Obama uses veto power to block controversial Keystone XL bill

US President Barack Obama on Tuesday used his veto power to block a legislation that would have enabled Congress to give green signal to the controversial Keystone XL pipeline project.

The White House on Tuesday said in a statement that the President blocked the bill the same day when it was tabled on his desk.

In his veto message to the Senate, Obama wrote, “Through this bill, the United States Congress attempts to circumvent longstanding and proven processes for determining whether or not building and operating a cross-border pipeline serves the national interest.”

This is the third instance when Democratic President Obama has used his veto power against a bill in his six years in office.

The controversial project would be used for the transportation of nearly 800,000 barrels of oil sands per day from Canada to the Gulf Coast. Out of that amount, the Keystone XL pipeline, which will be spearheaded by TransCanada Corporation, would be skirting the North Dakota Bakken and would have the ability of transportation of 100,000 barrels of Montana and North Dakota crude oil each day

The Keystone XL project was delayed for six years following several reviews by the environmental experts. The environmental scientists and the federal Environmental Protection Agency have stated that Keystone XL would raise the footprint of carbon emissions.

The supporters of the Keystone XL project have claimed that it would contribute in the creation of 42,000 jobs. But Obama and opponents have played down the claims, saying most of those employment opportunities would be temporary.