As 2014 began, Keystone XL supporters were pushing for President Obama to approve the pipeline’s southern segment. A Dec. 30, 2013, BNSF train carrying crude from the Bakken field derailed near Casselton, N.D., triggering a fiery explosion. Earlier in the year, 47 people died in Lac Megantic, Quebec, after a train hauling crude crashed into a tavern.
The pipeline industry quickly seized the initiative, claiming that pipelines move hydriocarbons more safely than trains. But in April, the State Dept. delayed final approval, pending a Nebraska court case to decide whether the governor has the final say regarding routing. Contractors and union interests were heartened by midterm election results, which gave Republicans control of the House and Senate. Keystone is high on the agenda for the new Congress in January.With support from coal-state Democrats, approval is almost certain, but President Obama has not indicated whether or not he’ll veto the measure.