Hillary Clinton is in the tar sands hot seat. Is she asking the right questions?

The U.S. State Department is in the rare position of having to decide on an environmental issue. TransCanada wants to expand an existing pipeline to bring tar sand oil from Alberta, Canada, to Texas. Because it’s an international project, the State Department must review and approve it, a process expected to be completed by year’s end but that could be extended to complete a “thorough review process.”

The review process requires, among other things, “disclosure of potential environmental impacts (beneficial and adverse) and the consideration of possible alternatives.” So far, two environmental impact drafts have been prepared — the latest released