The U.S. Senate passed a bill approving construction of the Keystone XL pipeline Thursday. Rhode Island’s junior Senator Sheldon Whitehouse voted against the bill.
A vocal critic from the start, Whitehouse released a sharp statement following the bill’s passage. He calls the $8 billion dollar project a “disaster” for health and the environment. The Keystone project would construct a nearly 12-hundred mile pipeline to carry mainly oil from Canada to the Gulf Coast.
Whitehouse says the project would encourage dependence of fossil fuels, which exacerbate climate change.
Supporters say the bill will create jobs and increase energy security. The bill did not get enough votes to override a Presidential veto. It must also be approved by the House of Representatives.
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