US House approves Keystone XL Pipeline project
Posted November 14, 2014 12:50 pm.
This article is more than 5 years old.
WASHINGTON (NEWS1130) – The Republican-controlled House of Representatives has passed legislation to approve the Keystone XL oil pipeline from Canada to Texas, and the Senate may follow next week.
The House voted 252-161 on a bill sponsored by Republican Rep. Bill Cassidy of Louisiana.
The pipeline has been stalled by environmental reviews, objections to its route and politics for six years. But the latest bid by the House Republicans has the best chance of reaching President Barack Obama’s desk.
Senate supporters said they were confident they’d have the 60 votes needed for passage next Tuesday.
The White House has threatened to veto similar attempts to move the pipeline forward.
What does this move mean for BC?
While some say final approval of Keystone in the US could mean the demise of the Enbridge Northern Gateway Pipeline, Jonn Axsen with SFU’s Energy and Materials Research Group doesn’t think that’s the case.
“The federal government still wants to build that, still wants to access Asian markets. So, whether or not there’s any more [or less] certainty about the Keystone XL, I think the federal government will keep pushing for Northern Gateway and I think we’ll still see the conflict that we’ve already been seeing.”
“The federal government in Canada is quite strongly in favour of expanding oilsands and wants to do that whatever way it can. Whether it’s Keystone XL, Northern Gateway pipeline or whatever else, it’s been very supportive of those proposals,” he adds.
The house vote today doesn’t mean much, as Keystone still needs approval in the Senate and US President Barack Obama.
Obama says the project benefits Canada but he’s pushing back against Republican claims it will create jobs in the US.
