a second opportunity to comment on the pipeline after an environmental impact review is complete, according to an agency official who spoke on condition of anonymity this week. The agency hasn’t said how long it would accept public comments, though adding that step could delay a decision on the project that has been under U.S. review for more than five years.
“The challenges for Keystone are challenges of timing,” Harper said. “The current administration continues to delay the decision.”
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http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2014-01-16/harper-says-keystone-consultations-signal-obama-punting.html