The Obama administration is delaying a final decision on a permit for the controversial Keystone XL Pipeline.

The State Department is going to take another look at the pipeline's environmental impact on Nebraska. Officials there, along with farmers and ranchers, oppose the current route due to concerns about water and wildlife.

"Because this permit decision could affect the health and safety of the American people as well as the environment, and because a number of concerns have been raised through a public process, we should take the time to ensure that all questions are properly addressed and all the potential impacts are properly understood," President Barack Obama said in a statement.

The State Department will prepare another environmental impact statement, a process that could take at least 15 months. That means Obama won't have to make a decision until after the 2012 election.

The current EIS has come under fire and the Inspector General at the State Department has opened an investigation.

Get the Story:
Keystone pipeline route in Nebraska to be reassessed (The Washington Post 11/11)
U.S. Delays Decision on Pipeline Until After Election (The New York Times 11/11)

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