In a separate legal action, the Canadian company filed a challenge under the North American Free Trade Agreement saying the president’s decision was “arbitrary and unjustified” and violated a portion of the landmark trade deal.
“We have just seen the announcement. We do not comment on pending litigation,” a State Department representative said Wednesday night.The pipeline, which would connect to existing infrastructure in the U.S. and transport more than 800,000 barrels of Canadian oil each day from Alberta to refineries on the Gulf Coast, was under federal review for seven years before the president announced his decision in November.
The painfully long process divided the president’s allies. Environmentalists urged him to squash Keystone, and powerful labor unions pushed the administration to green-light the project and create tens of thousands of jobs in the process.
In the end, Mr. Obama sided with environmental activists.
Even though the State Department concluded that Keystone would not significantly increase North American greenhouse gas emissions, the president said it was important to send a signal to the rest of the world that the U.S. was ready to lead the fight against global warming.
“Frankly, approving this project would’ve undercut that global leadership. And that’s the biggest risk we face — not acting,” the president said in November. “Today, we’re continuing to lead by example. America is going to hold ourselves to the same high standards to which we hold the rest of the world.”
TransCanada’s lawsuit is the latest in a long line of legal headaches for the White House. The president also is facing legal challenges to pieces of his climate change agenda, his executive action halting deportations for many illegal immigrants and other policies.
In two months, new Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau will visit the White House for a state dinner. Keystone long has been a bone of contention between the two countries, and former Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper had been a vocal critic of Mr. Obama’s handling of the project.
The latest legal fight over the pipeline is unique in the sense that most observers considered the project dead. But Wednesday’s news ensures that the project will be at the forefront during Mr. Obama’s final 12 months in office.
“TransCanada’s legal actions challenge the foundation of the U.S. administration’s decision to deny a presidential border crossing permit for the project,” TransCanada said in a statement.
Opponents of Keystone say TransCanada is engaging in greed.
“Keystone XL is dead and nothing about this legal maneuvering changes that. But, TransCanada ought to be ashamed of trying to extract billions in U.S. taxpayer dollars to boost its profits after being stopped in its tracks from building a dirty, dangerous tar sands pipeline in our backyards,” Michael Brune, executive director of the powerful environmental activist group the Sierra Club, said in a statement. “In TransCanada’s world, if it cannot profit off of harming our health, climate, and environment, then it will demand our tax dollars.”
Supporters of the project long have maintained that Keystone was unfairly targeted and, for political reasons, was turned into a test of whether the president was serious about combating climate change.
Killing Keystone on grounds of global warming, critics say, entirely disregards the economic benefits of the project. State Department research shows that the pipeline would create more than 40,000 jobs.
“The demonization of the Keystone XL pipeline remains a powerful cautionary tale of the dangers of energy policy driven by ideology rather than economic reality and has a chilling effect on expansion efforts for our nation’s energy infrastructure,” American Petroleum Institute President and CEO Jack Gerard said during a speech this week.
Wednesday’s action by TransCanada also brings NAFTA and its Chapter 11 provisions into the spotlight.
Those provisions offer investors from NAFTA countries recourse if they believe they have been subjected to unfair discrimination.
In its filing, TransCanada said the administration has approved numerous other pipeline projects and wrongly singled out Keystone.
“By delaying the processing of Keystone’s application for the Keystone XL pipeline, and applying new and arbitrary criteria in deciding to deny the application, the United States discriminated against, and significantly damaged, the disputing investors,” TransCanada said in explaining why it is seeking $15 billion in damages from the U.S. government.
By Ben Wolfgang, The Washington Times
32 Comments
He (Obama) should have “NO” control over a item that would lower the cost of oil to the USA. It cost 7 to 9.00/ barrel to ship by rail verse 3 to 4.00 a barrel via the pipeline. Not forgetting the new jobs this would create. Now Mr. Buffet owns the rail road line that move the oil now & I am sure he told Obama not to allow the pipeline to go through.
Taxpayers should not be held accountable. The president should be held accountable since he has crowned himself king.
I totally agree with this ad ,Sad thing is in Massillon Ohio , they have about 100,000 pipes staked up for the XL pipe line . Obama is hurting 40,000 good paying jobs . Makes no sense to stop something like this . Americans need to stop voting Democrat and start voting for Trump , America needs jobs , we need to make America great once again . Stop all of this Communist Liberal Democrats in their tracks >
When you think about how many oil train accidents have occurred, building the Keystone Pipeline would be a positive step toward preserving the environment. But we may not be driving as much in the near future. The mileage requirements for new cars is 54.5 mpg by 2025 and Governor Brown of California wants to cut gasoline use in half by 2030. So what will that do to our lifestyles and budgets?
I DO NOT FEEL IT IS ALRIGHT 2 HAVE OBAMA VETO ANY JOBS
why should us citizens have to pay for our stupid president’s stupid decision?
I HAVE ALWAYS SAID HE IS A COMMUNIST NAZI QUEER MUSLIM LOVING BASTARD HE WILL DO ANYTHING TO DESTROY OUR GREAT COUNTRY PLEASE VOTE FOR TRUMP HE IS THE ONLY CANDIDATE WHO WILL SAVE OUR GREAT NATION
I agree except that no one can save our great nation now. He has accomplished most of his goals so far except getting our guns. And he will not stop at that. Our american dollar is fixing to be worthless and that will cause more than enough chaos in our nation for him to call a state of emergency and put us under ML so he can have military take our weapons and food and try and put us in FEMA camps and soup lines. He’s part of UN’s Agenda 21!!!!!!!!!!! One world nation and currency. No one has heard yet that he has bought a 4.3 million dollar villa in UAE!!!!!!!!! Why would a christain american pres do that????????? He wouldn’t!!!!!! The Admiral that whisttled blowed it has been fired for viewing porn on pc when you can not access porn on military net!!!!!!!!!!!! They shut him up!!!!!
I was for Trump until he said he was for the Patriot Act. He is not on our side afterall.
TAKE AWAY ALL OF STUPID OBAMAS RIGHTS. CLIMATE CHANGE MEANS NOTHING.
START PUTTING TOGETHER THE PIPELINE WITHOUT HIS SAY. SHOOT ANY BODY THAT CREATES A PROBLEM.
what I think is none of your business
This Pres. is anti American
I agree because this administration hates America.
why should we foot the bill?He should pay it,since he veto it! Why doesn’t congress make him pay it?Why do we have them for?//
It seems like everything Obama does costs the taxpayers money.
As I understand, there will be only a limited number of long term jobs, less then 50.
All of the jobs you and everyone else talk about are construction jobs and how long will they last. No one that is in favor of the pipeline shares the complete story with the public.
Also who will get the benefit of the pipeline and where will the oil end up being consumed ?
In order to build the pipeline, Keystone is crying eminent domain and taking away property from families who owned the property for generations. The pipeline is to go through the Ogallala aquifer which five states use. When (NOT if) a pipe leaks or breaks, the Ogallala aquifer will be destroyed. Where do you come up with 40,000 jobs? Other reports say “50”. Keystone will bring their own employees and there will be very few jobs for Americans. This work will only last two years and then 50 – 40,000 people will be unemployed again. Just like the Alaskan pipeline, we (the American people) were promised that the oil will stay in the USA. That oil is transported to Washington state and shipped out. Same with this Keystone pipeline. The oil is going to Texas refineries very close to shore and then will be shipped out to Japan.
I feel this is one of the very few things that Obummer did right.
Because obama and his administration are trying to destroy AMERICA. Thank the idiots who were stupid enough to vote for the black muslim dictator twice.
The Knuckle-Dragger-In-Chief should be put where he belongs—BEHIND BARS—with the other knuckle-draggers!
Age is 84— Obama is th e wost president ever—H e won’t do anything to tarnish his already tarnished reputation—-& he keeps on doing this do-nothing for – ever
please IMPEACH THIS DEMON NAME OBAMA
Obama is not worth commenting about. He is a certified lied.
people need jobs to pay their bills
oil will find a way to the refineries based on demand. Seems to me this could be the cheapest method over the long term. When this was purposed, oil was more expensive before all of the fracking in North Dakota . I believe we should go forward with the pipeline and increase our fuel supply without ever importing another drop from the middle east. It just makes sense! Stop giving money to the Arab’s that subside terrorism all across the globe. Money spent here stays here. Let us produce so much that it makes the middle east poorer in the long run.
Obama is causing 40,000 families to starve to death
Steve: Obama has been blocking this and using his bully pulpit all the while helping Warren Buffet. Buffet owns the trains that transport the oil and would lose big $$$$ if this pipe line is completed. So, Obama would rather protect his billionaire friend and donator than help us little people allowing the pipe line which will create a lot of jobs. THE BIG LIE DEMOCRATES ARE FOR THE WORKING CLASS FALSE THEY ARE THE RICH
I agree, except the republicans have been allowing him his way except in gun control and they have helped dig the hole we are in now! Our dollar bill is fixing to be worthless this year. You know what that means. The rich have already moved their money from our banks and turned it into something else that will stay being worth something! The pipe line will not matter. The majority of people soon will not even be able to afford a cup of coffee!!!!!!!!!! Are you ready for this????????????
When Donald J Trump, is sworn in as the 45th POTUS. He will have on his desk, in the Oval Office, bills to sign into law, on day 1. This will be one of the first. Obama”care”, is also going to get the, Donald J Trump treatment. We just have to hang in there, one more year, an excruciatingly long one.
because the gov. has no money the money belong to tax payers not the gov.
Keystone does not belong here. They are crying immenent domain and taking away property from American citizens who have been on their land for generations. Its a Canadian company and has their own workers. The few workers they hire will only have a job for two years. They want to take it across the Ogallala aquafer; when pipes leak or break, our water source will be no good to drink or bathe in. The oil is going to Texas to get refined and then shipped out of this country.
There are other ways they can get their oil to Texas.
Obama has set his self to destroy America.
where is Obama going to get the money from no social security this year no money Obama ha ha ha