The project was originally developed between TransCanada and ConacoPhillips. On August 12, 2009, however, TransCanada received regulatory approval to purchase ConacoPhillips' interest in the project and is now the sole owner of the Keystone Pipeline System.
Landowners in the path of the pipeline have complained about threats by TransCanada to confiscate private land and lawsuits to allow the "pipeline on their property even though the controversial project has yet to receive Federal approval. As of 17 October 2011, TransCanada has "34 eminent domain actions against landowners in Texas" and "22 in South Dakota".
In February 2011, environmental journalist David Sassoon of Inside Climate News reported that Koch Industries were poised to be "big winners" from the pipeline. Congressmen Waxman and Rush wrote a letter to the Energy and Commerce Committee which cited the Reuters story and which urged the Committee to request documents from Koch Industries which relate to the Keystone XL pipeline.
In response to negative publicity, president and CEO of TransCanada Russ Girling touted the positive impact of the project by "putting 20,000 US workers to work and spending $7 billion stimulating the US economy". This has been disputed by an independent study conducted by Cornell ILR Global Labor Institute which found that while the Keystone XL would result in 2,500 to 4,650 temporary construction jobs, this impact will be reduced by higher prices in the Midwest which will likely reduce national employment.
-Wikipedia
I do not see a benefit to allowing a foreign-owned interest to construct a 36" diameter pipleline to snake through the US for temporary jobs but permanent harm to the environment to provide (only) "5% of the current US petroleum consumption needs"*
*Wikipedia
"If you don't think too good, don't think too much"
-Ted Williams
