Canada is urging President Barack Obama鈥檚 administration to make a decision on the controversial Keystone XL pipeline, amid signs of further delays.
Canada鈥檚 Foreign Minister, John Baird, used his trip to Washington to urge the US to decide the fate of the US$ 5.4 billion project.
Speaking at the US Chamber of Commerce, Baird announced 鈥淭he time for a decision on Keystone is now, even if it is not the right one.鈥� He added, 鈥淲e cannot continue in this state of limbo.鈥�
The Keystone XL project is currently under review at the State Department. Earlier this week, Prime Minister Stephan Harper said the US move to seek more public comments suggests Obama鈥檚 government may further postpone a decision. Haper said any further delay is "clearly another punt."
Baird warned if no new pipelines are built, Canadian and Bakken oil will be shipped to the US Gulf Coast by rail. Baird said, 鈥淐ompared to sending by pipelines, sending by rail causes higher greenhouse-gas emissions and raises the per-mile incident rate.鈥�
TransCanada Chief Executive Russ Girling has also expressed the possibility of building rail terminals if the Obama administration fails to approve the pipeline. Girling emphasised, however, that pipelines are 鈥渂y far a safer alternative鈥�.
Edited from various sources by