Tipsheet

Biden Press Sec: We're Considering Canceling All the Pipelines

Cortney O'Brien
Cortney O'Brien  |  February 04, 2021 1:50 PM

White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki didn't leave much to the imagination on Thursday when it came to the administration's plans for pipeline workers. President Biden already canceled construction of the Keystone Pipeline and thousands of jobs along with it.

But what does that mean for other pipelines, such as the one that Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer is trying to cancel? In November, Whitmer informed Canadian company Enbridge Inc. that she would be revoking their easement because they had not proven they were concerned about the environment.

"Enbridge has routinely refused to take action to protect our Great Lakes and the millions of Americans who depend on them for clean drinking water and good jobs,” she said in a statement. “They have repeatedly violated the terms of the 1953 easement by ignoring structural problems that put our Great Lakes and our families at risk."

“Most importantly, Enbridge has imposed on the people of Michigan an unacceptable risk of a catastrophic oil spill in the Great Lakes that could devastate our economy and way of life,” she added.

A reporter at Thursday's press briefing asked Psaki whether the White House had the same plans for the Great Lakes oil pipeline that they do for the Keystone, not to mention a number of other pipeline projects.

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"A number are under review," Psaki said. "All of these pipelines are a part of what our team is looking at and assessing."

This isn't the first dismissive remark the Biden administration has made toward the lost pipeline jobs. When then-Transportation Secretary nominee Pete Buttigieg was asked to comment on the losses, he said he hoped that those workers can get "different" jobs.