U.S. wants public opinion on Keystone XL

WASHINGTON, Oct. 5 (UPI) -- The public is invited to voice opinions in person or in print to the U.S. government regarding the Keystone XL pipeline, the U.S. State Department said.

The State Department announced the schedule of a meeting Friday in Washington for the proposed Keystone XL pipeline.

"The purpose of the meeting is to give individuals an opportunity to voice their views on whether granting or denying a presidential permit for the pipeline would be in the U.S. national interest," the announcement read.

Those who can't attend the meeting have until Sunday to submit written opinions.

Canadian pipeline company TransCanada wants to build the Keystone XL pipeline to carry oil from tar sands projects in Alberta, Canada, to refineries along the southern U.S. coast.

The project has become the centerpiece of the debate over the U.S. energy mix. Critics of the pipeline have a long list of complaints, including the potential threat to underground water aquifers and migratory bird pathways. Tar sands oil also lingers in the environment longer than conventional crude.

Backers of the project said it would help reduce America's reliance on oil from the Middle East, though opponents said much of the oil from Keystone XL is destined for exports.

The State Department last week had meetings in Texas, Oklahoma, Kansas, Nebraska, South Dakota and Montana.

The State Department, which said it doesn't see a significant environmental risk from the project, needs to sanction it because it would cross international boundaries.