The Keystone XL pipeline was commissioned in 2010, and “is a $7 billion pipeline approximately 1,661 miles in length and 36 inches wide” (Palliser 2012, 8). The company that would run this project is TransCanada and the pipeline would start in Alberta, Canada, and go through Montana, South Dakota, Nebraska, Kansas, Oklahoma, and would end in Texas (Palliser 2012, 8). The media has written about the different perspectives on this proposed project. The Indian Country Today has written an article from a Native Peoples perspective and is stating that in many cases when it comes to environmental projects, Native Peoples are not taken into consideration by the Federal Government. For Native Peoples it feels that yet again their land is taken away …show more content…
The Keystone XL pipeline would create up to 20,000 direct jobs and 118,000 spin-off jobs (Palliser 2012, 10), which could give a boost to the local economy. Moreover, it would give more energy security, which would make the United States less dependent on countries like Saudi Arabia. It would also stimulate the United States’ economy because the communities along the pipeline’s route would benefit from $5.2 billion in property taxes as long as the pipeline is in use (Palliser 2012, 11). The risks involved in building this pipeline could be devastating for the environment and the people who live on these lands and drink the water. “Oil-sands crude is more corrosive to pipelines than normal crude oil and difficult to clean up if spilled […] The greatest concerns would be a spill or leak near environmentally sensitive places such as wetlands, streams and rivers, shallow groundwater areas, areas near water intakes for drinking water or for commercial/industrial uses, and areas with populations of sensitive wildlife or plant species” (Palliser 2012, 9). If there would be a leak or the crude oil would spill into water, humans could be gravely impacted. There has been research done in the Fort Chipewyan community, in which researchers found that among these people the rates of cancer were higher. This community is near tar-sands operations, downstream of the Athabasca River in Canada. Moreover, the tar-sands pollutants can increase chances of asthma, heart and lung disease (Palliser 2012, 9-10). This is essential knowledge for both the Native population and the Non-Native people because this could damage the environment for future generation. This will affect everyone and that is why they need to work together to protect their