State Dept.: Tillerson will recuse himself from Keystone decision

The State Department says Secretary Rex Tillerson will recuse himself from decisions related to the Keystone XL oil pipeline.

Tillerson, the former CEO of ExxonMobil Corp., "recused himself from working on issues related to TransCanada's application for a presidential permit for the proposed Keystone XL pipeline," a State Department ethics official wrote in a letter to Greenpeace on Thursday.

"He has not worked on the matter at the Department of State and will play no role in the deliberations or ultimate resolution of TransCanada's application," wrote Katherine McManus in a letter released by the Office of Government Ethics.

Greenpeace formally urged the Office of Government Ethics and the State Department to ask for Tillerson's recusal in a Tuesday letter. The group noted Exxon, the company Tillerson led until December, would benefit from Keystone's construction because the project would raise the value of crude oil from Alberta, where Exxon has investments.

Because Keystone XL would pass across an international boarder, it requires a presidential permit to move forward. Then-President Obama - on advice from his State Department, led by John Kerry - denied TransCanada's application in 2015, but Trump signed an order reopening the application process in January.

TransCanada has since reapplied for a presidential permit, putting the decision back in the State Department's hands and raising greens' concerns that Tillerson could fast-track the project.

"When a decision about Keystone, or other oil and gas projects, reaches Rex Tillerson's desk, he will only see dollar signs for Exxon with no regard for what the people want and the impact on our climate," Annie Leonard, the executive director of Greenpeace USA, said in a statement Thursday.

"It's time for the Office of Government Ethics to do their job and urge that Tillerson recuse himself from decisions regarding the Keystone XL Pipeline."