Biden to Cancel Keystone XL Pipeline in Inauguration Day Executive Order

"The project had already been languishing, but the action by Mr. Biden would signal his determination to undo President Trump’s environmental legacy."

"WASHINGTON — President-elect Joseph R. Biden Jr. is expected to cancel the Keystone XL pipeline permit on his first day in office, quickly reversing his predecessor’s approval of a project to move oil from Canada to the Gulf of Mexico long opposed by environmentalists, according to a person familiar with Mr. Biden’s plans.

Opponents of the nearly 1,200-mile pipeline have regarded it as both a contributor to climate change and a symbol of the country’s unwillingness to move away from an oil-based economy. Many Republicans, including President Trump, argued the pipeline would create jobs and help local economies.

In late 2015, former President Barack Obama rejected the permit for the project, arguing it would undermine American leadership on the transition to sustainable fuels. Mr. Trump’s administration reversed that decision in early 2017, giving a green light for construction of the project to begin."

Michael D. Shear and Coral Davenportreport for the New York Times January 18, 2021.

Source: NYTimes, 01/20/2021