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Groups call for investigation into State Department’s Keystone XL pipeline review
WASHINGTON, D.C.— National environmental groups today called on the State Department’s inspector general to investigate wrongdoing by department officials in its review of the proposed Keystone XL tar sands oil pipeline. Read More
Keystone XL pipeline lawsuit expanded to challenge bogus claim that spills from pipeline are unlikely
OMAHA, Neb. — The Center for Biological Diversity, Western Nebraska Resources Council and Friends of the Earth expanded their suit against the Keystone XL pipeline today to challenge claims that spills from the pipeline are unlikely and that the project is therefore “not likely to adversely affect” whooping cranes and other endangered species that depend on the rivers and other habitats crossed by the pipeline. Read More
Obama campaign hires Keystone XL pipeline lobbyist
WASHINGTON, D.C. — The judgment and integrity of President Obama’s reelection campaign were called into question today after it hired a prominent lobbyist for the proposed Keystone XL tar sands oil pipeline into a high-ranking campaign position. Read More
Friends of the Earth denounces passage of unjust trade agreements
WASHINGTON, D.C. -- With President Obama’s backing, Congress yesterday passed trade agreements with South Korea, Colombia and Panama that are based on the flawed model of the North American Free Trade Agreement. Read More
Shocking Keystone XL conflict of interest exposed by New York Times
WASHINGTON, D.C. – An exposé in this morning's New York Times reveals that the State Department “flouted the intent of a federal law” in hiring contractor Cardno Entrix to conduct its review of the proposed Keystone XL tar sands oil pipeline's environmental impacts. The department reportedly allowed TransCanada, the company seeking to build the pipeline, to play a key role in selecting the firm that would conduct a required environmental impacts study. TransCanada recommended Cardno Entrix, which lists TransCanada as a “major client.” Read More
State Department accused of overseeing ‘broken’ process at final Keystone XL public hearing
WASHINGTON, D.C. -- The State Department is expected to face tough questions today about the mounting evidence of oil industry cronyism and bias in its review of the Keystone XL pipeline during the final public hearing on the project taking place in Washington, D.C. Read More
Pipeline influence investigation expands to include broader web of lobbyists
WASHINGTON, D.C. — The lobbying and cronyism scandal centered on the State Department’s review of the proposed Keystone XL tar sands oil pipeline intensified today after researchers at the DeSmogBlog found that a broad array of additional pipeline lobbyists have close ties to Secretary of State Clinton. As a result, the Freedom of Information Act request that led to the publication of emails between State Department officials and TransCanada lobbyist Paul Elliott will be amended to include a request for interactions with the additional lobbyists, according to the public interest groups that filed the initial FOIA request. Read More
Lawsuit challenges State Dept. for allowing construction to begin on Keystone XL pipeline
OMAHA, Neb.— The Center for Biological Diversity, Western Nebraska Resources Council and Friends of the Earth sued the State Department and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service today to stop illegal construction of the Keystone XL pipeline, a sprawling, 1,700-mile project designed to transport tar-sands oil from Canada to Texas. Read More
Groups call on Obama to remove State Department from pipeline decision
WASHINGTON, D.C. -- National environmental and public interest groups sent a letter to President Obama today calling on him to reject State Department bias and intervene in a decision about a proposed tar sands oil pipeline. Read More
Keystone XL: New documents reveal bias and complicity at State Department
WASHINGTON, D.C. — Documents made public this morning by Friends of the Earth provide definitive evidence that the State Department's review of a controversial proposed oil pipeline has been irreparably tainted by department employees' pro-pipeline bias and complicit relationships with industry executives, including an oil lobbyist who was once a top Hillary Clinton campaign aide. Read More