Susan Rice has more than just congressional Republicans questioning her suitability to be the next U.S. secretary of state. Environmentalists too are wondering if Rice is a good fit, but for reasons different from those voiced by Republicans.

GOP lawmakers are unhappy about Rice’s remarks following the September attack on the U.S. consulate in Libya.

Environmentalists, though, worry that Rice may have a conflict of interest with respect to the Keystone XL pipeline project.

A key decision of the next secretary of state will be whether to approve the pipeline that would transport tar sands oil from Canada to the Gulf of Mexico, where it would be processed for export to Europe and Latin America. Environmental groups have worried about oil spills impacting the Midwest ecosystem and the nation’s largest freshwater aquifer.

Rice, it turns out, owns a significant financial stake in Keystone, as well as other Canadian oil operations. She holds stock valued between $300,000 and $600,000 in TransCanada, the company hoping to transport tar sands crude 1,700 miles to refineries on the Texas Gulf Coast.

Additionally, Rice and her husband own at least $1.25 million worth of stock in four of Canada’s eight leading oil producers, including Enbridge, which caused the largest inland oil spill in U.S. history when it spilled 840,000 gallons of toxic bitumen into Michigan’s Kalamazoo River two years ago.

-Noel Brinkerhoff

To Learn More:

Secretary of State Candidate Has a Major Financial Stake in Canadian Tar Sands (by Scott Dodd, On Earth)

Possible Secretary of State Candidate Has Millions Invested in Banks, Energy Companies (by Michelle Martinelli, OpenSecrets)

Public Financial Disclosure Report (OpenSecrets)

Susan E. Rice, 2009 (OpenSecrets)

Utah Approves First U.S. Tar Sands Project (by Noel Brinkerhoff, AllGov)

Obama Administration Accused of Blocking UN Report on Congo Rebels to Protect Dictator Ally (by Noel Brinkerhoff and David Wallechinsky, AllGov)

Keystone Pipeline Lobbyists were Hillary Clinton Fundraisers (by Matt Bewig, AllGov)

U.N. Ambassador Susan Rice Skipped Key Vote to Appear with Jon Stewart (by Noel Brinkerhoff and David Wallechinsky, AllGov)