President Obama Expected to Stand Up to Big Oil on Keystone XL Pipeline

Richmond, VA – According to media reports, President Obama and the State Department today will reject an effort to force administration approval of the Keystone XL pipeline. Environment Virginia issued this statement in response:

“Today, President Obama will stand up to Big Oil’s latest attack on our health and environment by rejecting the Keystone XL pipeline. While Congressional Republicans work tirelessly for Big Oil, President Obama is taking concrete steps to reduce our dependence on oil and to build a cleaner, healthier future for American families.

“The pipeline would have been a disaster for our climate, the quality of the air we breathe, and critical water resources across our country. It would have deepened our dependence on dirty oil from Canada’s tar sands, producing catastrophic levels of global warming pollution.

“Over the past year, hundreds of thousands of Americans have organized and demonstrated in opposition to Big Oil and their destructive environmental practices. Today’s decision shows that President Obama on the side of Americans concerned about protecting our health and environment from oil companies. This administration has helped stop the rush for dirty fuels, and it has enacted clean cars standards that will get us off oil, reduce air pollution and create hundreds of thousands of jobs.

“Environment Virginia thanks President Obama for protecting our environment and our health.”

 

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Environment Virginia is a statewide, citizen-based advocacy organization dedicated to clean air, clean water, and open space. For more information, please visit www.environmentvirginia.org.