>> this is where the typhoon came ashore. giving you a real global perspective like no other can. >> al jazeera, nairobi. >> on the turkey-syria border. >> venezuela. >> beijing. >> kabul. >> hong kong. >> ukraine. >> the artic. real reporting from around the world. this is what we do. al jazeera america. hi everyone, i'm john seigenthaler, this is al jazeera america. >> on guard, missouri's governor declares a state of emergency as ferguson waits for a grand jury decision. >> i.s.i.l.'s brutality searching for clues in the latest i.s.i.l. video, and a surprising message from the parents of the american killed. >> our hearts are battered but they'll mend. >> mid east clashes - a palestinian found hanged in

jerusalem. how the autopsy is fuelling tensions tonight. >> and key stone xl, the big promises and controversies - our special report we begin in missouri. the governor declared a state of emergency and operated the national guard over fears of what could happen when the grand jury decision is handed down. jonathan martin has more. >> the governor's decision is fuelling speculation. some in the community are concerned about how bad the violence could be. the governor said this is part of an overall contingency plan to make sure law enforce. is prepared and acting appropriately. the st louis unit and police department is working with the highway patrol and the national

guard to respond to unrest. we don't know a date when the grand jury will come back with their decision, police say they are preparing as protests have started organizers called this a preview of plans to protest if ferguson police officer darren wilson is not indicted. several hundred people rallied in clayton missouri, promising to shut the st louis area. [ chanting ] >> reporter: unlike ferguson, the 15,000 residents of clayton, the st louis seat is white and affluent. >> clayton is the political hub of the county and houses the biz businesses, like the corporation that manufactures the bullets. it's significant to be here to remind the people that we are not quitting. >> for more than an hour the

group blocked traffic at intersections. [ chanting ] >> reporter: some protesters shouted at police officers, who stood back, not engaging the proud. the protesters have little faith that darren wilson will be indited. regardless, they say their message will be peaceful. >> we have been peaceful. we continue to be peaceful. we are fighting for the preservation of life. we will never endanger people for the cause. >> this is a systematic issue going beyond this case. we have goals beyond this case, there's no reason to wait for this one decision to make our voices heard. >> reporter: the clayton chamber of commerce received a warning from clayton officials about the protest. unlike businesses in ferguson, that are temporarily boarded up in case there's violence, businesses in clayton are open. protesters we spoke to say they plan to be nonviolent in

peaceful, the fbi issued a bulletin saying they are concerned that agitators will come to the community and turn normally peaceful demonstrations into more. now the state of emergency here in missouri is in effect for the next 30 days. depending on what happens here the government has the option to extend that. >> thank you. attorney-generally and legal analyst reeva martin is a native of st louis and joins us from los angeles. a stej, how -- state of emergency, how do you justify calling a state of emergency when it has not happened? >> it's a catch 22. governor was criticized for not being quick enough after the shooting of michael brown. but many believe his, you know, pronouncement of bringing in the national guard is escalating the fear and concerns in the entire, you know, st louis community, not just the ferguson city, but the surrounding areas as well. so i think there needs to be

sense that, you know, the police will respond to anyone that is violent or anyone that commits a crime, but has to be sensitive to not, you know, escalating the fears of people, or provoking protesters in the way that we saw after michael brown's shooting. >> is it legal to call the state of emergency when one hasn't happened. >> i think the governor had the power. the legislation in missouri gives him the power to do so. the question is how does he use the power. does he use it to bring the community together are or in a way that polarizes the community. we saw horrible images after michael brown, after the shooting of armoured trucks and tear gas and batons used. we are hopeful that this time that communications between police and citizens don't lead to that escalation. >> you have been watching this since the violence broke out in

ferguson some time ago. ish you are from the st louis area. give us your thoughts? >> first and foremost, i wish the governor, the political structure would use the money, time, that it's using to prepare the police to go into ferguson and improve the school system, create jobs, educate people about civic engagement, create a new leadership in that community. we are doing this, it's fine. we need to be prepared in case there's violence. what could happen if the same level of engagement was made in a positive way. those of us like me, from that community, and care deeply about it, we want to know something will change beyond a what happens with an individual. >> does the government's decision indicate he knows what the grand jury will do? >> the fact is imminentment the fact that he's come on enginesal

television. all the work that the police department was done. all of that signals that, and is eminent with the grand jury. what kind of message does this send to the community. >> i don't think it's sending the right message. it ought to be that we are concerned about what happens to officer wilson, and also about what happens to the community long term. i haven't heard enough discussion from the political structure, it from governor nixon, about what happens after the grand jury decision is made. if darren wilson is indicted or not, the racial tensions, the inequities persist. how do we address those, beyond what happens to one individual. that's the big erquestion we have to move the discussion. >> it's good to talk to you, thank you very much. >> thank you. >> there's new rehabilitation and questions tonight about the

latest video from i.s.i.l., showing the beheading of yet another american, and jamie mcintyre has more from washington. . >> the united states is denouncing the beheading of another american captured by i.s.i.l., and is wowing not to be intimidated by the brutal tactics much the family is taking a softer tone, talking about healing and forgiveness. >> the parents of abdul kassig are grieving. >> our hearts are battered. they will mend. the world is broken. but it will be healed in the end. and goodwill prevail as the one god of many names will prevail the beheading of their son, a 26-year-old former army ranger, who changed his name from peter when he converted from islam brings to three the number of americans executed by i.s.i.l. kassig returned to the region

creating a relieve organization. >> please allow our small family the time and privacy to mourn, cry and, yes, forgive and begin to heal. al jazeera showed not to behead the new video from i.s.i.l. it shows a group of men in blue jumpsuits, syrian military officers and pilots. authorities and friends identified a finder as a french national. in a speech in washington secretary of state john kerry argued that i.s.i.l.'s actions are a recruiting tool in the u.s., call vannizing support for increased action. >> i.s.i.l.'s leaders assume that the world will be too intimidated to oppose them. let us be clear. we are not intimidated. you are not intimidated, friends

and partners are not intimidated. i.s.i.l. is very, very wrong. >> in a statement president obama denounced the kill inns as: he rejected a connection to islam saying: joint chief martin dempsey told chiefs in iraq that the tide was turning against i.s.i.l. he indicated he would be willing to deploy troops, eyes on the ground to help those in the air tart -- target the i.s.i.l. fighters. a couple of things were different. it did not show the beheading, just the after math. they are holding a 26-year-old female aid workers, whose name is withhold to lower her

profile. i.s.i.l. executed women and children in the past, but never beheaded a western woman on camera robert mcfadden is the senior vice president of the sufon group and a former special agent at n.c.i.s. he's in the studio. why unmask this time, where are the fighters not marked? >> i.s.i.l. is trying to get the message out that we are an international organization, it's not just young guys from syria and iraq. it's not about the sectarian divide. we are the vanguard of the movement. you see the young men with features from different places. >> does that help the u.s. track these people down? >> yes. the short answer for that. see, i.s.i.s. leadership has a kind of cost benefit analysis. do we have our guys on their unmask, and risk them being identified, versus what kind of propaganda message do we get out

there by having an international look. with it being out there we know from crowd sourcing when images like that are out there, it's not days or weeks, but minutes before there's an identification. >> you and i talked about this before, and you talked about recruiting. most of us have a difficult time trying to understand how this is useful in recruiting. >> it is amazing and counterintuitive. here is what you have. the leadership nose it will not appeal to a broad mass of young men, say a group of 100 outside the region. it is going to get the percentage that had been attracted by the activity. it relies on it. how do they do it. just going after those that would be attracted and motivated by the men and activity. >> that is the disconnect i don't get. >> i know. >> i don't know who those people are. who are those people.

>> behaviours have a much better characterisation and explanation as to how that is. putting it into some perspective, it doesn't take many, but look at the percentage of the united states population for example, where the department of justice estimates 12 american citizens and holders were in the group. 12 out of a population of 300 million. >> general dempsey said sending small groups of troops to this area is still on the table. does that help? does that help? >> from what we are hearing, you know, without having further detail from the chairman, what the talk is is it that these type of experts will help with ground intelligence and targetting and helping the indigenous forces getting up to speed and in to fight faster and effectively. >> robert mcfadden, always good to see you happening in hong kong, the

government started clearing pro-democracy protesters from the front of an office building. the court issued a restraining order. the workers clearing the barricades met no resistance. demands watched and unlike past operations, the police are not wearing riot gear. >> to screrz where pro --s jerusalem where protesters have been clerk after a palestinian bus driver was hanged. israelis say he committed suicide, palestinians say he was killed. nick schifrin has more. >> the drivers lawyer and palestinian coroner insists there's no doubt that he was killed. the israeli police insist there's no doubt that he killed himself. in this city, right now, when it comes to he said, he said, tensions fill the street and grief fills the home. in a palestinian house in the

occupied west bank, 100 women gathered to grieve. they surround each other for support. family members sharing the loss of a relative. at the center, a wife. inconsolable. >> translation: he didn't do anything. he was a good man. they love him at work. they love him a lot. what else do you want me to say. what else can i say about my pain. >> her husband was a bus driver. the israeli police say he happened himself in his vehicle. there's no evidence of foul play, according to a police statement. his family says this photo shows signs of abuse, saying jewish extremists murdered him. thousands of palestinians filled the neighbourhood to show solidarity and strength. they carried his body to the family home. his death uniting people normally divided.

they called him a martyr is vowed to redeem his death. about a mile away they tried to redeem it with rocks. tonight, in six locations, palestinian protesters clash with israeli forces. they throw what they can. israelis fire above heads, dispersing them with tear gas. >> there has been a few dozen protesters. they take big stones, break them on the ground and throw rocks that size at the soldiers, who are 300-400 feet down that way. a lot of these protesters are keeping their distance, because the israeli police are using live fire. >> in and around jerusalem, the violence is increasing, using cars as weapons, and knives. palestinians killed six israelis in the past month, more than in the past two years. israel blamed the palestinian leadership. >> the incritment that leads to

violence must be stopped. >> reporter: each funeral leads to another, and calls for revenge. neither side trusts the other. >> the israeli police say that youcef committed suicide. do you believe that? >> translation: no, i don't believe them, the law is on their side. they do what they want. >> reporter: they filled his grave by hand. in this city there's a lot of prayer, but little peace. >> reporter: the palestinian authority was largely silent, even though to this the opportunity to refruit the israeli police, and even though the family came out and accused extremists of killing youcef. it's a sign that palestinian leaders do not want the tension to spread. it's a goal that now they share with binyamin netanyahu. >> it's nick schifrin reporting. >> the state department is trying to find out who is behind

a cyber attack on an unclassified email system. unusual web activity was first detected several weeks ago about the same time computerers were being hacked. no classified location was lost. attacks were reported last week the ebola epidemic spreading through west africa, showing no signs of slowing down. it's becoming difficult to recite health workers to combat the virus. dr martin salia, a sierra leone native, died from ebola today in nebraska. robert ray has more from atlanta as the center for disease control and prevention here in atlanta georgia are sending more workers and officials to west africa, specifically the country of mali, to stop any sort of epidemic in the works of ebola. folks here in the state of nebraska are mourning the loss

of dr martin salia, who passed away. 44 years old, at 4:00am at nebraska, omaha. he has there for just 36 hours. a surgeon who flew from sierra leone to nebraska just this past saturday in critical condition. dr phil smith who treated him made comments earlier today. >> the ebola virus infection is a deadly disease. we are reminded today that even though this was the best possible place for this patient to be, in the advanced staples, even the most modern techniques we have at our disposal are not enough to help the patients once they reach a clinical threshold. the focus needs to remain with a global emphasise on prevention and early diagnosis. >> reporter: when the dr salia

arrived in the u.s., his kidneys were not functioning, his respiratory system was breaking down, he, unfortunately was unresponsive. doctors did all they did, without success. he's the second patient to die in the united states from ebola. the united states president's press secretary put out a statement this morning: lip while over 5,000 have died to ebola in west africa, officials in the u.s. are still monitoring closely folks coming in from west africa into the u.s. airport. and recently as of just this morning monitoring people coming in from the country of mali, as seven people have become infected, and the c.d.c. is trying to stop and prevent an

epidemic in that country. >> coming up next - a look at what is called the new cold war in the battle over billions in untapped oil reserves between the u.s. and russia. plus, the senate will vote on the keystone pipeline tomorrow after nearly six years of delay. a look at the pros, the cons and the science behind it. our special report coming up.

united states will be getting a visit from the pope. pope francis will visit philadelphia in september for a conference, celebrating the importance of family. the pope may visit new york and

washington d.c. now to what some are calling the new cold war, from the arctic ocean to the south pacific global tension with russia is wising and the confrontation between the west and russia is spreading beyond ukraine. ali velshi reports. >> it's 10:00a.m. on an autumn morning in transvainia. more than 1,000 romanian soldiers are engaged in war games, under the guidance of hundreds of u.s. marines. it's a routine exercise in military readiness. but demonstrations of force like this have taken on an urgency for the west. beside the mountains in romania, the soldiers are training for battle. a 7 hour drive from ukraine, where russian-backed separatists set off the worst confrontation between moscow and the west since the end of the cold war.

romanians and other eastern europe eens who remember russia's past aggressions are worried about the west's ability and willingness to stop and embolden president vladimir putin. >> it's a reality. we live in a new cold war. but it's a danger for - for real war. >> not everyone shares the former romanian president's fears that moscow and the west are bound for armed conflict. and yet an escalating military presence on both sides left little room for area. >> the stakes of this new cold war are about more than territory and influence. they are also about money, here on the top of the world, the battle is fought over energy. the arctic is home to 13%. world's undiscovered oil, and a third of its natural gas. to get a first hand look, i headed north, way north to the

northern-most town in the north, on an island in the high arctic. many nations, including russia are eyeing this once sleepy goal mining settlement as a strategic base in the arctic frontier. but energy is not the only factor in the battle for the high north. it's about who controls the high seas. which are increasingly accessible because of global warming. new shipping lanes creating by the melting of ice could save money, for example a cargo ship travelling between western europe and asia travels though the suez canal. doing it through the arctic saves 40%. melting ice is a contrast between the freeze in relations between russia and the west, a

freeze putting old ennis on a new round of battles, whose end game is less about ideology and more about control and soup rem si. >> ali velshi inside the arctic circle and coming up tomorrow - the economy is the core of the conflict in this cold war. you can watch it seven eastern time, four pacific. >> the flay lander is taking a rest. these are photos released by the european space agency showing a bumpy landing on a come it. it spent the next 57 hours capturing high resolution images, it's now in hibernation mode, but may reawake as it gets closer to the sun. still ahead - boom or bust. after years of debate the senate prepared to vote. we look at the facts behind the keystone xl pipeline. is it safe? it runs through delicate territory. we look at the impact on the

environment after this.

. >> the rallying cry for republicans. >> the bill has passed. >> a red line for president obama. >> this country will do what it

should have been doing for years. >> after years of delay and a decisive midterm election, congress puts the keystone pipeline on a fast-track. how much will it cost. who will pay, is it worth it? >> you have to ask what will happen if you don't do it. >> the facts, the science and politics fuelling the fight. >> tonight, our special report - keystone xl - boom or bust hi everyone, i'm john seigenthaler, the republican led house proved it. the democratic-led seppate votes -- senate votes storm, the keystone oil pipeline could head to the president'sed dask. it concerns -- president's desk. it concerns more than politics. it extends carrying more oil than the existing pipeline from canada to the gulf of mexico. supporters say keystone will create jobs and keep cash prices low.

critics say the jobs will be few. the strain huge. this is a delicate issue for the president. after six years, congress is close to approving keystone xl. [ chanting ] >> reporter: protesters hoping to block the chances of keystone's success stretched an inflatable pipeline across mary landrieu's lawn. >> if she wants the pipeline so badly, it can go through her front lawn. >> the pipeline has been stalled. the senator from louisiana is pushing for approval, homing it may help her to hold her isn't out seat. she supported keystone xl for years but faces a midterm election. >> more than me, the public wants a vote on keystone and wanted it for a long time. >> upping the anxiety for opponents. bill cassidy has his own bill. >> the bill has passed.

>> which passed the house on friday. >> join me in approving the keystone pipeline, providing 40,000 promised jobs to the american people. >> the number of jobs is open for debate. the stage is set for a showdown and a dilemma for president obama who may be forced to veto the bill or stand with environmentalists, or helping mary landrieu by signing it into law. >> it is providing the ability of canada to pump their oil, send it through our land down to the gulf where it will be sold everywhere else. >> the house approved xl nine times, with support from democrats from the senate, it's close to passing. helping to clear the way for the 1700 pipeline to carry canadian oil sands from tyler bertuzzi to the gulf coast. supporters say it will generate jobs and cut america's dependance on middle eastern oil. >> if we are not getting that

oil, we'll import more oil from other countries. >> we will not let you build this pipeline. >> environmentalists worry it will encourage the mining of oil sands, and point out that it will pump thick, tar-like oil across the u.s. and under major sources of water. >> once spilling into the aquifer it can spread miles. >> if our water is contaminated we have no water. >> the senate debates that it's the president who may ultimately decide. >> all signs are that the president will veto the bill, if we sign it, it may not be the end of the story since a nebraska court is also looking at it. >> the debate, for some, is boost the u.s. economy, or save the climate for the future. science and technology correspondent jacob ward is in

richmond california and says not that simple, rite? >> that's correct. i'm in the san francisco bay area, home to half-a-dozen refineries, which is strange to thing, it's the center of environmental politics. the truth is this is a hub of the oil industry. is the terminus of the chevron refinery, a 2,800 facility, boiling crude oil, turning it into transportation fuel, diesel or jet fuel, moving it out to market via tankerships behind me. all of it moves through pipes, and pipes are really the great trouble of oil. this is really a microcosm of the essence of the oil industry. get oil out of land-locked places and move it to the edge of the continent, via pipes. the problem with oil is pipes corrode, it's not because the oil is corrosive, it's the stuff coming out of ground with it,

the organic acids and carbon dioxides, and other impurities coming with the oil that will move through the pipeline, no one nose that better than chevron. this place had major fires and explosions. in the massive fire and explosion in 2012, over 15,000 had to go to the hospital. investigators determined that the pipes were not adequately inspected and maintained. and they had corroded because of the same kind of heavy sul they are content that the pipeline is carrying. now, just a small leak can set off that kind of fire, noxious fumes, contaminating groundwater. it is a nation-wide test, perhaps the biggest of all time as to whether or not the u.s. and american pipeline companies can maintain a massive pipeline without doing environmental or personal harm to the acres and acres and community after community that it basses through

on its way from canada to the gulf of mexico. >> we'll get back to you. keystone xl has been stalled in controversy. in canada, where it begins, many have a favourable view. daniel lack has more. >> there hasn't been the high profile widespread opposition to keystone here that you have seen in the united states over the past several years. there's a number of reasons for that. right here in alberta, the petroleum industry is the mainstay of the economy. it's no exaggeration to say that this prosperous province owes what it has to the oil industries, whether it's the tar sands or conventional methods. keystone is strongly supported. political parties, almost all are g behind the promote saying

it brings good union jobs to the country, and this is when the country needs those. there are environmental groups that range concerns, and they point out that canada is not yet meeting its greenhouse gas emission targets, agreeing that in copenhagen, climate change, they say, it not taken seriously by the government in canada. nonetheless, on both sides of the spectrum people like to see a decision that the uncertainties should be removed. it's been seven years since the application for approval was made. whether it's this congress, the next one, people would like to see this think decided and concluded. >> that's daniel lack reporting. the debate moved from the campaign trial to the hauls of congress. mike viqueira is in washington. democratic leaders blocked a vote. why are they allowing one now?

>> it's fascinating. internal leadership dynamics within the caucus on capitol hill. they took a wipe out, a thumping in the elections. senate democratic leaders, led by harry reid. wanting to buck um the troops, standing -- buck up the troops. it looked like a lost cause, and in the process, ironically, they are doing what the white house doesn't want them to do. the white house looks at the results of elections, saying the democratic base was disenfranchised, they were down, unmotivated. we need to ignite them to get a fire under them, in order to win further elections going down the road, coming to 2016. this is something that ironically, while it may help the senate democrats in internal fights, does not help nationwide. >> and the chances of passing? >> the chances of passing are middling. mary landrieu has been working

on krill your, and in louisiana from her home state over the weekend. all 45 republicans are going to vote. she needs 15 democrats to go along. they are stuck at 59. the issue really is if it passes the senate, and passes the loss bill, it's likely to get a veto. >> overriding the veto in the senate. it's a question of when the republicans come in. will they muster a 67 vote majority to override the veto. >> diana was the chief economist for the labor department under george w. bush, and is a senior fellow at the manhattan institute and is in washington tonight. welcome. how would the keystone pipeline improving job growth in the u.s.? >> it would create jobs for building it.

we have president obama, who says again and again that we need more infrastructure, construction. the keystone xl pipeline is one of the biggest. it would create jobs with supplies to the pipeline, building supplies and technology. it would create jobs because oil would come down to canada to our refineries along the gulf of mexico, and would create jobs for the refiners. >> the stats from the state department says it would create 42,000 temporary jobs. once it's running, it only employed about 50 people. is 50 people words the environmental risk here? >> it would create a lot of jobs in the refineries, we have the refineries, the best in the world. they are refining from venezuela and mexico.

that is going down in supply. we needed other sources of oil to keep the refinery running, and that employs more people, and generates cross domestic product for us in the united states. we wanted to do the refining, not elsewhere. >> i believe a major oil c.e.o. said the pipeline no longer needed to bring crude oil from the bracken field. is keystone really necessary? >> it certainly is necessary to bring oil from canada to here. we expect oil to increase, and it will carry some in time. people are saying that these infrastructure projects are - won't be any good right now. they could have been started five years ago. people keep on saying na. if keystone xl is not built, and i believe it will, in five years, people would say it's not worth it now.

it should have started five years ago. five years from now, that's when we need to start building. >> the oil is not going to the united states, is it? >> the oil would come to the united states and be refined. and be mitched with our light crude in the back. and some may be used here. some exported. if we export it, we make money from exporting it. we make more money if it is made here and exported than if it goes somewhere else. some we'd use here and some we export. we have a loft of economic growth from the export. export is there. >> in the sense of making the united states oil independent. most of this oil will be exported, correct? >> i'm not sure of the exact figures, how much will be exported, how much won't be. in any case, it helps to take

united states oil independence by importing oil from canada, rather than countries that are less friendly to us in the middle east. canada is our friend and ali, it is abyss mall behaviour to them, that we have not built the pipeline. they are our ally and friend. we should have built the pipeline. we have many miles of pipeline in the united states. it is not a new technology, it's the safest form of travel for oil, because the container does not move. the product moves through the pipeline, as opposed to rail cars and trucks where the actual container is moving, and can hit other vehicles. or it can kill people as in canada, where 47 people were killed. our state department estimates if keystone xl is not built and the oil travels by rail, there'll be an additional six

steps and 49 fatalities. >> to the residents that live along the pipeline and depend on the land, you say there's no environmental risk. >> i say there's little environmental risk and i would say we need to place the value of people's lives very high, and this is the safest in terms of human safety. this is what all the statistics say this, is what the state department says. people's lives are most important. and the amounts that might be built are miniscule in terms of the percentage of product carried. a fraction of product that is carried. >> i know we have been trying to get you on the programme several times, we appreciate you joining us tonight. thank you. >> great to be with you. >> residents of steel city in nebraska hope the pipeline brings a boom and new life to the struggling town. >> michael oku has more on this

village of 50 people. >> reporter: steel city, nebraska. the sign says 84 residents. the actual number is closer to 50. the elementary school is closed. only three kids live in town. the bapist church - closed. this used to be a grocery store. a bank was here. >> the building is the old town hall. there was a hospital there, i was born in the hospital. >> that was 70 years ago. bill is the city's mayor, and runs the post office. >> there was a basher shop over -- barber shop here, a cafe, two hotels. it's - gradually people are moving out. >> trains roll through every 15 minutes or so, but they do not stop. not any more. steele city near the nebraska

state line was founded in 1873, after decades of decline, the village is back on the map. tans canada's -- transcanada's keystone xl pipeline would pump to a facility just here, out of town you can see the report from michael oku on steel hi on "america tonight" at the top of the hour still ahead - native tribes speaking out about the pipeline, and crude oil's potential on wildlife. what sa spill could mean for hundreds of miles of wilderness.

some of the toughest opposition to the keystone xl is from the northern plains, as it snakes from canada to mexico, it cuts through sacred tribal land. families who lived there for hundreds of years say they don't want it.

diane eastabrook reports from black hills. from a sacred site in the black hills of south dakota, tribe members burn sage and pray to earth. >> we stand in the footsteps of our ancestors, to make offerings to protect the sacred water. >> to the lakota water is nature's medicine. some fear it could be poisoned if the transcanada xl oil pipeline is built. the project begins in the canadian tar sands, running from montana to nebraska. it skirts seven reserve variousers, including the shian river. >> the pipeline will be approximately four miles to the right. to the left. >> reporter: that's too close for 60-year-old steve, who lives on the reservation. he worried if it ruptures it could pollute the riff and aquifer, which is in the pipeline pass. >> it's not oil, it's solvent to

make it fluid. when the pipe breaks, which i know it will, it will not leak just oil, but other chemicals. >> for the lakota it's not just a battle over water. it's a battle over land. the tribe says the pipeline violated 19th century treaties that it netted with the u.s. government for -- negotiated with the united states government. treaties abolished more than a century ago, but treaties that the tribes say are valid. they could unearth sacred american artefacts. transcanada met with the tribes, saying it had protections in place to protect the environment and cultural sites. in a statement the company sa :

saysays: >> 830,000 barrels a day ... at this meeting tribe members prepared for a fight, some threatening to block the pipeline's construction. >> we'll stand in front of transcanada, they'll have to run over us or put us in gaol. >> a threat that the lakota hope not to carry out. >> now, the critics say a leak anywhere along the keystone could have a catastrophic impact on the environment. science and technology correspondent jake ward is back with us. what makes crude dangerous? >> well, crude oil itself is very, very difficult to transport because of the impure itties it carries with it, corroding people and other stuff leaks out of it. oil in refined form is brutal. it's a horrible contaminant that

we as human beings can encounter. a single drop of oil can contaminate not just this beak are, but five besides. the ratio is one drop of oil contaminates a million drops of oil. it's not a euphemism, it's a universal ratio. a gallon of oil, one million of water. the problem that we see with the reporting is a lot of pipeline crosses lands where it's a life that depends on the land - cattle and agriculture, now, oil is a terrible contaminant for human being, leading to mortality, pregnancy complications, cancer, but can have an effect on agriculture and livestock. all of that because oil makes its way into organisms, and it cannot be expelled.

it's not like other stuff. the body absorbs it and hangs on to it. it builds to carcinogenic levels and can be passed to other organisms. when small mammals are consumed by larger, it moves up the chain, and moves down and just the incredible contamination potential of oil is one of the sort of great ironies of it. our life depend on oil right now for so many things, and it is one of the greatest threats to human life that we have devised. >> jake ward, thank you. >> lena is the manager of federal policy for the national wildlife federation, and is in washington d.c. >> what are you hearing from landowners in states like south dakota and arkansas. >> we got into the fight years

ago because of the climate impact of expanding the development of tar sands. it exploded when branches and farmers saw that transcanada chose the shortest, quickest, dirtiest route to the gulf coast to get the products there for export. they said, "no." it cuts through an aquifer, the single largest aquifer, providing drinking water for millions of people and is the heart of the breadbasket of america. this provide critical agricultural water for irrigation and food for much of america. >> we also heard if the pipeline doesn't go through, that the crude oil can be transported on rail. and that is dangerous. so why is - where is the pipeline better than train tracks? >> sure, i want to take issue with the subsuggests that if

keystone xl doesn't go through, tar sands will find their way to the gulf coast. the state department did, in january, erroneously make the conclusion with the primary scenario that they looked at. they looked at a number of scenarios, and one of them where they looked at low oil prices and constraints of other pipelines - in that case, oil could be shut in canada. we have that scenarios in which the pipeline would have a huge impact on the pipe line, is coming to pass. we don't think that oil will make its way on in the way that proponents have said. like a previous guest. the facts have born that out. the state department estimated that 200,000 tonnes of oil is making it to the gulf, and it's not come to pass. it's less than 50,000 a day.

>> there's a pipeline there now, right much. there's the keystone pipeline. >> the southern half, yes. unfortunately that has gone ahead. >> there hasn't been a major disaster related to that, has there? >> not yet. what we have seen in the past is it's a matter of time for the pipelines to leak. the landowners and families that see the disastrous impacts know that it's a matter of when, not if with with the pipelines. in kalamazoo, michigan, in 2010, a million barrels spilled into the kalamazoo river, and is it took four years and over $4 billion, because this is not regular oil. it's energy intensive to get out of the ground. once they do, it's so heavy and viscous ta when it spills into rivers, it sinks. making it nearly impossible to clean-up, which is why we see

vociferous potential in nebraska. >> good to have you on the programme. thank you for your insight. >> tomorrow the senate votes on the pipeline. a vote in favour setting up the first of many showdowns between congress and the white house. we'll keep you posted. that's our special report. i'm john seigenthaler in new york. thank you for watching. have a great night.

>> on "america tonight": as the city prays for an all important grand jury decision, the mayor of ferguson, missouri, one on one with "america tonight's" lori jane gliha. >> the characterization that ferguson was somehow just a powder keg ready to explode and it's a ferguson problem was what i was trying to take reception exception with. the. >> an in depth look at the mayor's take on what the shooting meant to ferguson.