For example, the State Department concluded that if Keystone XL is not built, oil sands production will be diverted to other markets (such as China), and the refineries in Texas will continue to process bitumen apace from offshore platforms.

FORBES: If U.S. Says No To Canadian Oil Sands Pipeline, China Will Say Yes

Other concerns include potential impacts to groundwater in the event of a spill and high pollution from refineries along the Gulf Coast that would process the bitumen.

FORBES: If U.S. Says No To Canadian Oil Sands Pipeline, China Will Say Yes

Yes, open pit bitumen mining blights the landscape, the process releases too much carbon dioxide, and tailing ponds occasionally kill ducks.

FORBES: Canadian Oil Sands Unfairly Tainted By BP Fiasco