Project KXL

Beginning in in Hardisty, Alberta, and extending south to Steele City, Nebraska, the KXL pipeline will continue construction soon, as it was approved by our new President Donald Trump, stating that it would provide 42,000 jobs. He signed an executive order to restart the project after Obama had blocked a Republican bill to extend it. It was originally supposed to open in 2012, to transport crude oil from Canada to the US, but was shut down in 2015.

With more than 65 years experience, TransCanada is responsible, reliable and safe operation of North American energy infrastructure as well as in charge of this pipeline construction. They had first applied for this in 2008, and was a heated topic among politicians and activists.

The proposed $3.7 billion Dakota Access Pipeline was slated to stretch 1,172 miles through four states — from North Dakota into South Dakota, through Iowa and ending in southern Illinois — moving 470,000 barrels of crude oil a day across the Midwest. It is completed except for a portion under North Dakota’s Lake Oahe, half a mile upstream from the Standing Rock Sioux tribe’s reservation.

Canada already sends 550,000 barrels of oil per day to the US by the already existing Keystone Pipeline. Many of North America’s oil refineries are based in the Gulf Coast, and industry groups on both sides of the border want to benefit.

There has been a long debate about these developments. Some say that it will help the country with oil trade and by providing thousands of jobs. An increased supply of oil from Canada would mean a decreased dependency on Middle Eastern supplies. As a result, increased availability of oil means lower prices for buyers. The State Department stated that it would provide about $2 billion in economic benefits.

While others, people of the Standing Rock Sioux tribe, are concerned for the environment and the well being of historic and sacred sites. It’s an issue as it could contaminate water sources and potentially extract oil sands which can raise a high carbon footprint. In other words, an extensive energy process which can harm the atmosphere. They had protested for months in the way of construction, peaceful at first, but slowly turned violent. When the police began to use pepper spray and ice cold water (temperatures were below freezing), the Army stepped in. The protestors were extremely grateful when the Army officials declared the construction should be rethought- and stopped the plans.

But in 2017, the fate of the pipeline and the local people drastically changed. Our new President elect declared to continue the controversial construction. Their hard work through protests, articles, and worldwide headlines have been sadly overlooked.

Only time will tell what the KXL Pipeline will bring the country.