The Oil Controversy and Keystone XL

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The Keystone XL is an expansion of the existing pipeline system. It was intended to increase capacity and allow American crude oil to enter the XL pipelines at Baker, Montana on their way to distribution and storage facilities in Cushing, Oklahoma. President Joe Biden canceled permits for the pipeline on his first day in office. Native Americans and environmentalists have fought the project for over ten years. Trump overturned the Obama administration's blockage and allowed it to go ahead. The pipeline had been planned to be 1,179 miles long and go from Alberta, Canada to Steele City, Nebraska. It could carry 830,000 barrels of oil each day. This was supposed to be privately financed by TransCanada, an energy company, and other oil shippers and also transported US-produced oil transported by Keystone XL. The Canadian National Energy Board approved the pipeline in March of 2010. This would mean a decreased dependency on the Middle East and lower prices for consumers. Trump also felt that the project would create 28,000 jobs. The controversy came because the US State Department advised TransCanada to explore alternative routes in Nebraska. After all, the Sandhills region was a fragile ecosystem. Porous soil and shallow groundwater and the Ogallala aquifer and the pipeline would cause a threat to the drinking water. The amount of oil produced in northern Alberta is said to double by 2030. Fossil fuels will be readily available and the trend toward warming of the atmosphere will not be curbed. More energy is required to extract oil than in traditional drilling. Environment Canada has found industry chemicals seeping into groundwater and the Athabasca River. This risk to local communities is why the project has been opposed. First Nation groups have sued the government due to damages from 15 years of development that they were not consulted on. This also includes guaranteed rights through treaties giving rights to hunt, fish, and trap on their traditional lands. There are heavy arguments in favor of the pipeline. It would secure and maintain adequate crude oil supplies for U.S. refineries and, increase the U.S. petroleum supply. It would also create 43,000 jobs the majority of which would be permanent. It would generate about $521 billion in U.S. government revenue in the next two decades. There is also the realization that we have the technology now to ensure that the environment will be protected. So, it seems that many Americans support the pipeline, it's good for the economy and good for U.S. energy independence as well as for the consumer. This still does not mean we need Trump in office to see this project go through. What is your take on this subject? Read more about it here: