CRS - Oil Sands and the Keystone XL Pipeline
Follow up to previous posting on Keystone XL Pipeline Application, this new CRS report - Oil Sands and the Keystone XL Pipeline: Background and Selected Environmental Issues, February 21, 2013.
"If constructed, the Keystone XL pipeline would transport crude oil (e.g., synthetic crude oil or diluted bitumen) derived from oil sands in Alberta, Canada to destinations in the United States. Because the pipeline crosses an international border, it requires a Presidential Permit that is issued by the Department of State (DOS). The permit decision rests on a “national interest” determination, a term not defined in the authorizing Executive Orders. DOS states that it has “significant discretion” in the factors it examines in this determination."
