U.S. President Donald Trump has stated that an embattled oil pipeline initiative is being resurrected during ongoing trade discussions between Canada and the United States to prevent potential new U.S. tariffs on Canadian products.
In a post on his Truth Social platform, Trump mentioned that the long-abandoned Keystone XL Pipeline might be revived, which was previously discontinued by President Joe Biden. He also shared a computer-generated image depicting him lifting a large pipeline labeled “KEYSTONE” from a grave, surrounded by two American flags and a tombstone reading “Buried by Biden.”
While Canada has not officially responded to Trump’s assertion about the project’s revival within the trade negotiations, Washington announced a temporary halt on planned 50% tariffs on various Canadian goods for three days to facilitate further talks.
The history of the Keystone XL expansion dates back to July 2008 when the proposal was initially introduced during the tenure of Prime Minister Stephen Harper and U.S. President George W. Bush. TransCanada, now known as TC Energy, along with ConocoPhillips, proposed a significant extension to the Keystone pipeline, named Keystone XL, to transport large quantities of oilsands bitumen from Alberta to Texas.
In August 2011, after an extensive evaluation, the State Department published its final environmental assessment, indicating minimal environmental impact from the pipeline. Subsequently, escalating opposition, particularly from environmental and Indigenous groups, led to protests, including a two-week civil disobedience campaign outside the White House in August and September 2011.
In November 2011, the U.S. State Department mandated TransCanada to adjust the Keystone XL route to avoid an environmentally sensitive region in Nebraska, which the company agreed to. However, in January 2012, President Barack Obama rejected the project, citing insufficient review time for the revised route.
Over the years, the project faced legal challenges, political decisions, and environmental concerns, ultimately leading to its cancellation in June 2021 by TC Energy, the project’s developer. Despite this, Trump’s recent actions hint at a potential revival of parts of the Keystone XL project, signaling a renewed interest in the controversial pipeline initiative.