U.S., in Reversal, Issues Permit for Keystone Oil Pipeline
The Trump administration announced Friday that it would issue a permit for construction of the Keystone oil pipeline, a long-disputed project that would link producers in Canada and North Dakota with refiners and export terminals on the Gulf Coast.
The announcement by the State Department reversed the position of the Obama administration. It followed a 60-day review that was set in motion as one of the first acts of President Trumps tenure.
The pipeline has been the focus of a long fight between environmentalists and the projects advocates, who say it would further the goals of energy independence and economic growth. When President Barack Obama rejected the project in late 2015, he said it would undermine American leadership in curbing reliance on carbon fuels.
The announcement on Friday said the State Department considered a range of factors, including but not limited to foreign policy; energy security; environmental, cultural, and economic impacts; and compliance with applicable law and policy.
https://www.nytimes.com/2017/03/24/business/energy-environment/keystone-oil-pipeline.html