President Donald Trump is preparing to sign a series of executive orders soon that would quicken development on oil and gas pipelines in the Northeast, Axios reported Thursday night, citing sources familiar with the matter.
The orders could come within the next couple of weeks, White House economic adviser Larry Kudlow said Wednesday during a meeting with conservative group Council for Capital Formation, the report notes. Trump made supporting oil pipelines an important part of his administration and has already signed orders approving past projects.
Trump signed two executive orders in 2017 ordering his administration to move forward on the controversial Dakota Access Pipeline (DAPL) and Keystone XL Pipeline, both of which extend more than a thousand miles and carry multi-billion dollar price tags. (RELATED: Trump Signed Executive Actions On The Keystone XL Pipeline Two Years Ago. It’s Still Not Built)
A sign opposing the Keystone XL Pipeline is seen inside of a Chase Bank location while Native American leaders and climate activists demonstrate in Seattle, Washington, U.S. May 8, 2017. REUTERS/David Ryder
DAPL is the only one of these two projects to be completed. The nearly $8 billion Keystone extension, which is intended to be a bridge between the U.S. and Canada, is currently held up in court, and further delays could prevent TransCanada from finishing pre-construction work. TransCanada asked a federal judge in 2018 to allow pre-construction activities to be completed while government conducts further reviews.
Activists railed against Trump’s decision at the time. They fought for years to block Keystone XL Pipeline calling it a threat to the environment and the climate, though, even the Obama State Department’s analysis discounted these arguments. The State Department approved a permit for the pipeline less than two months after the president signed the orders.
Keystone would carry 800,000 barrels of oil per day. The White House did not provide a comment to The Daily Caller News Foundation.
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