The Progressive

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A project of Common Dreams

For Immediate Release
Contact:

Jade Begay, jade@ienearth.org, 1-505-699-4791

TransCanada's Announcement about "Commercial Support" for the Keystone XL Pipeline is Not A Significant Win or Development

Today Transcanada announced that it has "commercial support" for its long delayed tar sands oil project, the Keystone XL Pipeline. This statement comes with a pledge announced by Canada's provincial Alberta government to ship 50 million barrels of oil through the pipeline for 20 years. TransCanada has not officially announced whether they will move ahead on construction of the pipeline. The project still faces many legal hurdles in Nebraska, as well as a strong oppositions from a determined alliance of tribes, ranchers, farmers and citizens across its proposed route.

South Dakota

Today Transcanada announced that it has "commercial support" for its long delayed tar sands oil project, the Keystone XL Pipeline. This statement comes with a pledge announced by Canada's provincial Alberta government to ship 50 million barrels of oil through the pipeline for 20 years. TransCanada has not officially announced whether they will move ahead on construction of the pipeline. The project still faces many legal hurdles in Nebraska, as well as a strong oppositions from a determined alliance of tribes, ranchers, farmers and citizens across its proposed route.

The following is a statement from the Indigenous Environmental Network:

"Our network stands united with the tribal nations and communities along the proposed route of this dirty tar sands pipeline. We denounce this apparent collusion between the government of Alberta and the oil corporations that seek to plunder more lands of the Cree, Dene, and Metis peoples of northern Alberta for tar sands extraction. This announcement does not change the immense hurdles TransCanada faces across the board, and it does not change the immense grassroots resistance united to stop this project. In defense of Mother Earth, we fight on!"

Established in 1990 within the United States, IEN was formed by grassroots Indigenous peoples and individuals to address environmental and economic justice issues (EJ). IEN's activities include building the capacity of Indigenous communities and tribal governments to develop mechanisms to protect our sacred sites, land, water, air, natural resources, health of both our people and all living things, and to build economically sustainable communities.