A bill aimed to approve construction of the Keystone XL pipeline failed in the Senate by one vote short of the threshold required for passage.
On November 18, 2014, the U.S. Senate rejected S. 2280, a bill aimed to approve the cross-border Keystone XL pipeline that would carry crude oil from Alberta to Gulf Coast refineries. The bill — introduced by Sen. John Hoeven (R-ND) in May — failed in the Senate by a vote of 59-41, falling one vote short of the 60 needed for passage. On November 14, the House of Representatives passed a parallel bill – H.R. 5682 – authored by Rep. Bill Cassidy (R-LA).
S. 2280 would have authorized TransCanada Keystone Pipeline LP to construct and operate the pipeline and cross-border facilities specified in the May 4, 2012 application filed with the State Department, deeming that the State Department’s Final Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement (SEIS) fully satisfies the National Environmental Policy Act and any law requiring federal agency consultation or review. The State Department issued the Final SEIS in January concluding that the proposed pipeline would have limited environmental impacts subject to 59 special conditions recommended by the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA).
Currently, the pipeline proposal is under State Department review to determine whether it serves the national interest based on several factors including energy security, foreign policy, and regulatory compliance, among others. On April 18, the State Department notified the eight federal agencies (to be consulted for national interest determination) specified in Executive Order 13337 that it will provide additional time to submit their views considering uncertainty created by the ongoing litigation in the Nebraska Supreme Court regarding the pipeline’s Nebraska route.
Originally published by EnerKnol.
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