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November 3, 2011

Obama: I Will Make Final Decision on Keystone XL Tar Sands Oil Pipeline 
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President Obama has said for the first time he will make the final
decision on whether to approve Trans Canada's controversial Keystone XL
tar sands oil pipeline from Alberta, Canada, to refineries in Texas. Up
until now, Obama said the final decision rested wit the State
Department. Obama made the comment in an interview with a local TV
station in Nebraska where there has been fierce opposition to the
pipeline.

President Barack Obama: “The State Department is in charge of
analyzing this. They will be giving me a report over the next several
months and, you know, my general attitude is, 'What is best for the
American people? What’s best for our economy both short term and long
term?' But also, what's best for the health of the American people?
Because we don’t want, for example aquifers ... adversely affected.
Folks in Nebraska obviously would be directly impacted, and so we want
to make sure we’re taking the long view on these issues.”

On Sunday, environmentalists led by the Tar Sands Action, are planning a
major protest in Washington, D.C., against the proposed pipeline.
Organizers say they hope to have thousands of people encircle the White
House.



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