JACKSONVILLE, Fla — During his first day in office, President Joe Biden signed several executive orders, including the axing of the construction of the controversial Keystone XL Pipeline.
Though it was seen as a win for climate control advocates, those who oppose Biden's decision took to social media to express their frustrations over how many people are going to lose their jobs as a result.
However, several of those posts are being flagged on Facebook for claiming the number of jobs lost is anywhere between 11,000 to 83,000 people.
Is this true?
The answer? Yes and no. Read on to learn why.
What is the Keystone XL Pipeline?
Currently, there is a pipeline running from Alberta, Canada to Steele City, Nebraska. This pipeline is the already existing Keystone pipeline that sends 550,000 barrels of oil from Alberta to Steel City.
The 1,200-mile Keystone XL Pipeline was designed to mirror that, but instead, provide a direct route from the two cities and send 830,000 barrels a day.
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In 2010, the Canadian National Energy Board approved the pipeline's construction, but then-President Barack Obama blocked the project citing environmental reasons. Obama's successor, former President Donald Trump, later overturned his order citing the creation of jobs.
PolitiFact is reporting that only 1.2 miles of the pipeline were completed in Montana near the border before Biden signed his executive order.
Click here to learn why the pipeline has caused so much controversy.
How many people will lose their jobs?
Several posts on Facebook are claiming Biden's decision of axing the Keystone XL Pipeline is putting tens of thousands of people out of the job.
These numbers range from 11,000 to 83,000 jobs lost. (Even Ted Nugent is claiming 12,000 are out of the job.)
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However, TC Energy Corp., the Canadian company that owns the pipeline, told PolitiFact that it estimates 1,000 people will be out of work as a direct result of Biden's order.
The company estimated about 10,400 U.S. jobs and 2,800 Canadian jobs would be created throughout the pipeline's construction, according to the company's project overview of the project. Meaning, only 1,000 of those projected jobs have been filled so far, according to TC Energy Corp.
The company also told AFP Fact Check that these jobs are temporary, only lasting a few months. Only 50 of the jobs would be permanent with some based in Canada, according to a State Department report.
However, according to an Oct. 28, 2020 news release when the company awarded more than $1.6 billion worth of contracts to six major union contractors in the U.S., the company said these contractors would be responsible for hiring 7,000 union workers in 2021. The release said with this addition, around 8,000 of the 11,000 projected hires would be union workers.
Long story short...
We can verify that the claim of thousands of jobs lost is true, however, it can be misleading. A total of 1,000 people are now out of the job and there won't be another 10,000 hires because the construction of the Keystone XL Pipeline was axed by Biden's order.
However, Biden hopes to create 10 million jobs through his clean energy plan in addition to the 3 million jobs already in place.