Trump administration doubles down on its support of KXL

In response to a court order this past summer, the U.S. Department of State has completed its supplementary review of the Keystone XL pipeline—the project at the center of a decade-long saga on whether to transport 35 million gallons per day of dirty tar sands oil from northern Canada to Gulf Coast refineries. Not only does the pipeline threaten the drinking water of Americans along its 1,180-mile proposed route, but it would be step in the wrong direction in the fight against climate change. And yet…Trump's State Department claims the project wouldn't significantly harm waterways, groundwater, or wildlife, and that any spills would likely be promptly cleaned up (tell that to communities in Kalamazoo, Michigan, who are still dealing with a tar sands spill that happened in 2010). On a positive note: KXL remains tied up in both Nebraskan and federal courts—with a long way to go before breaking ground. This isn't over yet.