Canceled. The pipeline’s developer, TC Energy, said yesterday it was pulling the plug on the project after a decade-long game of tug of war over the pipeline's environmental impact.
Keystone XL
wasn’t exactly an active construction site. President Biden rescinded
the pipeline’s construction permit on his first day in office,
reflecting his administration’s commitment to fighting climate change.
Why it matters: The announcement marks the end of a bitter feud that pitted environmentalists, Native American tribes, and farmers against Canadian officials and the energy industry.
- The
former group argued the pipeline would have widespread damaging effects
on the environment, increasing greenhouse gas emissions and potentially
leaking oil into a critical aquifer.
- Supporters of the pipeline said it would create thousands of well-paying construction jobs and bolster US energy security.
Quick backstory
Well, not that quick considering the project was first announced
all the way back in 2008. The plan was to build a pipeline carrying
830,000 barrels of crude oil daily from the oil sands of Alberta,
Canada, to Nebraska, where it would link up with existing pipelines to
carry it to Gulf Coast refineries.
President
Obama delayed the project, then President Trump gave it the green light,
until Biden squashed it again. Alberta had spent $1.1 billion on the
project, and its demise will leave a bitter taste for Canadian leaders.
- “We
remain disappointed and frustrated with the circumstances surrounding
the Keystone XL project, including the cancellation of the presidential
permit for the pipeline’s border crossing,” Alberta Premier Jason Kenney
said.
Environmentalists
and others who opposed the pipeline, meanwhile, are overjoyed that
their years of public advocacy paid off. “It's a great day for Mother
Earth," Larry Wright Jr., chairman of Nebraska’s Ponca Tribe, said.
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