Disgraced erstwhile monarch Donald Trump has suffered another defeat after a federal judge appointed by President Barack Obama ruled Native Americans and the environmental community can proceed with lawsuits challenging the approval of the Keystone XL oil pipeline.
U.S. District Judge Brian Morris expressed skepticism over government arguments that Trump has unilateral authority to approve the $8 billion pipeline. In a separate ruling, the judge said the Rosebud Sioux and Fort Belknap Indian tribes had valid claims that approval of the line violated their treaty rights. [Associated Press]The same geology that thwarts railroads and forces engineers to rebuild I-90 between Reliance and Rapid City and I-94 between Mandan, North Dakota and Billings, Montana every year also makes construction of the Keystone XL pipeline untenable.
In 2015, John Kerry, secretary of state under President Barack Obama, concluded the controversial project was not in the country's national interest, citing the impact the project would have on climate change as a major factor in the decision. The environmental impact statement used by the Trump administration in approving the project, attorneys for the environmental groups argued, is “unacceptably stale” and contains outdated information about oil prices, crude by rail, oil spills and modeling for greenhouse gas emissions. [Army of attorneys spar over Keystone pipeline in Great Falls court]Last year citing spills in South Dakota Judge Morris ordered the US State Department to conduct a more thorough environmental review of the proposed pipeline route. Nearly twice as much as originally believed or some 407,000 gallons of oil leaked last year from a faulty Keystone pipeline in Marshall County, South Dakota just days before Nebraska officials announced their decision on an alternative for an additional TransCanada route.
Attorneys for the Trump Organization will stop at nothing to erase Barack Obama's legacy including accelerating the construction of the Keystone XL pipeline, a warming climate and an eventual American Indian rebellion to protect treaty lands.
"We are pleased that Judge Morris has rejected all of the excuses raised by the Trump administration and TransCanada in attempting to justify the federal government's failure to address TransCanada's new route through Nebraska," said Stephan Volker, an attorney for the environmental and Native American groups that filed the Montana lawsuit. [Great Falls judge orders new federal review of Keystone XL pipeline]Montana and North Dakota have both suffered the effects of man camps that prey on women and girls where rapes and murders committed by white walkers have become commonplace.
Jane Kleeb of Bold Nebraska says support for TransCanada's day in court is facing its final argument and that the pipeline will never be built.
After generations of hard work, federal recognition for the Little Shell Tribe is headed to the President's desk to become law. I've been honored to fight alongside the Tribe for their sovereignty since I came to the Senate. This is a monumental day for the Tribe and for Montana. pic.twitter.com/xzt2WQE80f— Senator Jon Tester (@SenatorTester) December 17, 2019
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