Watchdog Clears State Department of Impropriety in Review of Pipeline Project (New York Times)

February 9, 2012

By John M. Broder and Dan Frosch

WASHINGTON — The State Department’s inspector general has found no conflict of interest or improper political influence in the agency’s review of the disputed Keystone XL pipeline project.

But in a report released on Thursday, the official said the department had not adequately weighed concerns about the route of the 1,700-mile pipeline and should strengthen its oversight of contractors performing environmental impact statements for major projects.

The proposed Keystone pipeline, which is to carry heavy oil from formations in Alberta to refineries on the Gulf Coast, has become a partisan football in Congress and a debating point in the presidential campaign. President Obama scratched the project last month after being forced by Republicans in Congress to make an up-or-down decision on it. He said that there was not sufficient time to devise an alternate route that would avoid environmentally sensitive areas in Nebraska but that the builder was free to apply for a new permit.

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