Amazon gas pipeline plan jolts environmentalists

S. American leaders say project will reduce dependence on U.S.

RIO DE JANEIRO, Brazil (AP) — Environmentalists were caught off guard when South American leaders announced plans to build a massive natural gas pipeline through the Amazon rain forest.

Proponents say the $20 billion project, still in early planning stages, will help satisfy the growing regional demand for gas and help make South America less dependent on outside sources.
But environmentalists say it could damage part of the Amazon — the world’s largest wilderness — by polluting waterways, destroying trees and creating roads that could draw ranchers and loggers.

CNN