US President Barack Obama has vetoed a bill approving the controversial Keystone XL oil pipeline.
According to IRIB, Obama wrote in a message to the Senate on Tuesday, “Because this act of Congress conflicts with established executive branch procedures and cuts short thorough consideration of issues that could bear on our national interest — including our security, safety, and environment — it has earned my veto.”
White House Press Secretary Josh Earnest confirmed earlier that the president had received the bill from the US Congress and intended to issue a veto without “any drama or fanfare or delay.”
Officials from the Obama administration had earlier warned of a veto against the controversial plan.
Many environmental activists have already voiced opposition against the pipeline construction arguing that it would extract oil from dirty tar sands in Canada while it will not leave a significant impact on the US economy.
Several protests have been held against the pipeline with demonstrators saying that production of oil from Canada’s tar sands is energy-intensive and will increase global warming.