The Northern Plains Resource Council was one of the environmental groups that sought help from the federal courts in stopping the $8 billion Keystone Oil Pipeline, and Judge Brian Morris obliged, stopping the project with a federal court order on Thursday.

Chair of the Keystone XL Pipeline Task Force for the Northern Plains Resource Council, Dena Hoff, said groups like the NPRC sought help from the judiciary after President Trump overturned an order halting the pipeline in January 2017.

“We got together with other organizations and decided to seek help from the courts because it seemed like that was our only option,” said Hoff. “Under NEPA (the national Environmental Protection Act) there were a lot of issues that Judge Morris thought were not adequately addressed. One, because of the effect of lower oil prices on the viability of the Keystone Pipeline, and there were concerns about the cumulative effect of greenhouse gas emissions, and then there was a survey of potential cultural resources that are contained in the 1,300 acres not addressed in the impact statement due to the route change in Nebraska.”

Hoff said the effort to stop the pipeline will continue even up to the U.S. Supreme Court.

“Whatever comes up, the opposition is only going to get stronger and stronger, and we’re committed to the very end of this process,” she said.

Congressman Greg Gianforte released the following statement after a federal judge in Montana halted construction of the Keystone XL pipeline:

“Another activist court has halted another critical energy project. The Keystone XL project will create Montana jobs, make America more secure, and lower gas prices. I look forward to an appeal of the decision.”

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