Statement from NextGen Senior Advisor Chris Lehane in Response to "TransCanada and Cronies Going for Gold Medal for Most Prevarications"

SAN FRANCISCO, Jan. 28, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, NextGen Climate Action Senior Advisor Chris Lehane issued the following challenge to TransCanada and the tar sands lobby:

"The tar sands lobby's credibility is skating on thin ice when it comes to avoiding the clear question raised in our ad: Once Keystone's tar sands oil is refined on the Gulf Coast, will it stay in the U.S. or be shipped overseas to countries such as China, which is a significant investor in the effort to extract the oil and ship it through the U.S.A.? It's a simple yes-or-no question that their weak-sauced responses today have skated around and around and around without answering.

TransCanada and the foreign investors in tar sands have told Americans time and time again that Keystone XL will boost American energy independence. Now that their prevarications have been checked against the unforgiving boards of the truth, TransCanada is continuing to skate in circles while refusing to put the puck in the goal when it comes to answering this very simple question about whether the oil will stay in America or be shipped to other countries.

TransCanada and its cronies are pursuing a Gold Medal for the most prevarications around the true purpose for an oil pipeline.

Today, we are issuing a challenge to TransCanada and API members: Return to Congress and - under oath – make the pledge that you refused to make when now-Senator Markey asked you to keep the oil in the country, rather than shipping it to other countries."

SOURCE NextGen Climate Action