Senator Barbara Boxer has yet another excuse for President Obama to deny approval of the Keystone XL Pipeline: she says it causes cancer.
President Obama has been delaying his decision to approve the jobs-creating pipeline for much of his Presidency, but recently told Oklahoma Governor Mary Fallin that he would soon make his decision “one way or the other.”
Most of the roadblocks have been cleared away leaving only ideological resistance to the pipeline, but a recent decision by a Nebraska judge that the approval process in the Cornhusker State is unconstitutional is giving the president one more reason to refuse approval.
Now, Senator Boxer is hoping that her wild claims that the pipeline causes cancer might be another one.
Boxer claims that the pipeline will fill the air with pollutants and that this will cause “cancer” and “heart disease.”
“I do believe the public health impacts are something that average people can really relate to because they know cancer is the second leading cause of death in this country–heart disease is number one–and all of this filthy air contributes to both of those,” Boxer said.
Of course, Boxer does not base her comments on any actual scientific proof nor any evidence connected to the pipeline itself, only vague, general claims.
“As tar sands oil flows to our gulf coast refineries it will increase toxic pollution that already plagues communities like Port Arthur Texas, which is near many refineries that will process tar sands,” Boxer insisted.
Despite Boxer’s claims, the State Department issued a report that said that there were no ecological problems with the project.