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Dakota Access and Keystone XL pipelines to be revived by Trump administration Trump orders revival of Keystone XL and Dakota Access pipelines
(35 minutes later)
Donald Trump has signed executive orders to allow construction of the Dakota Access and Keystone XL oil pipelines, a move certain to anger environmentalists and Native Americans. Donald Trump was sharply criticised by Native Americans and climate change activists on Tuesday after he signed executive orders to allow construction of the Dakota Access and Keystone XL oil pipelines.
Both pipe projects had been blocked by Barack Obama’s administration, partly because of environmental concerns. But Trump has questioned the science of climate change and campaigned on a promise to expand energy infrastructure instead. Both pipe projects had been blocked by Barack Obama’s administration, partly because of environmental concerns. But Trump has questioned the science of climate change and campaigned on a promise to expand energy infrastructure and create jobs.
Trump signed an order reviving the Keystone project, which would span nearly 1,200 miles across six US states, shifting more than 800,000 barrels of petroleum daily from Canadian oil sands through Nebraska to refineries in the Gulf Coast. White House press secretary Sean Spicer said an “energy revolution” was taking place in the US. He claimed that Tuesday’s orders would create “tens of thousands of new jobs” while still making the environment “a priority”.
“Something that’s been in dispute and it’s subject to renegotiation of terms by us,” the president said, when signing the order. “We’re going to renegotiate some of the terms and, if they’d like, we’ll see if we can get that pipeline built.” Trump would sit down with all parties involved in the Dakota pipeline, Spicer said, and has “shown through his business life he knows how to negotiate a great deal”.
It would create 28,000 jobs, he added, while showing the order to photographers: “Great construction jobs.” Studies have suggested that most of the jobs would not be permanent, however. Trump signed five executive orders including one to revive the Keystone pipeline, which would span nearly 1,200 miles across six US states, shifting more than 800,000 barrels of petroleum daily from Canadian oil sands through Nebraska to refineries in the Gulf coast.
“This is on the Keystone pipeline, something that has been in dispute and it is subject to a renegotiation of terms by us,” he said, showing the document to photographers. “We are going to renegotiate some of the terms. And then if they like, we’ll see if we can get that pipeline built. A lot of jobs, 28,000 jobs. Great construction jobs.”
Studies have suggested that most of the jobs would not be permanent, however. A US state department study estimated the number of long-term jobs at 50.
Then Trump signed the executive order for the Dakota Access pipeline, a $3.7bn project that would transport crude oil from North Dakota through South Dakota and Iowa to a shipping point in Illinois, “again, subject to terms and conditions to be negotiated by us”.Then Trump signed the executive order for the Dakota Access pipeline, a $3.7bn project that would transport crude oil from North Dakota through South Dakota and Iowa to a shipping point in Illinois, “again, subject to terms and conditions to be negotiated by us”.
He also signed an order for the pipes themselves to be made within America. “If we’re going to build pipelines in the United States, the pipelines should be built in the United States ... We’re going to put a lot of workers, a lot steel workers back to work. We will build our own pipes, we will build our own pipelines, like we used to in the old days.” The Standing Rock Sioux tribe, whose reservation is adjacent to the pipeline, staged protests that drew thousands of climate change activists to the rural area of Cannon Ball, North Dakota. Most of the pipeline was complete by last summer except for a small section under Lake Oahe, a reservoir that forms part of the river.
Trump signed a further order to streamline the “horrible permitting process” and slash regulations. “The regulatory process in this country has become a tangled up mess and very unfair to people. That’s a big one.” The Sioux won a significant victory late last year when the US army corps of engineers declined to allow construction of the pipeline under the lake, saying alternative routes needed to be considered.
The president signed the orders with vice-president Mike Pence, chief of staff Reince Priebus, chief strategist Steve Bannon and adviser Kellyanne Conway. On Tuesday, the Sioux said the pipeline risked contaminating tribal and American water supplies while disregarding treaty rights. “President Trump is legally required to honor our treaty rights and provide a fair and reasonable pipeline process,” said Dave Archambault II, chairman of the Standing Rock Sioux tribe.
The Standing Rock Sioux tribe, whose reservation is adjacent to the proposed Dakota pipeline, staged protests that drew thousands of climate change activists to the rural area of Cannon Ball, North Dakota. Most of the pipeline was complete by last summer except for a small section under Lake Oahe, a reservoir that forms part of the river. “Americans know this pipeline was unfairly rerouted towards our nation and without our consent. The existing pipeline route risks infringing on our treaty rights, contaminating our water and the water of 17 million Americans downstream.”
The Sioux won a significant victory late last year when the Army Corps of Engineers declined to allow construction of the pipeline under the lake, saying alternative routes needed to be considered. Energy Transfer Partners, the company that wants to build the pipeline, disputes the claim that it threatens the water supply and insists the pipeline will be safe.
The Sioux and their supporters say the project threatens drinking water and Native American sites, although Energy Transfer Partners, the company that wants to build the pipeline, disputes that and insists that the pipeline will be safe. Obama cancelled the Keystone project in late 2015 after environmentalists campaigned against the project for more than seven years. “America is now a global leader when it comes to taking serious action to fight climate change, and frankly, approving this project would have undercut that leadership,” he said at the time.
Obama canceled the Keystone project in late 2015 after environmentalists campaigned against the project for more than seven years. “America is now a global leader when it comes to taking serious action to fight climate change, and frankly, approving this project would have undercut that leadership,” he said at the time. House speaker Paul Ryan endorsed Trump’s decision to advance the pipeline projects. “It’s about time,” he said. “The unfortunate reality is that these important infrastructure projects were used by special interests to advance their radical anti-energy agenda and were therefore needlessly halted by the last administration – to the detriment of America’s national interest. These pipelines will strengthen our nation’s energy supply and help keep energy costs low for American families.”
Trump’s move provoked an immediate backlash. Bernie Sanders, Democratic senator for Vermont, said: “Millions of people came together all over this country to stop the Keystone XL and Dakota Access pipelines and say we must transform our energy system away from fossil fuels to renewable energy. Today, President Trump ignored the voices of millions and put the short-term profits of the fossil fuel industry ahead of the future of our planet. Senate majority leader Mitch McConnell agreed, saying the Keystone pipeline was “about much-needed jobs and energy independence for our nation. Unfortunately, President Obama sat on this important project throughout his entire administration, even though his own state department said it had no measurable impact on climate. It is refreshing to have an administration putting jobs and the economy ahead of extreme political views.”
But environmentalists expressed disappointment and vowed to fight on. Erich Pica, president of Friends of the Earth, said: “Donald Trump has made it clear that his America does not include the millions of Americans who fought to protect our land, water, sacred cultural sites and climate from dangerous pipelines. Trump has emphatically pledged his allegiance to the oil companies and Wall Street banks that stand to profit from the destruction of public health and the environment.”
Rhea Suh, president of the Natural Resources Defense Council, said: “It’s appalling that Trump wants to throw open our borders to big polluters. Eliminating the national interest determination process, used by both Republican and Democratic administrations for decades, cedes control of our borders to multinational corporations to jam through cross-border infrastructure projects. And it completely shuts out public engagement in decisions that affect our communities, air, water and climate.”
Democrats joined the criticism. Bernie Sanders, senator for Vermont, said: “Millions of people came together all over this country to stop the Keystone XL and Dakota Access pipelines and say we must transform our energy system away from fossil fuels to renewable energy. Today, President Trump ignored the voices of millions and put the short-term profits of the fossil fuel industry ahead of the future of our planet.
“At a time when the scientific community is virtually unanimous in telling us that climate change is real, it is caused by human activity and it is already causing devastating problems, we cannot afford to build new oil pipelines that lock us into burning fossil fuels for years to come. I will do everything I can to stop these pipelines and protect our planet for future generations.”“At a time when the scientific community is virtually unanimous in telling us that climate change is real, it is caused by human activity and it is already causing devastating problems, we cannot afford to build new oil pipelines that lock us into burning fossil fuels for years to come. I will do everything I can to stop these pipelines and protect our planet for future generations.”
The House speaker, Paul Ryan endorsed Trump’s decision to advance the pipeline projects. “It’s about time,” he said. “The unfortunate reality is that these important infrastructure projects were used by special interests to advance their radical anti-energy agenda and were therefore needlessly halted by the last administration – to the detriment of America’s national interest. These pipelines will strengthen our nation’s energy supply and help keep energy costs low for American families.” It was also reported on Tuesday that the Trump administration had instituted a media blackout at the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and barred staff from awarding any new contracts or grants.
But environmentalists expressed disappointment and vowed to fight on. Erich Pica, president of Friends of the Earth, said: “Donald Trump has made it clear that his America does not include the millions of Americans who fought to protect our land, water, sacred cultural sites and climate from dangerous pipelines. Trump has emphatically pledged his allegiance to the oil companies and Wall Street banks that stand to profit from the destruction of public health and the environment.“The movement to defend indigenous rights and keep fossil fuels in the ground is stronger than oil companies’ bottom line. Friends of the Earth and our allies will not give up the fight to stop Trump’s agenda and these destructive pipelines.” The Associated Press said emails sent to EPA staff since Trump’s inauguration on Friday detailed the specific prohibitions banning press releases, blog updates or posts to the agency’s social media accounts. The Trump administration has also ordered a “temporary suspension” of all new business activities at the department, including issuing task orders or work assignments to EPA contractors, according to the AP.
While sitting in the Oval Office on Tuesday, the new president also said he would announce his supreme court nominee next week. Democrats are gearing up for a potential battle over the nomination. Spicer, the White House press secretary, denied any knowledge of the gag on the EPA.
The president signed the orders with Vice-President Mike Pence, chief of staff Reince Priebus, chief strategist Steve Bannon and adviser Kellyanne Conway among those standing nearby.
He also put his name to an order for the pipes themselves to be made in the US. “We are – and I am – very insistent that if we’re going to build pipelines in the United States, the pipe should be made in the United States. So unless there is difficulty with that, because companies are going to have to sort of gear up. Much pipeline is bought from other countries.
“From now on we’re going to start making pipeline in the United States. If we build it in the United States, build the pipelines, we want to build the pipe. It’s going to put a lot of workers, a lot of steelworkers back to work. OK. We will build our own pipeline, we will build our own pipes. That’s what it has to do with. Like we used to in the old days.”
Trump signed a further order to streamline the “horrible permitting process” and slashing regulations for domestic manufacturing. “The regulatory process in this country has become a tangled-up mess, very unfair to people. That’s a big one.”
Supreme court vacancy, Comey stays, Carson approved in committee
Asked by reporters when he will seek to fill the supreme court vacancy, Trump said: “I’ll be making my decision this week and we’ll be announcing next week. We have outstanding candidates and we will pick a truly great supreme court justice. But I’ll be announcing it sometime next week.”
Democrats are gearing up for a potential battle over the nomination after Obama’s choice, Merrick Garland, was blocked by Republicans last year.
The president stirred up more controversy on Monday night when he reportedly told congressional leaders during a private White House meeting that he lost the popular vote only because 3 million to 5 million “illegals” voted. It is a claim he had made before with no evidence. Ryan said: “I’ve seen no evidence to that effect. I’ve made that very, very clear.”
Meanwhile it has emerged that James Comey, the director of the FBI, will be keeping his job under Trump. A justice department memo lists him among officials remaining in their positions.
FBI directors are appointed to 10-year terms intended to carry across presidential administrations, even when a new party takes over the White House. Comey is in his fourth year in the job.
Trump criticised the FBI during the campaign for its decision not to recommend charges against his Democratic opponent, Hillary Clinton. But he also appeared to warmly greet Comey at a law enforcement gathering over the weekend. Clinton has blamed Comey’s later intervention in the election – a letter he sent to Congress regarding her private email server – as crucial to her eventual defeat.
Senate committees approved Trump cabinet nominees Ben Carson for housing, Elaine Chao for transportation, Wilbur Ross for commerce and Nikki Haley for UN envoy.