MATTHEW DALY, Associated Press
WASHINGTON (AP) — The Obama administration says it is continuing a review of the proposed Keystone XL oil pipeline, despite a request by the project’s developer to suspend the review.
State Department spokesman John Kirby says the department advised TransCanada on Wednesday of its decision to continue the review. The State Department has jurisdiction over the pipeline because it crosses a U.S. border.
Kirby says there is no legal requirement for officials to suspend the review, adding that “a lot of interagency work” has gone into the review so far. He says Secretary of State John Kerry believes that it’s most appropriate to keep the process in place.
TransCanada asked the U.S. to delay consideration of the pipeline, which could put off a decision until the next president takes office in 2017.