Brylie Oxley
The U.S. Senate rejected a bill that would speed approval of the Keystone XL pipeline. Premier Jim Prentice says it’s a “disappointing” speed bump for the international oil pipeline but Alberta Liberal Leader Raj Sherman says it symbolizes U.S. condemnation of Alberta’s environmental record.
“Our poor environmental reputation is the greatest impediment to getting our energy product to market…. The government’s continued failure to enact badly needed environmental protection and stricter environmental regulations has so damaged Alberta’s reputation abroad that we lack social license even with our closest ally” Sherman said in a media statement issued soon after the Senate vote.
All 45 Republicans voted in favour of the bill and it’s expected similar legislation will be introduced in 2015 when Republicans will make up two-thirds of the Senate.
Prentice has pledged to develop a new environmental protection framework for the province during his tenure.
