As people around the world have been told staying inside and social distancing is the best practice for stopping the spread of the deadly coronavirus, governments and large corporations are taking this as a good time to pass laws and resume construction of the controversial Keystone XL oil pipeline.
The company behind the construction of the pipeline TC Energy, formerly known as TransCanada announced the construction of the pipeline will begin immediately. The 1,210-mile pipeline that will stretch from Hardisty, Alberta, Canada to Steele City, Nebraska has been opposed by Native American tribes and environmentalists for the last decade.
Former President Barack Obama blocked construction of the pipeline in 2015, but that was quickly reversed by current President Trump.
Leading up to this announcement, a new bill was signed by South Dakota Governor Kristi Noem on March, 18th invoking new laws against peaceful demonstrations against any oil, gas, or utility company. South Dakota is critical for the building of the Keystone XL pipeline, which will now fall under the category of “critical infrastructure.” Any “substantial interruption or impairment” of the pipeline will now face felony charges.
Catherine Collentine, associate director of the Sierra Club’s Beyond Dirty Fuels campaign spoke out against this announcement:
This is a shameful new low. By barreling forward with construction during a global pandemic, TC Energy is putting already vulnerable communities at even greater risk.
This comes at a time when nearly every business has been forced to close that isn’t “essential” to curb the spread of the COVID-19 global pandemic.
Jane Kleeb is the founder of Bold Nebraska, a citizen group that has worked hard to protect lands from the building of the Keystone XL pipeline, who recently spoke to NPR. “Our rural communities are strained as it is for medical supplies and hospital beds amid a global pandemic. TC energy must put an end to any construction in our small towns as the pandemic grows across our country,” said Kleeb.
As per the usual, governments and large corporations deem the economy as being the main reason to resume construction of the pipeline now. Alberta Premier Jason Kenney recently told NPR, “We cannot wait for the end of the pandemic and the global recession to act. There are steps we must make now to build our future-focused on jobs, the economy, and pipelines.”
How convenient that new laws have been signed stopping peaceful protests in the U.S. and the Canadian government funding the project with a $1.1 billion investment to cover construction costs in 2020 and a $4.2 billion loan in 2021.
“TC Energy never had the money to build this risky, unnecessary pipeline, and now the Albertan government is bailing them out,” said Kleeb.
Senior energy strategist from Greenpeace Canada Keith Stewart also commented on the recent investment from Alberta’s Kenney.
He may want voters to believe that boom times are just around the corner, but even before COVID-19, global investors and central bankers were warning that the smart money is moving out of fossil fuels.
President Trump’s approval of a “right of way grant” signed earlier this year gives construction companies the go-ahead to begin building the pipeline in Montana, ahead of a scheduled April 16th opposition hearing.
