Keystone XL critics said they amassed more than 1 million comments against the pipeline to carry oil from Canada, showing what they called grassroots opposition to the $5.3 billion project across six U.S. states.

Keystone will "contribute dramatically" to global warming and pose an "unacceptable risk to water," according to a letter posted on the website of environmental group 350.org that visitors can electronically sign and submit to the State Department, which is reviewing the comments.

The department collected comments through yesterday on its draft environmental analysis that is seen favoring project supporters. Keystone foes said the level of opposition should give President Barack Obama cover to reject TransCanada Corp. (TRP)'s pipeline, which is backed by oil companies and labor groups as a source of jobs and greater U.S. energy security.

The federal Conservatives have decided to mark Earth Day this year, launching a long-promised portal for public access to sensitive environmental data from the oil sands.

Federal Environment Minister Peter Kent and his Alberta counterpart Diana McQueen will be at Carleton University in Ottawa on Monday to flick the switch and allow public scrutiny of new research measuring the quality and quantity of the land, air and water in the Athabasca region.

It's a contrast to the defensive stance the Conservatives have taken on Earth Days past. Last year, hundreds of thousands of people rallied in Montreal and other cities against Ottawa's changes to environmental oversight and its withdrawal from the Kyoto accord to cut emissions.

Little Rock's Duncan Law Firm has filed a class action lawsuit on behalf of all property owners with a contractual easement on their property for ExxonMobil's Pegasus pipeline.

This is the second lawsuit in two weeks filed against the company over the oil spill that occurred March 29 in Mayflower.

In the first suit, filed April 5, two homeowners are seeking monetary relief for themselves and "all others similarly situated."

That suit lists two damage amounts: one asking for individual damages "in excess of $75,000" and the other "in aggregate" in excess of $5 million.

Secretary of State John Kerry says he isn’t wading into the State Department’s review of the proposed Keystone XL oil sands pipeline.

At least not yet.

"I am staying as far away from that as I can now so that when the appropriate time comes to me, I am not getting information from any place I shouldn't be, and I am not getting engaged in the debate at a time that I shouldn't be," Kerry told the House Foreign Affairs Committee on Wednesday.

Kerry noted the decision would ultimately come to him, but that until then the various steps of the review process aren't complete. "It is not ripe," he said.