January 18 Canadian media reported on the 18th that U.S. President-elect Joseph Biden intends to revoke the license for the “Agstone XL” oil pipeline project after taking office.
This pipeline under construction, which aims to transport oil from Canada to the United States, has been controversial in the United States.
The above news has aroused the concern of the Canadian ambassador to the United States and the local government of Canada.
Several Canadian media reported using Biden’s transition team documents and people familiar with the matter that Biden intends to sign an executive order on the day of his inauguration on the 20th to revoke current President Donald Trump’s permission to grant the project.
The documents obtained by the Canadian news agency wrote that Biden would “retract Trump’s environmental (domain) action” with measures such as revoking permission for the project.
When Biden was Vice President in 2015, then President Barack Obama suspended the construction of the project, saying that the project would mainly benefit Canada and increase greenhouse gas emissions.
Trump granted permission for this project in 2017.
A person familiar with Biden’s ideas told Reuters on the 18th that Biden is planning to revoke the permission for the project and start as soon as the day of inauguration.
The “arch stone XL” project is the fourth phase of the arch stone oil pipeline.
The first three phase of the pipeline started from Alberta, Canada, and was laid to Illinois, Oklahoma and Texas respectively.
It has been put into use since 2010.
As planned, the “arch stone XL” pipeline extends from Alberta to central Nebraska.
Part of this project in Canada is under construction. However, in the United States, the project has encountered environmental lawsuits, slow construction, and it will stall for most of 2020. Environmental organizations believe that it may pollute groundwater along the way and increase greenhouse gas emissions.
The Archite Pipeline is jointly owned by TC Energy Canada and the Alberta government.
TC Energy builds and operates energy facilities in Canada, the United States and Mexico.
In a statement on the 18th, Canadian Ambassador to the United States Kirsten Hillman said that the “arch stone XL” project meets the requirements of action between Canada and the United States to combat climate change, and she will continue to promote the project as ambassador.
Alberta Governor Jason Kenny wrote on social media that he was “deeply concerned” when he saw reports that Biden intended to withdraw the project license.
If the incoming U.S. government revokes the license for u2018 Archstone XLu2019, Alberta will work with TC Energy to protect our interests in the project through various legal means.”
Kenny said that canceling the project would weaken the relationship between the United States and Canada and make the United States more dependent on importing oil from the members of the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC), “undermining the national security of the United States”.
Canadian opposition Conservative leader Erin O’Toole called on Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to “contact the incoming U.S. government immediately” to prevent the United States from taking action.
