'They are playing with our lives': South Dakotans left on their knees by Keystone pipeline decision
by Barnini Chakraborty, Senior Investigations Reporter |
| February 01, 2021 01:40 PM
In one of his first acts as commander in chief, President Biden stopped construction of the $8 billion Keystone XL oil pipeline. In the first part of this series, "Pipe Dreams Lost," the Washington Examiner investigates the monumental decision's effect on the people and communities of South Dakota.MIDLAND, South Dakota — On the day President Biden was inaugurated in Washington, D.C., Laurie Cox wept. They weren't tears of joy.
News had spread that morning that the incoming president would be pulling the plug on the controversial Keystone XL pipeline. For Cox, the owner of the two-story Stroppel Hotel in Midland, South Dakota, news of a shutdown also meant her business would take a major hit.
"I had a real gut-sinking feeling and was watching little snips of the news and Facebook to see what was going to happen after the inauguration," she told the Washington Examiner.
A few hours later, when news broke that Biden had revoked the pipeline's presidential permit, Cox's fear came into focus.
"It hit me like a ton of bricks," she said. "I was in shock for three days."
Over the months, Cox had become somewhat of a den mother to the pipeline workers (welders, carpenters, and union laborers) staying at her hotel. She made them food, ran errands, and even drove two hours to get them groceries while they were at work.
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https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/news/south-dakota-keystone-xl-pipeline-biden-decision-livelihood-pain
