Nebraska Governor Approves Keystone XL Pipeline

Sends letter to Obama Administration

Nebraska Gov. Dave Heineman notified President Obama on Tuesday that he has approved the controversial Keystone XL Pipeline to traverse his state, a crucial step toward reviving the project one year after it was delayed by the Obama administration.

The Republican governor wrote in a letter to Obama and Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton that he has approved a revised route for the Canada-to-Texas pipeline, which his office said would avoid the environmentally sensitive Sandhills region, but will cut through the High Plains Aquifer.

The move puts the onus back on the Obama administration — the project must be approved by the State Department to move forward — to decide the fate of the 1,700-mile pipeline that has pitted GOP lawmakers against environmentalists.