The State Department seems to be seriously weighing a change in the path that the Keystone XL pipeline would take. A change in the route would be a victory for the pipeline's opponents, but only a partial one.
There are two main environmental concerns connected to the pipeline project. One is the potential for spills in environmentally sensitive areas. Routing the pipeline around those spots would address some of those concerns. (For whatever reason, State didn't even consider that there might be more than one pathway the pipeline could take before enviros started objecting to the project.)
The other concern is the whole thing about dredging up carbon from underground in a way that is even more destructive to the climate than regular oil drilling. That part would happen even if they arrange the route to spell “I <3 puppies.”
