An article that appeared in Rolling Stone explained President Obama's decision to cancel TransCanada's Keystone XL pipeline project at least for the time being. The 1,700 mile pipeline is poised to span from Canada to Gulf Coast refineries. Because the proposed route crosses an international border, the approval ultimately was up to the President. The proposed route will now be subject to additional review and the decision will reconvene in 2013 at the earliest.
The author cites David Domina in the article when he commented "These deals [between TransCanada and the state department] were made under false pretenses. They will not stand up in court, which would find them invalid."
Ranchers and residents in Nebraska fear that the current proposed route for the pipeline is dangerous for a number of reasons, not the least of which is the potential environmental damage it could cause to the water. Eminent domain is also a hot-button issue for Nebraskans who don't want the pipeline built on their property.
Read the full Rolling Stone's article "Is the Keystone Pipeline Really Dead?"