It crosses an international boundary
The northern segment of the proposed TransCanada Corp. Keystone XL pipeline from Alberta, Canada, to Steele City, Nebraska, would be deemed approved. A presidential permit is needed for the project because it crosses an international boundary; this legislation would lift that requirement.
Completed environmental studies would be deemed sufficient for all required reviews under the National Environmental Policy Act, National Historic Preservation Act and other applicable environmental laws. Right-of-way and temporary use permits from the Interior Department would be deemed granted, while Interior would be required to grant permits for construction near navigable waterways within 90 days. Under the bill, Congress would declare that the pipeline wouldn’t jeopardize the survival of the American Burying Beetle. Pipeline operators would submit spill response plans to the governors of each state the pipeline traverses.
The bill would set a 60-day deadline to bring legal challenges. Original and exclusive jurisdiction for such cases would be given to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia.
The State Department announced April 18 that it was indefinitely delaying the permit for the pipeline to allow completion of litigation over environmental concerns associated with the route of the pipeline.