Environmentalists suffered another setback this week in their long crusade to block construction of the Keystone XL pipeline, as pressure builds on the Obama administration to set aside its reservations and support development of a pipeline to carry crude oil from the tar sands of Canada to refineries on the Gulf Coast. Marcia McNutt, the former head of the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) and now editor-in-chief of the highly regarded Science magazine, endorsed the pipeline three weeks after the State Department issued a much anticipated final environmental assessment that bolstered the case for advocates of the project. McNutt, who headed the USGS from 2009 to 2013 and previously opposed the project, wrote in a Science editorial, “I believe it is time to move forward on the Keystone XL pipeline.” She said approval of the project could be made conditional on Canada’s agreeing to reduce its oil industry’s carbon emissions. The Natural Resources Defense Council, the Sierra Club and other major environmental groups have vigorously opposed the pipeline – warning of the dangers of oil spills, serious damage to wildlife and ground water, and worsening climate change.
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Environmentalists Suffer Another Blow in Keystone XL Battle