Wyoming Joins Lawsuit To Block Keystone Pipeline Cancellation

Photo: Pipes for Keystone XL Pipeline

Photo Credit: Shannon Patrick / CC

Published March 19, 2021

The Center Square –

Wyoming is joining 20 other states in a lawsuit seeking to overturn the decision to cancel the Keystone XL Pipeline project.

“The Keystone project was authorized by Congress and would provide economic benefits to multiple states, including Wyoming,” Gov. Mark Gordon said in a Thursday statement. “It’s foolish to think cancelling this pipeline does anything good for the country or climate. It will merely shift production offshore to places with lower environmental standards, worse safety records and laxer workforce protections, while at the same time undermining our own domestic energy security. Let’s put America first because we do it right.”

The 1,700-mile pipeline, if finished, would span six U.S. states and carry about 800,000 barrels of oil a day from Alberta, Canada, to the Texas Gulf Coast.

In one of his first acts in office, President Joe Biden rescinded a federal permit granted by former President Donald Trump’s administration allowing the pipeline’s construction. Biden cited environmental concerns in his order.

The project was estimated to create 42,100 jobs with $2 billion in associated earnings throughout the U.S., according to a news release from Gordon’s office.

“The decision to provide or withhold permission to construct and operate an oil pipeline across the international border with Canada is a regulation of international and interstate commerce,” the lawsuit states. “Under the Constitution, this power resides with Congress.”

Attorneys general from Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, Georgia, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, South Carolina, South Dakota, Texas, Utah and West Virginia also joined as plaintiffs in the lawsuit.

In a separate action, Gordon issued an executive order requesting Attorney General Bridget Hill to evaluate all of Biden’s executive orders to determine their constitutionality “and to take actions to protect the rights of Wyoming citizens,” the news release said.

“Wyoming must not allow the Federal Government to continue to harm the State and its citizens through Federal Orders,” Gordon said. “We will use all means necessary to ensure we can continue to fund critical services through the responsible development of our oil and gas and other natural resources.”