FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
February 14, 2018
Contact: Dani Heffernan, dani@nokxlpromise.org, +1 (305) 992-1544
Ahead of TransCanada’s Investor Call, Nearly 20,000 People Are Committed to Stop the Keystone XL Pipeline
TransCanada’s shareholders face costly opposition to Keystone XL pipeline, as final investment decision remains pending
Lower Brule, SD — As TransCanada Corp. prepares to hold an investor call on Thursday, February 15, opposition to the Keystone XL pipeline is intensifying. To date, nearly 20,000 people have signed onto the “Promise to Protect” — a commitment to join a peaceful resistance along the Keystone XL pipeline route when called upon by Indigenous leaders and communities on the frontlines of the project. The “Promise to Protect” launched in November of 2017 immediately following the Nebraska Public Service Commission’s decision to approve the “alternative mainline route” for the pipeline after denying TransCanada’s preferred route.
Since then, TransCanada has faced more hurdles to constructing Keystone XL, including a legal appeal filed by Nebraska landowners against the PSC decision, and a lawsuit against the so-called ‘presidential permit’ issued by the Trump administration, which was granted standing to move forward in November. TransCanada previously abandoned its Energy East pipeline, which faced a similar years-long opposition campaign, ultimately dealing a multi-billion dollar blow to the company’s investors.
Quotes:
Faith Spotted Eagle, member of Yankton Sioux Nation and Brave Heart Society, said:
“Investing in Keystone XL is like putting your worst players out in the fourth quarter, and betting you’ll win. Even if there’s overtime, it’s still a fool’s game. Tribal governments and allies are coming together in a historic alliance to make sure this pipeline is never built. I’m blown away that any investors would put their money on the line for something with next to no chance of success.”
May Boeve, 350.org Executive Director, said:
“TransCanada has been dragging their feet with making a final investment decision on Keystone XL, and it’s no surprise why. This pipeline faces huge delays and risks – from landowners and Tribes challenging Keystone XL’s route in court, to the nearly 20,000 people committed to peacefully resist the project. Like the abandoned Energy East pipeline, Keystone XL is an expensive and dangerous mistake, and TransCanada’s investors should know that by now.”
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