PIERRE, S.D. – Regulators in South Dakota will start hearings today on whether to approve construction of the controversial Keystone XL pipeline project.
The hearings by the South Dakota Public Utilities Commission are scheduled to continue until August 4th.
The state initially authorized the TransCanada project in 2010, but permits must be revisited if construction doesn’t start within four years.
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Native American tribes, some landowners and environmental groups are opposing the pipeline because critics fear it could contaminate groundwater and contribute to pollution.
The pipeline proposed in 2008 hasn’t received the required approval from U-S President Obama and is also delayed by a Nebraska court case from landowners who oppose it.
The Harper government has vigorously lobbied American political leaders to give the project the green light.
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