The most recent permit for the Keystone XL Pipeline was denied this week by the Obama administration. The decision was due to a push for rushing the permit before complete environmental assessments could be complete.

The press release stated: “This announcement is not a judgment on the merits of the pipeline, but the arbitrary nature of a deadline that prevented the State Department from gathering the information necessary to approve the project and protect the American people.”

This is a victory for environmentalists who are working to address the ramifications of the proposed Keystone XL Pipeline.

“The case against the pipeline is overwhelming with the Natural Resources Defense Council warning that synthetic crude made from tar sands will generate three times as much CO2 pollution as conventional crude oil production because the extremely heavy, thick viscous bitumen (tar) requires great amounts of water and energy in order to flow through a pipe.”

The suggested path of the pipeline is of concern:

An issue has been the route of the pipeline, which would run through the Sandhills, designated a distinct ecoregion area of significance by the World Wildlife Fund that sits atop the all-important Ogallala aquifer. The Ogallala spans eight states and is responsible for providing ground water for 27% of all the irrigated land in the US as well as drinking water for 82% of residents who live within its borders.”

However, this does not mean the plans for the pipeline are dashed. Rather, Trans Canada, the company that filed for the permit, plans to re-route the pipeline and reapply for another permit.