Alberta to introduce ‘modern’ coal policy, including ban on new open-pit projects
The new policy will not affect those qualified as "advanced coal projects" such as the controversial Grassy Mountain mine.
The Canadian government made another highly-publicized push for a decision on the Keystone XL pipeline in Washington on Thursday.
Foreign Affairs Minister John Baird told the US Chamber of Commerce that even a ‘no’ would be better than more delays, the Globe and Mail reported.
“The time for a decision on Keystone is now, even if it’s not the right one,” Baird said. “We can’t continue in this state of limbo.”
The minister told reporters on Wednesday that he thinks the US will soon make a decision, the Canadian Press reported. With the construction season approaching, Baird expressed concern over construction worker jobs.
“The last thing that we want to see is unemployed construction workers sitting at home waiting for the call.”
The project could put “hundreds and thousands of people” to work in Canada and the US, Baird said.
The minister will meet with US Secretary of State John Kerry later this week. The Keystone pipeline will “obviously be on the agenda,” he said.
If approved, the Keystone XL pipeline will transport crude from Canada’s oil sands to Texas refineries.
The Canadian government has been one of the industry’s biggest supporters, dishing out $24 million for an advertising campaign promoting the oil sands.
But TransCanada, the company behind the proposed pipeline, recently said that if the pipeline isn’t approved, it will look at building rail infrastructure to transport Canada’s crude.
Railways are considered by many – including TransCanada CEO Russ Girling – a more dangerous form of transportation than pipelines.
