Americas News
White House Vows Veto of Keystone Bill
The administration of U.S. President Barack Obama said he would veto legislation that would have allowed the Keystone XL oil pipeline to move forward without State Department approval, Bloomberg reports.
The bill, passed by the Republican-controlled House of Representatives, is unlikely to come before the president because the Democrat-majority Senate is not considering similar legislation, and Democrats have called the house vote largely symbolic.
The measure would allow TransCanada Corp. to build the pipeline, which is designed to carry oil from oil sands in the Canadian province of Alberta's oil sands to the U.S. Gulf Coast, without completing a government review that is now underway.
"It is time for the president to put his political calculations aside, work with Republicans to approve the Keystone pipeline, and advance a growth and jobs agenda that will help our economy grow and put more Americans back to work," said House Speaker John Boehner.
The house approved the bill by a 241 to 175 margin.
Supporters of the pipeline say it will create jobs and help the energy industry, while opponents argue that it would encourage greenhouse-gas emitting development in Alberta and risk oil spills along its route.
In a statement, the White House Office of Management and Budget said the measure would "circumvent longstanding and proven processes" and "prevents the thorough consideration of complex issues that could have serious security, safety, environmental and other ramifications."
Ship & Bunker reported on Monday that U.S. Gulf Coast fuel oil production levels could be boosted by the Keystone XL oil pipeline.
Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper has been pushing the U.S. to move forward and approve the project.
