Oklahoma Lawmakers Blast President For Rejecting Keystone Pipeline

Oklahoma lawmakers are blasting the President for rejecting an oil pipeline that could have pumped thousands of jobs and a billion dollars into the state.

The controversial 1,700 mile Keystone Pipeline XL from Canada to Texas would cut a path right through the Sooner State.

That means the lines would be pumping thousands of jobs and a billion in revenues through the state right along with thousands of barrels of Canadian crude.

Now, Trans-Canada's permit to build it has been rejected by President Obama.

01/18/2012 Related Story: Obama: No on oil pipeline, more review needed

"I'm extremely disappointed in the President's decision to basically wipe out potentially 250,000 jobs by denying the Keystone Pipeline permit," said Oklahoma Governor Mary Fallin.

9/21/2011 Related Story: Pipeline Construction Would Bring Thousands Of Jobs To Oklahoma

Critics of the pipeline say the actual number of jobs created would be as low as four or five thousand. But it's environmental concerns that's really the holdup.

The pipeline's current route would take it near a Nebraska aquifer that supplies nearly a third of the nation's irrigation water for agriculture and there's a concern a spill from Keystone XL could lead to big safety problems.

The U.S. State Department says the Keystone Pipeline that's already built has had 14 spills since July of 2010.

This has been in the works for three years, and Congressional Republicans tried to force the issue by tacking on a pipeline deadline to a two-month extension of the Social Security payroll tax cut.

The President says this arbitrary deadline didn't allow him to fully investigate environmental concerns.

"It's already been studied for a long time. I'm just very disappointed," Fallin said.

"It would supply a lot of jobs for my members, but to me that's not the most important part," said Danny Hendrix.

Danny Hendrix is with the local Pipeliners Union, their members actually worked on the existing Keystone Pipeline. He says this isn't just about jobs but our nation's independence.

"We're transferring the wealth out of this country by buying OPEC oil," Hendrix said. "When we buy oil from OPEC, we get a barrel of oil and we get a barrel of problems."

The U.S. imports about half of its oil. Right now, our biggest foreign supplier is Canada, followed by Mexico.

Although there was talk of TransCanada taking its business to Asia, the Canadian company released a statement Wednesday that it will re-apply for a Presidential Permit.

And the company says it's working with Nebraska to find the safest route for Keystone XL.