U.S. delays decision on pipeline project

Alberta Premier, Alison Redford is slamming the U.S. for a decision to delay the $7 billion Keystone pipeline project… and she plans to go to Washington next week to get some answers.

The U.S. State Department is ordering the developer, Transcanada Corp, to reroute the project “away” from environmentally sensitive areas of the state of Nebraska.

A pipeline already in place carries oil from Alberta to Oklahoma and Illinois.

But the new one proposed by Transcanada would run from Alberta to Houston and Port Arthur.

The route runs through Nebraska which is a region that supplies water to eight states.

Environmentalists are seeing this as a big win.

There have been protests on both sides of the border.

Earlier this week thousands gathered outside the White House, calling on the government to stop the project.

And President Obama has also implied that he may step in.

But Thursday’s decision means an environmental review will be required, which could put the project on hold for a year or more.

Or threaten to kill it outright.

Prime Minister Stephen Harper is also weighing on the decision… expressing disappointment.