A day after announcing her opposition to the Keystone XL pipeline, Hillary Clinton is explaining how she came to her decision, writing in a post on Medium, that “the effects of climate change have grown more acute” since the application for the project was filed.
Clinton had declined to answer questions about 1,200-mile pipeline since leaving the State Department in 2013, citing her role in starting the process.
“I have come to feel I can’t stay silent on an issue that matters so much to so many,” Clinton wrote. “Though I wanted to give the president space to make a decision, the process has taken far longer than I expected. I want the American people to know where I stand. That’s why I am making it clear: I am opposed to the construction of the Keystone XL pipeline.”
On Tuesday, Clinton was asked about the pipeline while at a campaign event here, and gave her first direct answer about where she stood on the project.
“I think it is imperative that we look at the Keystone pipeline as what I believe it is — a distraction from important work we have to do on climate change,” Clinton said. “And unfortunately from my perspective, one that interferes with our ability to move forward with all the other issues. Therefore I oppose it.”
But Clinton goes farther in her Medium post to explain why the Keystone pipeline should be rejected.
In particular, Clinton cites the fact that “a 20-fold increase in the amount of oil shipped by rail has led to devastating accidents.”
“We shouldn’t be building a pipeline dedicated to moving North America’s dirtiest fuel through our communities,” Clinton wrote, instead saying she will focus on forging what she is calling a “North American Climate Compact” with Canada and Mexico.
