President Joe Biden followed through on a campaign promise on his first day in office and cancelled a permit required to build the Keystone XL crude oil pipeline.
One of Biden’s first executive orders included revoking the presidential permit Donald Trump granted Canadian developer TC Energy in 2019 to cross the international border into Montana.
County commissioners looking forward to incoming tax dollars expressed their disappointment at the decision, while environmental and tribal activists celebrated.
The pipeline has been fraught with legal challenges since TC Energy first started planning the project roughly a decade ago. The company started preconstruction last year.
TC Energy released a statement in anticipation of the cancellation to say it’s suspending its ”advancement of the project” and will deliberate next steps following the permit cancellation.
Montana politicians also greeted the news Wednesday with chagrin. Republican Governor Greg Gianforte and the Montana Legislature's Republican leadership urged the Biden Administration to reverse its decision.
