Trump Orders Continuation of Construction for Dakota and Keystone Oil Pipelines

Donald Trump, the President of the United States, on Tuesday supported the continuation of the development and construction of the Dakota and Keystone oil pipelines by signing executive orders. According to the Associated Press, the President stated in a press conference at the White House that the construction of these pipelines is conditional on negotiations with government officials and must be carried out within the United States. Mr. Trump said, "From now on, oil pipelines will be built in America." The Associated Press reports that under Trump's order, 'TransCanada', the contractor for the Keystone pipeline, must resubmit its application for the construction and implementation of this project to the U.S. Secretary of State for approval. Trump also emphasized that the construction and implementation of the Dakota pipeline is in the country's interest. He has asked the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to review the operational plan for the construction of this pipeline. Barack Obama halted the construction of the Keystone pipeline in late 2015 due to concerns about environmental impacts. This pipeline is intended to transport crude oil from Alberta, Canada to Nebraska, USA, and from there to the Gulf Coast. It would enable 'TransCanada' to deliver 830,000 barrels of oil daily to refineries in Texas and central regions of the U.S. Environmental advocates consider the exploitation and extraction of heavy crude oil reserves to be environmentally damaging. According to the Associated Press, the Dakota pipeline is also set to transport oil between four U.S. states. However, the construction of this pipeline has faced protests from Native Americans. Native Americans living in the area fear that this pipeline will lead to contamination of the Missouri River, the largest river in North America. They also claim that their cultural heritage and sacred lands are at risk of destruction. Following these protests, the U.S. Army announced last year that it intends to consider an alternative route for this pipeline. In this context, Obama rejected the construction of the Keystone pipeline from Canada to the U.S. and vetoed the bill for the pipeline's construction.