Keystone XL pipeline project scrapped

The key sponsor of the pipeline said Wednesday it would work with government agencies to safely terminate the project. President Joe Biden revoked the permit for the controversial pipeline, which would have transported crude oil from western Canada to Steele City, Neb., on his first day in office. Former President Donald Trump authorized construction on the 1,200-mile pipeline last year after the project stalled under the Obama administration.

What caused the delay? Since the project was announced in 2008, it has faced opposition from environmentalists who argue burning oil sands would speed up climate change. Native American groups in Montana and South Dakota said the pipeline jeopardized their land and water. Attorneys general from 21 states filed a lawsuit to overturn Biden’s suspension of the project, as the cancellation would kill thousands of construction jobs. Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau also objected to the move as Alberta has invested more than $1 billion in the project last year.

Dig deeper: From the WORLD archive, read Cal Thomas’s column on the 2015 suspension of the project.