President Donald Trump signed two orders today to move forward with construction of the Keystone XL and Dakota Access pipelines.
In a statement, the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe said the $3.8 billion Dakota Access project would contaminate US and tribal water supply, and that it intends to take legal action against the decision.
Trump told reporters the Dakota pipeline would be "subject to terms and conditions negotiated by us,” and his order on pipelines would reportedly "put a lot of steelworkers back to work."
"We are very insistent that if we are going to build pipelines in the United States, the pipes should be built in the United States," he said.
Thomas J. Gibson, president and CEO of the American Iron and Steel Institute (AISI), today applauded the President’s executive actions to expedite key energy projects, facilitate American steel contributions to future energy infrastructure, and lower regulatory burdens for domestic manufacturing:
“The President’s actions today recognize the essential nature of the domestic steel industry to producing American energy resources and getting them to customers. They will expand markets for high-value steel products that are essential for oil, natural gas and electricity production and transmission. Exploring ways to reduce regulatory burdens for our manufacturing operations is sorely needed.”