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Donald Trump Green Lights Keystone XL

This article was published in the U.S. News & World Report. Click here to find the original article.

What Happened:

President Donald Trump on Friday approved Calgary-based TransCanada to finish the construction of the $8-billion Keyston XL pipeline, which upon its completion will carry oil from Alberta, Canada all the way to the Gulf Coast, running through half a dozen U.S. states.

Only days into his administration, Trump signed an executive order aimed at fast-tracking the construction of the Keystone XL and Dakota pipeline projects. But the permit he signed Friday will formally allow TransCanada to complete construction of the project that for years had been held up by ethical, legal and environmental disputes.

Trump called it a “great day for American jobs,” saying that the project will be “an incredible pipeline” and that his permit will allow the company to build “with efficiency and with speed.”

What It Means:

The pipeline still isn’t technically a done deal, as its route is still being debated in certain states by Native American tribes, landowners and environmental activists.

“Keystone was stopped once before, and it will be stopped again,” Annie Leonard, executive director of Greenpeace USA, said in a statement Friday, according to The Associated Press.

Those in the construction and energy industry, meanwhile, welcome Trump’s signature as a sign that the president will open up more business opportunities in the near future.

“The construction equipment industry hopes the Keystone XL pipeline project is just the beginning,” Brian McGuire, president and CEO of Associated Equipment Distributors, said in a statement Friday. “Whether it’s the pipelines required to move energy resources to market, structurally deficient bridges, dams, and levees or inadequate roads, airports and water systems, America’s infrastructure is insufficient and our leaders in Washington can no longer forsake responsibility when it comes to required maintenance, upgrades and investments.”

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