By Scott Harvey
– There's more concerns being raised against a proposed pipeline that would carry oil from Canada down through several Northeast and East Texas counties to the Gulf Coast.
The Environmental Protection Agency says despite two lengthy reports, the State Department still has not done sufficient analysis of the project's impact on the environment.
In a letter, the EPA says they're worried about the risk of oil spills from TransCanada's $7 billion proposed pipeline, which has been the complaint from local organizations opposed to the plan. The federal agency says if such an incident were to occur, local drinking water and sensitive ecosystems could be affected. They're also concerned with the effect of greenhouse gas emissions associated with the proposed Keystone XL pipeline.
The EPA's letter urged State Department officials to conduct a more thorough analysis of oil spill risks and alternative pipeline routes.
Monday was the final day residents could comment on the State Department's environmental impact study concerning the proposed pipeline.