The original content of Democracy Now! Headlines appears under the Creative
Commons BY-NC-ND 3.0 License (United States). For more, including their other
shows and media, visit www.democracynow.org.
March 4, 2013

Environmentalists Decry State Dept. Environmental Review of Keystone XL 
------------------------------------------------------------------------


 
A State Department review has concluded the proposed Keystone XL tar
sands oil pipeline does not pose a serious threat to the environment.
The long-awaited assessment acknowledges extraction of tar sands oil
produces more greenhouse gases than conventional sources. But it says
that increase is only between 5 to 19 percent, not the far greater
numbers critics have alleged. The review is seen as a major boost to the
pipeline's chances as President Obama nears a decision on its fate. In a
statement, the environmentalist group Sierra Club denounced the
assessment, saying: "Whether this failure was willful or accidental,
this report is nothing short of malpractice. ... [President Obama]
should throw the State Department’s report away and reject the dirty
and dangerous Keystone XL pipeline."

 

.