In a move that is sure to cause a firestorm of controversy, Donald Trump signed Executive Orders at 11 a.m. EST, advancing the Dakota Access Pipeline as well as the Keystone XL.
According to Reuters, U.S. President Donald Trump signed two executive actions on Tuesday to advance construction of the Keystone XL and Dakota Access pipelines, an administration official said, rolling back key Obama administration environmental policies in favor of expanding energy infrastructure.
The entire substance of the executive order was not made immediately clear. However, they will fulfill campaign promises Trump made to approve both pipelines — which have been vehemently opposed by a massive bipartisan sect.
This news comes on the heels of a pipeline spill yesterday, which dumped hundreds of thousands of liters of oil on an aboriginal community in Canada.
As the Free Thought Project has reported, this move by Trump has been premeditated since the election. It is most likely why the company behind DAPL, Energy Transfer Partners, said in December, the denial of an easement necessary to drill under the Missouri River is of no consequence for its plans to complete the project.
According to a statement from Energy Transfer Partners and Sunoco Logistics, which is acquiring ETP in a merger:
“As stated all along, ETP and SXL are fully committed to ensuring that this vital project is brought to completion and fully expect to complete construction of the pipeline without any additional rerouting in and around Lake Oahe. Nothing this Administration has done today changes that in any way.”
'The incoming administration already stated its support for the project and the courts have already stated twice that it appeared the Corps followed the required process in considering the permit,” said Senator Heidi Heitkamp (ND) in a statement last month.
Heitkamp, incidentally, met with President-Elect Donald Trump last month, to the delight of Morton County Commission Chairman Cody Schulz, who noted
"I sincerely hope Senator Heitkamp is able to make a direct plea to the new Administration for the help and resources from the federal government that are desperately needed to assist local law enforcement in their efforts to provide public safety, and to expedite a decision on the final easement for the Dakota Access pipeline so that our citizens may return to their normal lives. We have seen nothing but foot-dragging and unhelpful directives from the Obama administration. I trust Senator Heitkamp will use her meeting and her influence to ensure that help is on the way for the people of North Dakota when the President-Elect is sworn in on January 20th.”
It now appears that these plans have made their way to official White House ink — and DAPL will continue as planned.
This executive order by Trump seeks to override the decision by the Army Corps of Engineers who refused to grant permission to extend the Dakota Access pipeline beneath a Missouri River reservoir last month.
As the Free Thought Project has previously reported, the DAPL is set to go over lands which do not belong to the Federal Government as they were usurped by the state's violation of Native American treaties.
As for TransCanada Corp.’s Keystone pipeline, that was also rejected under former President Barack Obama. However, this move was seen by many as a seeming giveaway to Warren Buffet who holds a quasi-monopoly on train-based oil transportation through the same region.
Once news of the Executive Order broke, TransCanada stock climbed as much as 1.1 percent to C$63.25 at 9:33 a.m. in New York. Energy Transfer Equity LP and Energy Transfer Partners LP climbed as much as 3.3 percent and 1.7 percent, respectively, as reported by Bloomberg.
Donald Trump, prior to being elected to POTUS, had investments in Energy Transfer Partners. According to CNBC, in December, he sold his entire stake in the company as ownership in it could be perceived as a conflict of interest.
CNBC also reported that Energy Transfer Partners’ owner, Kelcy Warren, “gave $100,000 to Trump’s joint fundraising effort with the Republican Party.”
This move will likely be met with more protests and even more police violence.
i have a problem with the state thinking they have any right to property ownership via coercion
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I don't have a problem with the pipeline for the most part. After all, it's really about how oil is transported, not how much is being used. A pipeline is generally safer than shipment by truck, train or ship. The only place where I may have a problem is if and how eminent domain is being used.
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I would tend to agree, although I find it troubling that the companies building these pipelines don't seem to have a very inspiring track record. The biggest issue is eminent domain, and it seems Trump is all in for using it whenever government sees fit.
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I agree about the eminent domain issue. They should be able to build this thing, even if inconvenient, by only using land from those who voluntarily sell. As far as safety, I would just point out that not all of those accidents were major (most weren't) and many happened on very old pipelines that presumably will only be used more if new ones are not built. Everything carries some risk but piplines are generally safer than other modes of transportation.
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We are in harmony about eminent domain. And, as an engineer, I wholeheartedly agree with your view that pipelines are by far and away the safest and most reliable method of bulk oil transport (historically).
My contention is that us engineers know precisely how to design systems to detect leaks and shut down immediately, we know how to design systems to contain those leaks, we know how to mitigate damage to the absolute minimum with proper containment back-ups; but at the end of the day, some bean counter is going to tell us that it's not "cost effective". There is some wisdom to "return on investment", but my main point of contention is that if we are going to put a pipeline across a body of water that could potentially harm the life of people, initial cost cannot be a factor. The studies should be published, peer reviewed, and any contentions be brought up so they can be addressed by all parties. In this instance, it seems that Keystone is trying to ram it through and hide the studies from the indigenous peoples. There is a solution here to make this thing work for everyone, but instead of getting the engineers involved to come up with those solutions and satiate everyone's concern, shit-bag lawyers and politicians (who have the mental faculties of retarded lemurs) are involved. Nobody wins, it becomes a giant political pissing match, and a bunch of people are going to get pummeled by who has the most power.
I've worked with the Army Corp of Engineers throughout my career on multiple projects. They are meticulous to a point that it's annoying (which is good, but really fucking annoying). But it seems to me that politics and money are driving this, just like the New Orleans levies, and that gives me great pause for concern.
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Napoleon abdicated peacefully, after 3 giant wars and a lot of dead soldiers and civilians in all throughout Europe, Russia, and Africa.
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The world needs more like him?
Until we collectively reject rule by force, this is what we get, one bully or the other, no freedom for anybody.
That is getting old for me,...
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I don't think the leaders of these native groups speak for all natives, I've known a few natives who have worked in oil and gas and made a killing and loved it. Trump just wants to drop the price of domestic energy. Sorry hippies but the Trump trains is coming through.
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