Stephan Volker, a lawyer representing environmentalists opposed to the pipeline, told the AP he would be suing to block construction. In response to the new order, a White House spokesperson told the Associated Press, “Specifically, this permit reinforces, as should have been clear all along, that the presidential permit is indeed an exercise of presidential authority that is not subject to judicial review under the Administrative Procedure Act.” Trump's previous approval had been blocked by a federal judge in Montana in November, who had said the government had not done enough to complete environmental reviews of the controversial project. The pipeline would carry crude oil from the tar sands of western Canada to refineries on the U.S. President Donald Trump issued a new permit for the Keystone XL Pipeline, which he had previously approved two years ago, after the Obama administration had delayed it. Most notably, this decision would apply to permitting decisions concerning TransCanada Corporation's controversial Keystone XL pipeline, a project that, if completed, could carry some 800,000 barrels of oil from Canada to the Gulf Coast each day. Previously, that authority lay with the secretary of state. The second order asserts that the president has the authority to “issue, deny, or amend” any permits for pipelines or other infrastructure projects that cross international borders. If the EPA re-evaluates this section of the act, companies would be able to sidestep the state certification process, streamlining the pathway to construction.
In the past, states have occasionally denied those certifications, preventing pipelines and other infrastructure from being built. "Section 401" of the Act requires any oil or gas project that could potentially contaminate waters regulated under the act to receive state-level certifications and approvals. The first order directs the EPA to reconsider a part of the Clean Water Act. These two executive orders follow in that pattern. The Trump administration, as part of their "Energy Dominance" initiative, has consistently sought to streamline the domestic energy production process. President Trump signed two executive orders that will smooth the path for companies to build oil and gas pipelines and limit the tools states have to block them. Despite his clear conflicts, Zinke put him in charge of ripping apart the plans just to help those very industries that Bernhardt used to work for,” Jayson O’Neill, deputy director of the Western Values Project, a Montana-based nonprofit focused on public lands protections, said in a previous statement. “David Bernhardt spent years in the private sector advancing policy goals of special interests who profit off our public lands. Democrats have called for an investigation of Bernhardt's pass conduct. Environmentalists have expressed concern that he will continue working to expand extraction operations on public lands and roll back protections. It's a post he has held on an acting basis since previous office holder Ryan Zinke resigned earlier in the year amid allegations of ethics misconduct.ĭemocrats had criticized Bernhardt's nomination in part because of his long history as a lobbyist for the energy and agribusiness sectors. Senate confirmed David Bernhardt as secretary of the interior on a 56-41 vote.
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