Goodbye & Good Riddance, Keystone XL

Canadian pipeline company TC Energy announced it was terminating the Keystone XL pipeline on Wednesday, marking a major win for Indigenous and environmental groups who have been fighting the project for more than a decade.

The long-embattled pipeline has largely been considered dead since President Biden revoked a key permit on his first day in office. Even before that, the project faced legal issues after a court ruled in 2018 that the Trump administration did not perform an adequate environmental review of the project when it issued a permit.

The news was met with disappointment from the American Petroleum Institute, the Chamber of Commerce, and some Republicans in Congress. Climate activists, on the other hand, we’re pleased with the move and believe it will add momentum in the fight against other fossil fuel projects.

The decision comes just days after thousands gathered in Northern Minnesota to protest the Line 3 pipeline, another tar sands pipeline that would bring oil from Canada. “The termination of this zombie pipeline sets precedent for President Biden and polluters to stop Line 3, Dakota Access, and all fossil fuel projects,” said Kendall Mackey, a campaign manager with 350.org.

A look back at Phase 1 of the fight … in 2011:

Nexus Media Sources: Washington Post $, New York Times $, AP, CNN, Buzzfeed, BBC, Reuters, NPR, USAToday, Bloomberg, The Verge, The Hill, Wall Street Journal $, Washington Examiner, 350.org.

Originally published by Nexus Media.