LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — Nebraska is again at the center of the political debate over the Keystone XL pipeline as the company behind the project asks the State Department to pause its review of the proposal while TransCanada works with state officials to secure its preferred route.
The request marks the latest turn in the long-running battle between well-organized Nebraska landowners who oppose the pipeline and its developer.
The move by TransCanada comes as President Barack Obama's administration appears increasingly likely to reject the pipeline permit application before leaving office in January 2017. If granted, the company's request could delay any decision until the next president takes office, potentially leaving the fate of the controversial project in the hands of a more supportive Republican administration.
The head of the company denied Tuesday that political motivation drove its decision.
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