Gaithersburg, Maryland – In response to the Obama Administration's decision today not to approve TransCanada Corporation's Keystone XL oil pipeline, IWLA Executive Director Scott Kovarovics made the following statement:
In 2012, members of the Izaak Walton League of America passed a national conservation policy opposing construction of the Keystone XL pipeline if certain conditions were not met. One such condition was thorough review at the local, state, and national levels of the design, operation, and potential environmental impacts of the pipeline. With the decision today, the Obama Administration has completed its review and concluded that constructing the pipeline is not in the national interest.
The Administration cited impacts on water quality among the grounds for this decision. Conserving and protecting natural resources is fundamentally important to the League. The League also supports a transition from fossil fuels to clean and reliable renewable energy resources, including solar and wind. This transition will benefit our environment, improve energy independence, and support economic growth.
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Founded in 1922, the Izaak Walton League of America and our more than 43,000 members protect America’s outdoors through education, community-based conservation, and promoting outdoor recreation.