WASHINGTON (AP) - The Latest on President Donald Trump signing executive actions to advance the construction of the Keystone XL and Dakota Access oil pipelines. We've added Sen. Dianne Feinstein's statement in response to the executive order at the end. (all times local):
12:35 p.m.
President Donald Trump's decision to restart the Keystone XL pipeline approval process is disheartening but not surprising to a central Nebraska farmer whose property is slated to be bisected by the project.
Jim Tarnick told The Associated Press on Tuesday that he and other landowners who oppose the pipeline will continue to fight. But he says he hopes he doesn't have to do so "for the rest of my life."
Tarnick says he's confident landowners in Nebraska will continue to block the pipeline through lawsuits and other procedural challenges.
Tarnick has previously rejected at least six financial offers from TransCanada for access to his land, ranging from $30,000 to $58,000. He says he's concerned about the pipeline's possible effects on groundwater and soil.
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11:30 a.m.
President Donald Trump has signed executive actions to advance the construction of the Keystone XL and Dakota Access oil pipelines.
Trump tells reporters in the Oval Office that the construction of the pipelines will be subject to the terms and conditions being renegotiated by the U.S.
Former President Barack Obama killed the proposed Keystone XL pipeline in late 2015, saying it would hurt American efforts to reach a global climate change deal.
The pipeline would run from Canada to U.S. refineries in the Gulf Coast. The U.S. government needs to approve the pipeline because it crossed the border.
The Army decided last year to explore alternate routes for the Dakota pipeline after the Standing Rock Sioux tribe and its supporters said the pipeline threatened drinking water and Native American cultural sites.
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10 a.m.
President Donald Trump is expected to take executive action to advance construction of the Dakota Access and Keystone XL oil pipelines.
That's according to a person with knowledge of the action. The president is scheduled to sign orders at the White House late Tuesday morning.
The Army decided last year to explore alternate routes for the Dakota Access pipeline after the Standing Rock Sioux tribe and its supporters said the pipeline threatened drinking water and Native American cultural sites. The pipeline is to carry North Dakota oil through South Dakota and Iowa to a shipping point in Illinois.
Former President Barack Obama killed the proposed Keystone XL pipeline in late 2015, declaring it would have undercut U.S. efforts to clinch a global climate change deal. The pipeline would run from Canada to U.S. refineries in the Gulf Coast. The U.S. government needed to approve the pipeline because it crossed U.S. border.
The person with knowledge of the decisions insisted on anonymity because they were not authorized to confirm the moves ahead of a formal announcement.
(Associated Press writer Julie Pace contributed to this report.)
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9:45 a.m.
President Donald Trump says he's an environmentalist.
The president made the comments Tuesday at a breakfast with auto industry executives.
He didn't elaborate on why he sees himself as an environmentalist, but the comments came after urging companies from the auto industry and beyond to bring jobs back to the U.S.
On Monday, he made similar comments at a business breakfast, stating, again without elaborating, "I'm a very big person when it comes to the environment. I have received awards on the environment."
On Tuesday, Senator Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif) released a statement in opposition to the executive order.
“It’s a mistake to build pipelines that we do not need, are widely opposed by local communities, pose grave environmental risks and do little to increase our energy security. People who live and work in the areas near these pipelines have expressed very real concerns over their construction. The president does a great injustice by ignoring those concerns and jamming these decision through.
“There are many ways to build a modern energy system without jeopardizing clean water or destabilizing the climate. If the president wants true energy security, he should work with Congress to pass a bipartisan infrastructure plan.”