Two still timely articles related
the same topic: Keystone XL Pipeline.
The first article is from
CNBC with their headline (June 9, 2021):
“Keystone pipeline
officially canceled after Biden revokes key permit”
CNBC Key Points:
· Keystone XL was halted by owner TC Energy after
U.S. President Joe Biden this year revoked a key permit needed for a U.S.
stretch of the 1,200-mile project.
· The Keystone XL pipeline was expected to carry
830,000 barrels per day of Alberta oil sands crude to Nebraska.
· The project was delayed for the past 12 years
due to opposition from U.S. landowners, Native American tribes and
environmentalists.
The second article is from NPR (that include a 4-minute audio interview with the reporter who has covered Keystone XL for a decade).
The NPR headline (also June 9, 2021):
“Developer Abandons Keystone XL Pipeline Project,
Ending Decade-Long Battle”
The NPR story:
A $9 billion oil pipeline that became a symbol of the rising
political clout of climate change advocates and a flash point in U.S.-Canada
relations was officially canceled on June 9, 2021.
Keystone XL, which was proposed in 2008 to bring oil from
Canada’s Western tar sands to U.S. refiners, was halted by owner TC Energy after
President Joe Biden revoked a key permit needed for a U.S. stretch of the
1,200-mile project.
Opponents of the pipeline fought its construction for years,
saying it was unnecessary and would hamper the U.S. transition to cleaner
fuels.
Its demise comes as other North American oil pipelines,
including Dakota Access and Enbridge Line 3, face continued opposition from
environmental groups.
Jared Margolis, a senior attorney at the Center for
Biological Diversity said: “This is a landmark moment in the fight against the
climate crisis. We’re hopeful that the Biden administration will continue to
shift this country in the right direction by opposing fossil fuel projects.”
The Keystone XL pipeline had been expected to carry 830,000 barrels per day of Alberta
oil sands crude down to Nebraska, but the project was delayed for the
past 12 years due to opposition from U.S. landowners, Native American tribes,
and environmentalists.
TC Energy owns the existing Keystone oil pipeline, which
runs from Alberta to the U.S. oil storage hub in Cushing, OK, and on to the Gulf,
along with a power and storage business. It pledged to ensure a safe
termination of the project.
Alberta Premier Jason Kenney said in a statement: “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.”
Trump had approved a
permit for the line in 2017, but it continued to face legal challenges that
hampered construction.
Biden was committed to
canceling the project during his 2020 campaign against Trump, and indeed he revoked
the permit soon after taking office on January 20, 2021.
TC Energy swung to a loss in the first quarter, hit by
Canadian $2.2 billion (U.S. $1.81 billion) impairment charge related to the
suspension of Keystone XL. Its shares then closed largely flat on the Toronto
Stock Exchange.
Understanding the Pipeline and Damage/Spills and Such to
Date from the NRDC (Natural
Resource Defense Council) – their story is here.
My 2 Cents: All in all Biden made a good, rational, smart, wise decision which the GOP hates with a passion since they are 100% anti-science and anti-climate control, and most other damaging projects like this.
I earlier posted on this same subject from a Media Matters article.
They offer their take on and debunking of five media myths about
Keystone XL – FYI:
1. Would
Keystone XL contribute to climate change?
2. Does it resolve
local environmental concerns?
3. How
would the pipeline impact U.S. energy security?
4. How many
jobs would building the pipeline create?
5. Would
Keystone XL affect gasoline prices?
I add this too – that many
people prefer to overlook: Damage and impact
to the Ogallala Aquifer (pictured above).
This shutdown took time, but with good results.
Enjoy the article, and thanks for stopping by.
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