The construction of the anti-Keystone XL pipeline was completed on Wednesday, giving a landslide victory to environmentalists who have been involved in the project for more than a decade as they intensify their fight against oil production.
The idea of TC Energy and the Alberta government pulling a plug on the $ 8bn pipeline is widely expected after Joe Biden revoked the US-based permit in one of his first appearances as president.
“We are still frustrated and disappointed with the outcome of the Keystone XL project, including the revocation of the president’s permit to cross the pipeline,” said Jason Kenney, Alberta’s prime minister.
The project, which would transport tar from North Alberta oil sand to the Gulf Coast’s oil refinery, met with opposition from the outset and became a political symbol in the future of oil in the US.
It was closed in 2015 by former President Barack Obama who said it would thwart US attempts to tackle climate change. But Donald Trump signed an order to continue his first week in office. Biden’s decision to reinstate the permit fulfilled a promise made in the case.
In Canada, when politicians called for the project to come to life, Biden’s idea was he was greeted with fear. This was particularly the case in Alberta, where the district took $ 1.1bn from the project and provided TC Energy with another $ 4.7bn to pay for construction. Some 150km bombs had already been planted in the Canadian province.
The project enrolled about 2,500 people in the US and Alberta peaks in construction last year. But construction was halted since Biden decided to cancel the permit.
Production from Canada’s heaviest oil is more gas-efficient than many other types, making Keystone a target for environmentalists, who say the new pipelines promote temporary oil production at a time when the world is supposed to pollute its air.
“Keystone XL has become a symbol of the challenges this sector has faced in allowing high-quality jobs to be allowed and built not only in western Canada but in North America,” said Moody analyst Gavin MacFarlane.
Some plumbing projects have also met with strong opposition. The growth of Enbridge’s Line 3, which could carry more Canadian oil to the south, has seen controversy between environmentalists and the police in recent days. And the future of the Dakota Access pipeline, which supplies oil from the Bakken shale patch from North Dakota to the rest of the US, has not been decided after a judge ordered a re-examination of the environment.
Utilities Dominion Energy and Duke Energy last year removed $ 8bn Coastal Pipes The work after a long court stay and the delay sent a high price.
The third order was adopted by environmental groups, who promised to continue the fight against pipelines in other parts of the US.
“The battle against Keystone XL was not a one-way street,” said Kendall Mackey, campaign manager at 350.org. “The demise of this zombie pipeline sets an example for President Biden and the destroyers by stopping Line 3, Dakota Access, and all oil operations.”
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