US House of Representatives Passes Bill Authorizing Keystone XL Pipeline

Speaker of the US House of Representatives said that the US House of Representatives passed the Keystone XL pipeline approval bill.

WASHINGTON, January 9 (Sputnik) — The US House of Representatives passed the Keystone XL pipeline approval bill, the Speaker of the US House of Representatives, John Boehner, said at the hearing Friday.

"The bill is passed," Boehner said.

The House voted 266 to 153. The Senate is going to discuss the bill next week.

Earlier on Friday Supreme Court of Nebraska cleared the way for the vote as the panel of seven judges rejected claims of state landowners challenging the pipeline's route, arguing that they lacked legal standing to do so.

The White House has already made statements that US President Barack Obama intends to veto the controversial project.

Although activists claim the Keystone pipeline will have a negative effect on the environment, a final State Department Environmental Impact Statement released in January concluded that there will be no significant impact.

If the Keystone XL pipeline authorization bill becomes a law, a Calgary-based major energy company TransCanada will be able to construct a pipeline, which will transport about 830,000 barrels of oil per day from Canadian Alberta to American refineries on the Gulf Coast and Midwest, according to the company's proposed plan.