Obama Administration Kills Keystone XL Pipeline

WASHINGTON (AP/STAFF) — President Barack Obama says he’s rejecting the Keystone XL pipeline because he does not believe it serves the national interest. Obama says the pipeline has played an overinflated role in political discourse. Obama is speaking at the White House after meeting with Secretary of State John Kerry. The decision caps a seven-year saga that became a flashpoint in Obama’s presidency. Killing the pipeline allows Obama to claim aggressive action on the environment. Three phases of the project are in operation, including the one running through eastern Smith County. The Smith County section was part of phase three of the project, which runs from Cushing, Oklahoma to refineries at Port Arthur. It was completed in January of last year.