BREAKING! President Obama Rejects Keystone Pipeline

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Barack Obama killed a Canadian energy giant's application to build the Keystone XL pipeline on Friday, declaring the proposed project wouldn't serve U.S. national interests and would have undercut America's global leadership on climate change. The decision capped a seven-year saga that spiraled into one of the biggest environmental flashpoints of Obama's presidency.

Announcing his decision at the White House, Obama said he agreed with Secretary of State John Kerry, whose department recommended rejecting the proposal for a 1,179-mile pipeline crossing the nation's heartland. He downplayed the claimed economic benefits of the pipeline, arguing it wouldn't have lowered U.S. gas prices, created long-term jobs or reduced U.S. dependency on foreign energy.

"This pipeline would neither be a silver bullet for the economy, as was promised by some, nor the express lane to climate disaster proclaimed by others," Obama said in the Roosevelt Room.

Killing the pipeline allows Obama to claim aggressive action on the environment, potentially strengthening his hand as world leaders prepare to finalize a major global climate pact. Obama used the occasion to announce his plans to travel to Paris in the coming weeks for talks on that agreement, which Obama hopes will be a crowning jewel for his environmental legacy.

The president, flanked by Kerry and Vice President Joe Biden, said the U.S. had become a global leader on climate action in the run-up to the Paris meeting.

"Frankly, approving this project would have undercut that global leadership," he said.

Obama's decision places him in a direct confrontation with Republicans and energy advocates that will almost surely spill over into the 2016 presidential election. The GOP field is unanimous in support of Keystone, while Hillary Rodham Clinton, Bernie Sanders and the other Democratic candidates are opposed.

The rejection also risked damaging U.S. relations with its neighbor and major trading partner. New Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said he was "disappointed by the decision," but pledged to pursue a "fresh start" with Obama nevertheless.

In a nod to the domestic fight that intensified over many years of delay, Obama said the project had taken on an "overinflated role" in U.S. political discourse. He lamented that both Democrats and Republicans had used Keystone as a "campaign cudgel" but glossed over his own role in allowing the controversy to drag out over several national elections.

Keystone has been in limbo for more than 7 years, awaiting reviews that have lasted more than 5 times longer than average, according to a recent Associated Press analysis. Over time, the pipeline was elevated by environmentalists and energy advocates into a proxy battle for climate change.

Environmental groups hailed Obama's decision, with some declaring Friday "a day of celebration."

"Stopping the Keystone XL pipeline is a victory for the planet, for the health and well-being of the communities along the pipeline route," said Sierra Club Executive Director Michael Brune.

Yet while the project is dead for now, Obama's rejection will likely not be the last word for Keystone XL.

Backers are expected to challenge his decision in court, and the Republican-controlled Congress may try to override the president, although those efforts have previously failed. The project could also get a fresh look in 2017 if a Republican wins the White House and invites TransCanada to reapply...read the rest of the article here: http://news.yahoo.com/ap-sources-obama-administration-nixes-keystone-xl-pipeline-160930718--finance.html#

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