The US state department has raised no major
environmental objections to the Keystone XL oil
pipeline from Canada, according to a new report.
Environmentalists say the pipeline will lead to increased
carbon emissions, contribute to global warming, and
risk spills on its route.
President Barack Obama has yet to decide whether he
will permit it.
The 1,179-mile (1,897km) pipeline would carry tar sand
oil from Alberta in Canada to Nebraska.
The oil would then be transported on existing pipes to
refineries in Texas. The southern section of the project
was finished last year.
The Keystone XL project aims to carry some 830,000
barrels of heavy crude a day from the fields in Alberta.
Political debate
The US still needs to approve 875 miles of the route
across American land.
On Friday, a spokesman said the White House was still
awaiting further review from other government agencies
and the public.
"The president has clearly stated that the project will be
in the national interest only if it does not significantly
exacerbate the problem of carbon pollution," Matt
Lehrich said.
In an environmental impact statement released on
Friday, the state department said that approval was
"unlikely to significantly impact the rate of extraction in
the oil sands or the continued demand for heavy crude
oil at refineries in the United States".
The report does not directly recommend approval of the
875-mile section. Rather, it is described as a technical
assessment of the project's environmental impact.
The pipeline would be built by TransCanada Corp, which
first applied for a permit from the US government in
2008.
TransCanada chief executive Russ Girling said on Friday
he was "very pleased" with the report's findings.
The project, estimated at $7bn (£4.26bn), has become
a source of significant debate, with environmental
groups saying it would contribute to global warming.
The opposition Republicans have long supported the
initiative, saying it will boost the US economy, create
jobs, and reduce North America's dependence on foreign
oil.
"This report from the Obama administration once again
confirms that there is no reason for the White House to
continue stalling construction of the Keystone XL
pipeline," Republican Senate Minority Leader Mitch
McConnell said in a statement.
"So, Mr President, no more stalling- no more excuses.
Please pick up that pen you've been talking so much
about and make this happen. Americans need these
jobs."
Environmental groups condemned the report. The
National Resources Defense Council said it was
"absolutely not in our national interest" to allow its
construction.
"Piping the dirtiest oil on the planet through the heart of
America would endanger our farms, our communities,
our fresh water and our climate," the council's
international programme director, Susan Casey-
Lefkowitz, said.
Other US agencies, including the Environmental
Protection Agency, have 90 days to comment before the
state department issues its final recommendation to Mr
Obama.
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