Pipeline opponents ask judge to strike down Trump’s permit

BILLINGS, Mont. (AP) — Opponents of the long-stalled Keystone XL oil pipeline say in a lawsuit that President Donald Trump acted illegally when he issued a new permit for the project to get around an earlier court ruling.

Attorneys for environmental groups asked a federal court in Montana on Friday to strike down the permit.

U.S. District Judge Brian Morris in November blocked the project and ruled the Trump administration did not fully consider potential oil spills and other impacts when it first approved the pipeline in 2017.

Trump’s new permit is intended to kick-start the $8 billion proposal to ship crude oil from the tar sands of western Canada to U.S. refineries. Opponents say it would worsen climate change.

White House officials say the presidential permit is immune from court review. Legal experts say that’s an open question.