Trump OKs Keystone XL

Photo: The Canadian Press

UPDATED: 8:10 a.m.

President Donald Trump has made it official: After eight years and six months, the United States government has approved the Keystone XL pipeline.

The president announced that at the White House.

He was accompanied by the president of TransCanada Corp., the Calgary-based pipeline company that has wrestled with lawsuits, resistant landowners, protesters and Washington Democrats.

The new Republican president is removing one big obstacle, granting the permit that allows the pipeline to cross the Canada-U.S. border.

But the company must still settle issues with landowners, gain state permits and face possible court challenges before building the northern leg of the pipeline and linking it to the already completed southern leg linked to Gulf of Mexico refineries.

Keystone XL is one of several ongoing pipeline projects intended to carry oil from Alberta to refineries and international markets.

ORIGINAL: 6:15 a.m.

TransCanada says it has received a presidential permit from the U.S. State Department that allows it to move forward on building the long-delayed Keystone XL pipeline.

"This is a significant milestone for the Keystone XL project," TransCanada CEO Russ Girling said in a statement.

However, Keystone XL may face more hurdles. TransCanada still does not have deals with all the landowners in Nebraska on the proposed route and it also lacks a permit in that state.

Protesters also promise they will try to stop the project, which will stretch from Alberta to refineries Texas.

The Calgary-based company said Friday it would continue to work with key stakeholders throughout Nebraska, Montana and South Dakota to obtain the necessary permits and approvals to advance this project to construction.

However, because the pipeline project crosses the Canada-U.S. border, TransCanada also required approvals from the president and U.S. State Department.