WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump declared it a "great day for American jobs" Friday as he formally green-lighted the Keystone XL pipeline, clearing the way for the $8 billion project to finally be completed.
In a reversal of the earlier decision by former President Barack Obama's administration, the Trump administration issued a presidential permit enabling Calgary-based TransCanada to build the pipeline. Appearing alongside TransCanada's CEO in the Oval Office, Trump called it part of a "new era of American energy policy" that he said would lower costs, reduce reliance on foreign oil and create thousands of U.S. jobs.
"It's going to be an incredible pipeline," Trump said. "Greatest technology known to man or woman and, frankly, we're very proud of it."
He said TransCanada could now build Keystone "with efficiency and with speed" and said the federal government was working out final details "as we speak."
The decision caps a years-long fight between environmental groups and energy industry advocates over the pipeline's fate that became a proxy battle over global warming. It marks one of the biggest steps taken to date by the Trump administration to prioritize economic development over environmental concerns.
The State Department, responsible for reviewing the project because it crosses an international border, determined that building it serves U.S. national interests. That conclusion followed a review of environmental, economic and diplomatic factors, the department said.
It wasn't immediately clear what, if anything, had changed since the State Department reached the opposite conclusion two years ago, other than the election of a new administration. Trump planned to address Keystone during an announcement Friday morning, White House spokesman Sean Spicer said on Twitter.
TransCanada, which first applied for a presidential permit in 2008, called the decision a "significant milestone."
Read Saturday's Arkansas Democrat-Gazette for full details.