WASHINGTON (Sputnik) — US President Barack Obama sent a letter to the US Senate on Tuesday vetoing the Keystone XL Pipeline Approval Act from moving forward, the White House announced in a statement.
“I am returning herewith without my approval S. 1, the ‘Keystone XL Pipeline Approval Act.’ Through this bill, the United States Congress attempts to circumvent longstanding and proven processes for determining whether or not building and operating a cross-border pipeline serves the national interest,” President Obama said in the statement on Tuesday.
“Because this act of Congress conflicts with established executive branch procedures and cuts short thorough consideration of issues that could bear on our national interest — including our security, safety, and environment — it has earned my veto,” Obama added.
Obama had continuously threatened to veto the bill despite the fact that both chambers of the US Congress passed the Keystone XL pipeline bill.
The Keystone XL pipeline would connect Alberta, Canada and the US Gulf Coast. The pipeline would bring an additional 830,000 barrels of oil per day to US refineries, according to the congressional Energy and Commerce Committee estimate.
Environmentalists claim the Keystone XL pipeline project will contribute to carbon emissions and climate change. However, the US State Department Environmental Impact Statement released in January said that Keystone XL will not cause a significant impact.
