WASHINGTON (January 24, 2017) – Today, President Trump signed executive orders on his fourth day in office to move the Keystone XL and Dakota Access pipeline projects forward.

Trump signed a total of five orders regarding environmental issues, including a pair addressing the pipeline projects as well as actions to expedite environmental reviews for high priority projects. The executive orders have not been posted for public review.

Statement from Former Defenders of Wildlife President and CEO Jamie Rappaport Clark:

“President Trump’s executive orders put big polluters first, not America first. The Keystone XL pipeline and Dakota Access pipeline threaten to destroy wildlife habitat, contaminate water supplies and risk catastrophic oil spills, and the oil they would carry only digs America deeper into climate change. These projects have no place on the American landscape and are being pushed for one reason, and one reason only: more billions for the billionaires.

“These projects would override the interests of the communities, Tribes and wildlife who will be forced to deal with their consequences. We need a president who will stand for America’s environment and protect it for future generations to enjoy, not sacrifice it for corporate billions.”

Background:

Constructing the Keystone XL pipeline risks polluting the Ogallala aquifer, a massive source of drinking water that stretches from South Dakota all the way south to Texas. Former President Obama rejected TransCanada Corporation’s request to build the Keystone XL pipeline in 2015.

The Army Corp of Engineers halted the Dakota Access Pipeline project in September after protests from the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe and other Native Americans, local residents, and people across America who are concerned the pipeline would imperil their local water supplies and disturb sacred burial and archaeological sites.

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Defenders of Wildlife is dedicated to the protection of all native animals and plants in their natural communities. With more than 1.2 million members and activists, Defenders of Wildlife is a leading advocate for innovative solutions to safeguard our wildlife heritage for generations to come. For more information, visit www.defenders.org and follow us on Twitter @DefendersNews.

 

For nearly 80 years, Defenders of Wildlife has worked to protect and restore America’s wildlife at risk of extinction, advancing a vision of a future in which wildlife thrives, sustained by broad public support and a resilient network of healthy lands and waters. With a network of more than 2 million supporters, Defenders is an advocate for innovative solutions to safeguard wildlife for generations to come. To learn more, please visit https://defenders.org/newsroom or follow us on Instagram @defendersofwildlife.  

 

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