Keystone pipeline approved in Nebraska

The governor of Nebraska approved a new route for the Keystone XL pipeline this week, ratcheting up the pressure on the Obama administration to stop blocking it. The White House had rejected an earlier proposed route through the state, but Gov. Dave Heineman, a Republican, approved a new one that he said would avoid aquifers and wildlife refuges in the state’s Sandhills region. The State Department is scheduled to complete an environmental review of the pipeline in March, after which Obama will announce his decision. Environmental groups want Obama to reject the pipeline, which would transport heavy crude oil from the tar sands of Canada to the Gulf Coast.