U.S. Delays Review of Keystone XL Pipeline

WASHINGTON (AP/Staff) – The State Department is giving federal agencies more time to review the Keystone XL pipeline before deciding whether to issue a permit. That could push a decision about the controversial oil pipeline until after the midterm elections in November. The State Department is citing a recent decision by a Nebraska judge that overturned a state law that allowed the pipeline’s path through the state. The State Department says that created uncertainty and ongoing litigation. The government is not saying how much longer the review will take. But it says the process isn’t starting over. The pipeline has become a politically fraught issue. Republicans criticize President Barack Obama for taking too long to decide. The State Department has jurisdiction because the pipeline would cross the border between the U.S. and Canada. The southern leg of the pipeline began pumping oil through East Texas and elsewhere this past January.