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Canada disappointed with U.S. rejection of cross-border pipeline project: PM

Xinhua, November 7, 2015 Adjust font size:

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau Friday expressed his disappointment over the U.S. rejection of Keystone XL pipeline project that would bring Canada's oil sands to refineries in the United States.

"The application for a cross-border permit for the Keystone XL pipeline project was turned down by the United States Government today. We are disappointed by the decision but respect the right of the United States to make the decision," Trudeau said in a statement, who was sworn in as Canadian prime minister Wednesday.

However, he noted that the Canada-U.S. relationship is much bigger than any one project. "I look forward to a fresh start with President Obama to strengthen our remarkable ties in a spirit of friendship and co-operation."

Trudeau's statement came shortly after U.S. President Barack Obama announced the decision to turn down the proposed pipeline project.

"The State Department has decided that a Keystone XL pipeline would not serve the national interest of the United States. I agree with that decision," Obama said at the White House, adding that the project would not make a meaningful long-term contribution to the U.S. economy or lower gasoline prices.

Keystone XL project was proposed to pipe tar sands crude from Canada's Alberta through the U.S. states of Montana and South Dakota to Nebraska, where it would connect with existing pipelines to carry more than 800,000 barrels of crude oil a day to refineries along the U.S. Gulf Coast.

Over the years, the project has become a symbol of the great political struggle surrounding Obama's efforts to move away from fossil fuels and fight climate change.

TransCanada, the Canadian company which first proposed the project seven years ago, said that it was disappointed with Obama's decision.

"Today, misplaced symbolism was chosen over merit and science -- rhetoric won out over reason," Russ Girling, president and CEO of TransCanada, said in a statement Friday.

The rejection would be bad for jobs and economy both in Canada and the United States, Girling said, adding that the company would review all options, including filing a new application, in light of the U.S. rejection. Endit