US government appeals ruling that blocked Keystone pipeline

BILLINGS, Mont. (AP) – The White House administration is appealing a court ruling that blocked the Keystone XL oil pipeline.
Justice Department attorneys on Friday appealed the November ruling from U.S. District Judge Brian Morris that blocked a construction permit for the 1,184-mile (1,900-kilometer) pipeline.
The line, sponsored by Calgary-based TransCanada, would begin in Alberta and shuttle as much as 830,000 barrels per day of crude through a half dozen states to terminals on the Gulf Coast.
It was rejected by the White House in 2015. That decision was reversed in 2017 under a new administration, and a President who has promoted the $8 billion project as part of an effort to ostensibly boost American energy industries.
After environmental groups sued, Judge Morris said that the administration had not fully considered potential oil spills and other impacts and that further reviews were needed.