President Barack Obama, vetoed the Keystone XL pipeline bill on February 24th. The bill is a four-phase plan that would allow for the construction of a 2,000 mile oil pipeline system, that would stem from Alberta, Canada to Nebraska. The pipeline would be used to help transport dirty tar sand from Canada to the united States in order to be refined into oil. The pipeline is designed to help secure the United States energy supply. The Canadian portion of the pipeline has already been approved.

Many people fear that the damage to the environment that the pipeline can cause will be immense. The process of turning tar sand into oil causes major water pollution that could destroy the water supplies and ecosystems in Nebraska, Texas, and Illinois. The pipeline would also cause the destruction of the worlds largest intact ecosystem the, Boreal forest of Alberta. The environmental concerns are the main reason why President Obama has vetoed the bill. Obama feels like the bill has been  rushed, the plan has not been refined and needs more environmental cautions put in place. This is just the third time President Obama has vetoed a bill in office and said that it wont be his last unless major changes are made to the Keystone XL bill.

On the other hand, many republicans are angry with Obama’s veto. They say the pipeline is a must. The pipeline will create energy security and jobs. After the veto, congress attempted to override the veto, but the vote failed and the bill did not pass. The bill has now gone back for revisions. The vote just narrowly missed the two – thirds vote necessary to override a veto in the senate, garnering 62% of the votes. As the demand for oil starts to rise again many feel like the pressure will allow for the bill to pass after it undergoes some changes.

Sources: Congress.gov, Foe.org, The Washington Post