Keystone XL is a 1,179-mile pipeline intended to transfer 830,000 barrels of oil from Alberta, Canada to Nebraska.
Approved in 2010 by Canada’s National Energy Board, pipeline production was halted in 2015 by President Obama in response to public opposition from Native Americans, First Nations and environmental groups.
Just days after his inauguration, President Trump approved construction and reissued this crucial permits. Various parts of the pipeline are currently operational and have leaked numerous times, resulting in water contamination and ecological damage in the North Dakota wetlands.
Concerns since the granting of the 2017 permit have centered on endangered wildlife as well as the threat to drinking water.
On April 14, Chief U.S. District Judge Brian Morris of Montana – where production is currently taking place – revoked the project’s Clean Water Act permit over concerns that the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers had not adhered to Endangered Species Act guidelines.
In making his decision, Judge Morris stated that the Army Corps of Engineers has not adequately taken into consideration the potential impact the pipeline could have when crossing waterways, including the endangered pallid sturgeon.
This is considered a significant victory for groups in opposition to the pipeline, however, construction has not halted. Environmental
