TransCanada CEO surprised at furor over pipeline

WASHINGTON — The chief executive of a Canadian company that wants to pipe oil from tar sands in western Canada to the Texas Gulf Coast says he is surprised at the opposition the project has generated.

CEO Russ Girling, Calgary-based TransCanada, said Friday he did not expect the proposed Keystone XL pipeline to become a "lightning rod" in the debate over fossil fuels and alternative energy. The company installed a similar pipeline less than two years ago with little opposition.

Environmental activists, religious groups and young people inspired by the protests against Wall Street plan are protesting the 1,700-mile pipeline, which would travel through Montana, South Dakota, Kansas, Nebraska and Oklahoma.

The State Department is holding a hearing on the $7 billion project. A decision is expected in December.