Biden to cancel Keystone XL pipeline permit on first day in office: CBC

[WASHINGTON] US President-elect Joe Biden is planning to cancel the Keystone XL pipeline permit via executive action on his first day in office, CBC News reported on Sunday, citing sources.

A briefing note from the Biden transition team was widely circulated over the weekend after being shared by the incoming president's team with US stakeholders, the Canadian broadcaster reported.

The words "Rescind Keystone XL pipeline permit" appeared on a list of executive actions likely scheduled for the first day of Mr Biden's presidency, according to the report.

Mr Biden's transition team did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the report.

The Keystone pipeline is operated by TC Energy Corp. The US$9 billion project, which would move oil from the province of Alberta to Nebraska, had been slowed by legal issues in the United States.

It was seen to face a potential fatal blow when Mr Biden takes office on Wednesday if he followed through on a vow to scrap the oil pipeline's presidential permit.

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Former Democratic President Barack Obama axed the project in 2015, saying Canada would reap most of the economic benefits, while the project would add to greenhouse gas emissions.

Outgoing Republican President Donald Trump issued a presidential permit in 2017 that allowed the line to move forward, and several environmental groups sued the US government.

REUTERS