TransCanada Request to US Won’t Affect South Dakota’s Keystone Review

SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (AP) — The permit application process that's underway in South Dakota for a portion of the proposed Keystone XL pipeline will not be affected by a request from operator TransCanada to the U.S. government to suspend its review of the project.

TransCanada on Monday asked the U.S. State Department to delay consideration of the Canada-to-Texas pipeline, citing uncertainties about the route it would take through Nebraska.

South Dakota Public Utilities Commission Chairman Chris Nelson said Tuesday the panel will continue to review the project to determine whether to approve for the second time in five years construction of the portion of the pipeline that would cut through the state.

Commissioners held Keystone-related hearings throughout the summer. Nelson says he doesn't "see a reason why" the commission couldn't rule before the end of the year.

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