EPA Has Concerns for Keystone Pipeline near Coast

HOUSTON (AP/Staff) – The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is concerned that permitting for the southern segment of the proposed Keystone XL pipeline could be insufficient and has asked for a more extensive review. An official in the EPA’s region that oversees Texas wrote a letter to the Army Corps of Engineers saying 61 water crossings near Galveston are too large for the broad permits being pursued. The official wants an environmental review that includes a public comment period. The letter, written in November, was released Thursday. The corps says it’s reviewing TransCanada’s permit request. This is the latest obstacle for a controversial pipeline project that has created tensions between the U.S. and Canada. The pipeline is designed to transport Canadian crude oil across the Midwest to Texas Gulf Coast refineries. It would run through eastern Smith County and much of East Texas if completed.