Keystone, 'Safest Pipeline in the World,' Ruptures—Again

President Donald Trump wants to revive Keystone XL, a highly controversial extension of the tar sands pipeline system, despite three massive leaks over the past eight years.

Brett Wilkins
Apr 08, 2025

"This is a developing story... Please check back for possible updates...

"The Keystone pipeline—which carries hundreds of thousands of barrels of crude oil nearly 2,700 miles from the Alberta tar sands to refineries in Illinois and Oklahoma daily—was abruptly shut down Tuesday morning following a rupture in #NorthDakota, marking yet another accident along what proponents have called the 'safest pipeline in the world.'

"#SouthBow, the Canadian company that manages the Keystone system, said it shut down the pipeline—which transports an average of around 624,000 barrels of crude oil per day—after detection systems sounded the alarm on a pressure drop. The company said the spill is confined to an agricultural field about 60 miles southwest of #Fargo."

https://www.commondreams.org/news/keystone-pipeline-leak
#NoKXL #Pipelines #WaterIsLife #LandIsLife #NoPipelines #TarsandsOil #KXL

#Trump #EPA’s Next Move: Making It Harder to Sue for Getting Cancer from #Roundup

The corporation behind Roundup #herbicide has paid out nearly $11 billion in lawsuits. Now it's backing an EPA rule that would stop the bleeding.

by Schuyler Mitchell, March 21 2025

"Last August, 11 industry-friendly red states, led by Nebraska and Iowa, submitted a 436-page petition asking the agency to amend its labeling rules under the Federal #Insecticide, #Rodenticide, and Fungicide Act, or #FIFRA. The proposed rule change would explicitly prohibit states from labeling #pesticides and #herbicides with warnings about cancer, #BirthDefects, and reproductive harm if those notices contradict the EPA’s risk assessment.

"The states made clear that their ultimate goal is to thwart future lawsuits against pesticide manufacturers. Their petition argued that recent court rulings have created a 'gap in FIFRA’s regulatory framework' that the proposed rule change would plug.

"In January, in a move initiated by the Biden administration, the EPA took a first step of accepting public comment on the rule-making petition, with a deadline of March 24 — though this step is exploratory and does not mean a new rule will be issued. Still, the EPA’s decision could have disastrous consequences if Donald Trump’s second administration is as friendly to the #ChemicalIndustry as it was in his first.

"'It’s telling of the lengths that pesticide manufacturers will go to make sure that nothing interferes with their profit margins,' said Brett Hartl, government affairs director at the Center for Biological Diversity. 'There’s a reality that the industry itself generates much of the data, and they say it’s safe, and then EPA approves that determination.”

Read more:
https://theintercept.com/2025/03/21/trump-epa-monsanto-roundup-bayer-cancer-chemicals/

Archived version:
https://archive.ph/VsfWE

Link for public comment:
https://www.regulations.gov/docket/EPA-HQ-OPP-2024-0562
#KillThePoor #Ecocide #GlyphosateKills #MonsantoKills #WaterIsLife #LandIsLife #Pollution #RunOff #Cancer #EnvironmentalPollution #USPol #BigChemical #BigAg #RoundupReady #Microbiota #BeeKilling #BayerKills #CenterForBiologicalDiversity

#Trump’s federal cuts threaten #Indigenous communities

They told U.S. House lawmakers that the administration’s “chainsaw approach” to government cuts will disproportionately harm #IndianCountry

by Shondiin Silversmith, Mar 6, 2025

"From securing funding for #IndianHealth Services and ongoing #WaterSettlements to increasing investments in infrastructure, education and law enforcement, many Indigenous leaders and organizations are raising the alarm about the devastation that federal funding cuts could bring for #NativeAmericans.

"More than 60 tribal leaders and organizations from across Indian Country testified over three days to a U.S. House of Representatives Appropriations subcommittee on the federal funding needs of Indigenous people and their communities nationwide.

"'I know there’s never enough funding to go around,' Gila River Indian Community Gov. Stephen Roe Lewis said, and he appreciates how the subcommittee has consistently set aside several days to hear Indian Country’s funding priorities.

"'It is the process that starts the funding decisions for tribal programs, staffing and priorities for this administration,' he added. Tribal leaders and organizations gave five-minute testimonies to the subcommittee from Feb. 25 to Feb. 27.

"Lewis used his five minutes to discuss the Trump administration’s actions and their impact on his community.

"There is 'real fear' within tribal communities about what is happening in Washington, D.C., he said, referencing the freezing of federal funding and the mass firing of federal employees across the government.

[...]

"He added that the cuts are being made without considering how they will impact services. Rather than making the government more efficient and effective, it is 'creating a federal workforce that is paralyzed by fear.'

"Lewis called the administration’s actions #destabilizing and said they will have a disproportionate impact on Indian Country.

"'The government-to-government relationship is only as strong as our federal partner,' he said. 'And right now, there is a real concern that the federal side of this partnership has the real potential of being dismantled.'"

Read more:
https://ictnews.org/news/tribal-leaders-sound-alarm-as-trumps-federal-cuts-threaten-indigenous-communities-
#USPol #WaterIsLife #LandIsLife #AirIsLife #RespectTheTreaties #USGovtCleanUpYourMess #UraniumMining #UraniumMilling #IndigenousHealth #IndigenousNews #BadDOGE #DOGE #HealthCare

In other news...

Meet the 2024-2026 #NDN #Changemakers

By Jordynn Paz • March 5, 2025

"In October, NDN Collective announced the recipients of the 2024/26 Changemaker Fellowship, a cohort of 21 #Indigenous leaders from throughout #TurtleIsland, Islands of #Hawaii, #Borikén / #PuertoRico, the U.S. territories of American #Samoa, #Guam, the Northern #Mariana Islands, and the U.S. #VirginIslands. These incredible fellows are transforming their communities, defending Indigenous lands and waters, developing solutions for #regenerative and #sustainable futures, and revitalizing #IndigenousLanguages, #governance, #ceremonies and ways of being.

"We are honored to support the important and necessary work of each of these changemakers through this two-year fellowship program. With the NDN Changemaker Fellowship, individuals will focus on education, skill building, networking, community building, theory of change mapping, and mentorship."

Read more:
https://ndncollective.org/meet-the-2024-26-ndn-changemakers/
#TraditionalKnowledge #WaterIsLife #LandIsLife #SocialJustice #IndigenousHealth #IndigenousWellBeing #FoodSecurity #Decolonize #ProtectMotherEarth #LanguagePreservation #CulturePreservation #NDNCollective

[Thread] Unfortunately, South Dakota #HB1258 was defeated [which would have put more restrictions on #LithiumMining]... And I knew Burgum would betray #NativeAmericans (even though he promised not to).

‘Unleashing American Energy’: Mining and Drilling Accelerated Under Trump Administration

By Angelica (Angie) Solloa • February 12, 2025

"You may have heard that #DebHaaland (Laguna Pueblo) transitioned out of her role as the US Secretary of the Department of Interior and announced her candidacy for Governor New Mexico. Her successor, former North Dakota Governor #DougBurgum, is steadfast in carrying out Trump’s Executive Order 14154 '#UnleashingAmericanEnergy' which aims to accelerate #mining and drilling on federal and #TribalLands.

"On February 3rd, Doug Burgum released this document which outlines all the revoked projects and programs intended to protect land and the people; giving a pathway for #MiningCompanies to hit the ground running across Turtle Island.

"In the #BlackHills, the #SacredLands of the #Lakota Peoples’, mining and drilling companies aren’t hesitating to cash out. Currently, South Dakota House Bill 1258 is under consideration by the House Agriculture and Natural Resources Committee, where it will come to a vote this Thursday, February 13th. Community members and citizens of the area were given just six days’ notice.

WHAT IS HB 1258?

"The passage of South Dakota House Bill 1258 would hold lithium mining to the same standards and laws as silver and gold. Under the current law, lithium mining is treated like mining for sand and gravel, and there are not enough protections for human #health, #food systems, #water, #wildlife, and the #land.

"HB 1258 would offer more accountability and appropriate processes for mining companies that would better protect the land, the people, and the economy of the #Ȟesápa. #NDNCollective, alongside partner the #BlackHillsCleanWaterAlliance, collaborated to spread the word as fast as possible, calling on relatives to swiftly take action ahead of Thursday, February 13th."

Read more:
https://ndncollective.org/unleashing-american-energy-mining-and-drilling-accelerated-under-trump-administration/
#ProtectTheBlackHills #ProtectTheSacred #DefendTheSacred #NoMiningWithoutConsent #EnvironmentalRacism #DrillBabyDrill #WaterIsLife #LandIsLife #LeaveItInTheGround #CorporateColonialism #USPol #NoLithiumMining #DefendMotherEarth

Trump taps #OilIndustry insider to oversee drilling on #PublicLands

#BureauOfLandManagement nominee #KathleenSgamma heads a #FossilFuel industry trade group that sued the Biden administration over a landmark #conservation rule.

By Maxine Joselow

"President Donald #Trump has nominated oil and gas advocate #KathleenSgamma to lead the Interior Department’s Bureau of Land Management, the agency tasked with managing millions of acres of public lands and waters for the benefit of all Americans.

"The nomination of Sgamma, who heads a Denver-based oil and gas industry trade group called the #WesternEnergyAlliance, heralds a seismic shift in the management of roughly 245 million acres of public property — about one-tenth of the nation’s land mass.

"If confirmed by the Senate, she would be a key architect of Trump’s #DrillBabyDrill agenda alongside Interior Secretary and '#EnergyCzar' #DougBurgum. An MIT graduate who previously worked in consulting, she has advocated for the BLM to prioritize oil and gas drilling, #HardrockMining and #livestock grazing on public lands nationwide.

"A spokesman for Sgamma did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

"During his first term, Trump tapped conservative lawyer William Perry Pendley to lead the BLM on an acting basis. But Trump never nominated Pendley, a vocal advocate of selling off public lands, to helm the agency on a permanent basis, prompting a rebuke from a federal judge.

"President Joe Biden in 2021 chose Tracy Stone-Manning, a prominent Montana-based #environmentalist, to lead the BLM. Earlier in her career, Stone-Manning worked on conservation policy at the #NationalWildlifeFederation and led Montana’s Department of Environmental Quality.

"Under Biden, the BLM finalized a landmark rule that sought to put conservation, #recreation and #RenewableEnergy development on equal footing with #ResourceExtraction on public lands. Sgamma’s Western Energy Alliance filed a lawsuit challenging that rule, which the Trump administration is expected to overturn.

"In an interview with The Washington Post in April, Sgamma criticized the regulation for allowing ranchers, renewable-energy developers and other interests to lease federal lands for the purpose of #conservation and #HabitatRestoration.

"We have no choice but to litigate,' she said. 'These conservation leases seem to be designed to preclude energy development on federal lands.'

#Environmentalists criticized #Sgamma’s nomination.

"'This choice shows that the new administration will leave no favor ungranted for the oil and gas industry and the wealthy #FossilFuel #executives who funded Trump’s campaign,' #AlanZibel, oil and gas research director with the liberal advocacy group #PublicCitizen, said in an email.

"#JeffEshelman, president and #CEO of the Independent Petroleum Association of America, which represents small oil producers, praised Sgamma’s selection while critiquing the Biden administration."

Original article:
https://www.washingtonpost.com/climate-environment/2025/02/12/trump-bureau-land-management-kathleen-sgamma/

Archived version:
https://archive.ph/tmTH6#selection-645.0-724.1
#USPol #BigOilAndGas #Oiligarchy #Oligarchy #BigOilAndGas #BigOilKnew #KillCapitalism #WaterIsLife #LandIsLife #CorporateColonialism #Corporatocracy #BigOilCriminals #ClimateEmergency #ClimateCatastrophe #ClimateCrisis
#NoMiningWithoutConsent #NoMiningOnConservationLands #DrainTheSwamp? More like, #OilUpTheSwamp!#IndepdendentPetroleumAssociationOfAmerica

[Video] #AskomiwKsanaqak (Forever Dangerous) – #IndigenousNations Resist #NuclearColonialism

Nov 20, 2024

"Indigenous nations and communities continue to express their opposition to nuclear energy and radioactive waste. The Passamaquoddy Recognition Group (PRGI) and the CEDAR project at St. Thomas University in New Brunswick, Canada, co-produced a report and this video to amplify these Indigenous voices. Featuring Chief #HughAkagi, Chief #RonTremblay and Councillor #PeytonPitawanakwat."

Watch: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9i7XtIGFqyY

The report is available here: https://cedar-project.org/indigenous
#NuclearWaste #NuclearWasteStorage #NoNukes #WaterIsLife #LandIsLife #WolastoqGrandCouncil #NuclearPowerPlants #NoNukes #PeskotomuhkatiNation #PassamaquoddyNation #CEDARProject #Radioactivity #Pollution #RadioactivePollutionKills
#IndigenousNationsResistNuclearColonialism

#Bumblebee population increases 116 times over in 'remarkable' #Scotland #rewilding project

"‘The sound of traffic and a uniform sea of barley have been replaced by the most beautiful #meadows, full of #wildflowers, young saplings and the buzz of #bees’"

by Katharine Hay, 26 Nov 2024

"The bumblebee population has made an impressive comeback in a developed area by increasing to 116 times what it was two years ago thanks to a nature restoration group.

"#RewildingDenmarkfield, a 90-acre project based just north of Perth, has been working to restore nature to green spaces in an increasingly built up area for the past two years."

Read more:
https://www.scotsman.com/hays-way/bumblebee-population-increases-116-times-over-in-remarkable-scotland-project-4882622?emci=99b383ea-9bb1-ef11-88cf-6045bdfe8d29&emdi=81cdbaa0-19b3-ef11-88d0-000d3a9d5840&ceid=2428680

#SolarPunkSunday #NativePositiveApproaches
#RestoringNature #LandIsLife #RestoreTheForests #RewildingScotland

#Rewilding #Romania advances river #restoration project in #SouthernCarpathians

Irina Marica, 04 December 2024

"#RewildingRomania has successfully completed the first phase of its river restoration project in the Southern Carpathians, an effort backed by a EUR 74,700 grant from the #EuropeanOpenRiversProgramme. Moving forward, the organization plans to apply for new grants starting next year to continue its long-term efforts to improve river connectivity and restore #biodiversity.

Over four months, the team mapped 72 barriers across five key river catchments - #Belareca, #PârâulRece, #Feneș, #Sebeș, and #Bistra. These include 39 dams, 26 weirs, 3 natural waterfalls, and other obstacles impacting river connectivity.

"This phase enabled the inventory of species, assessment of the impact of these barriers, and the prioritization of those suitable for removal. Rewilding Romania has also established clear priorities for future actions and is preparing to advance to the next two phases of the initiative, which require additional funding.

"Marina Drugă, Team Leader at Rewilding Romania, stated: “The progress we’ve made in identifying and evaluating river barriers is an essential step toward restoring aquatic ecosystems and the habitats of numerous fish species. This initiative is part of our long-term vision to enable rivers to flow freely again and restore natural processes. By undertaking scientifically grounded interventions and feasibility studies that account for associated risks, we aim to generate sustainable benefits for both biodiversity and local communities.'

"The project, funded by the Open Rivers Programme, will continue until the end of March 2025 and ensures the completion of the first phase of Rewilding Romania’s broader river restoration initiative.

"Upon concluding this phase, the organization plans to secure additional funding to proceed with subsequent phases of the same initiative: phase two - conducting technical feasibility studies and obtaining the necessary permits and phase three - the actual removal of the selected barriers.

"Planned actions for 2025 include collaborating with land owners to secure the necessary consent for removals, engaging with stakeholders, and creating a report with best practices to guide similar initiatives.

"Rewilding Romania is working to ensure the long-term health of aquatic ecosystems in the Southern Carpathians by increasing river connectivity, improving breeding habitats, and boosting the resilience of key species. Removing obsolete barriers will improve sediment transport and water quality, benefiting several fish species."

https://www.romania-insider.com/rewilding-romania-advances-river-restoration-carpathians-2024

#SolarPunkSunday #NativePositiveApproaches #RestoringNature #WaterIsLife #LandIsLife #RestoreTheRivers #OpenRivers