A Montana-based judge has canceled a key permit needed by the Keystone XL pipeline. Federal judge Brian Morris ruled in favor of environmental conservation groups by revoking the projects’ Nationwide Permit 12, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers had not adequately considered endangered species in the waterways the pipeline would cross. Senior Attorney for the Sierra Club, Doug Hayes, issued a statement.
The Trump administration has repeatedly violated the law in their relentless pursuit of seeing this dirty tar sands pipeline built…Today’s ruling confirms, once again, that there’s just no getting around the fact that Keystone XL would devastate communities, wildlife, and clean drinking water…It was true a decade ago, and it’s just as true today: Keystone XL would be a bad deal for the American people and should never be built.”
The Hill
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There are more hearings scheduled for this week, with Judge Morris listening to arguments from Native American peoples, who have been on the front lines of pipeline protests since Congress’ approval of the project in 2015. Judge Morris has ruled in favor of conservation before, halting construction on the pipeline in 2018 until further environmental study could be done. Environmental concerns continue to be a key part of the discussion surrounding the Keystone XL pipeline, despite the current administration’s repeated efforts to ignore them.
The Trump Administration’s ongoing effort to give out goodies to Big Oil hit another setback. Whether they like it or not, the Corps cannot skirt foundational environmental laws. And projects like the Keystone XL tar sands pipeline will remain stalled as long as the Administration keeps trying to illegally fast-track them…”
National Resources Defense Council attorney Ceceila Segal – NRDC
This ruling has not canceled the pipeline project. According to the court documents filed by TC Energy, the company sponsoring the Keystone XL, work at camps in Montana and South Dakota could start this month.
Sources:
- US judge cancels permit for Keystone XL pipeline from Canada – AP News
- Judge cancels Keystone XL pipeline permit – The Hill