https://www.theglobeandmail.com/
It took a whole weekend to see the very real risks that still lurk for the Keystone XL oil pipeline in its epic quest for approval in the United States.
A U.S. judge’s decision on Monday to rescind the permit for another contentious pipeline shows that even having a project up and running is no guarantee that it is immune from legal challenges. Alberta taxpayers have to keep this in mind now that they are on the hook for US$1.1-billion of Keystone XL, which faces its own battle in the courts.
On Friday, Alberta Premier Jason Kenney travelled to the small eastern Alberta town of Oyen to announce the start of construction of the Canadian portion of the pipeline and to proclaim that his government will “leave no stone unturned” in its efforts to see the project overcome its U.S. legal hurdles and get built.
The push will include increasing Alberta’s lobbying and legal presence in Washington. “We will not flag. We will not relent. We will get this job done,” he said.
Albertan grit and determination may not be enough to see the US$11.5-billion project come to fruition, though. The U.S. legal system offers no end of risk and uncertainty.
For the rest of this article: https://www.theglobeandmail.com/business/commentary/article-us-ruling-on-dakota-access-shows-pipeline-battles-are-never-really/