TransCanada to file new Keystone XL permit

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WASHINGTON, May 3 (UPI) -- TransCanada is preparing a new application to build the Keystone XL pipeline that would carry oil from Canada to the United States, The Washington Post said.

The application, which sources told the newspaper could come as soon as Friday, will re-open the politically contentious Keystone XL pipeline issue that has unified Republicans and divided Democrats, the newspaper said.

TransCanada's application is expected to include a revised path for Keystone XL that would stretch from the oil sand fields in Alberta, Canada, to refineries along the southern U.S. coast but avoid Nebraska's Sandhills region, as well as most of the Ogallala Aquifer, a key water supply for the region.

Supporters say the pipeline would reduce U.S. dependence on foreign oil, create jobs and lower energy costs. Critics say the crude produced in oil sand fields is particularly dirty and presents a variety of environmental risks.

The Obama administration denied a permit for TransCanada earlier this year, saying officials had not had enough time to evaluate the project.