Groups want details on Trump’s Keystone approval

BILLINGS, MONT. — Opponents of the proposed Keystone XL oil pipeline from Canada are asking a judge to force the U.S. government to turn over emails and other documents related to President Donald Trump’s approval of the project.

Environmentalists who sued to stop the 1,800-kilometre pipeline said the documents could bolster their case that Trump’s decision was arbitrary and should be overturned by the courts.

But U.S. Justice Department attorneys argued in court filings that the disputed documents include internal deliberations that don’t have to be made public. They said the request amounts to a “fishing expedition” and should be rejected.

Formal arguments were scheduled for Wednesday before U.S. District Judge Brian Morris in Great Falls.

If the environmentalists prevail, the U.S. State Department would have to review an estimated five million pages of documents at a cost of more than $6 million, according to a declaration filed by Jerry Drake, an agency division chief who oversees its information technology team.

That’s on top of more than 4.5 million documents that were turned over in the case in December, according to the Justice Department.

President Barack Obama’s administration rejected the pipeline in 2015 after it had become a flashpoint in the debate over climate change. It was revived in March 2017 under Trump.