Judge Brian Morris of the U.S. District Court for the District of Montana, in a Nov. 28 hearing, said that pre-construction activities may continue for the proposed Keystone XL oil pipeline. The hearing was held in response to TransCanada Corp.’s motion to allow pre-construction and planning work related to the line following a court decision that blocked construction. On Nov. 8, the court barred the U.S. and TransCanada from engaging in any activity to advance the construction or operation of the pipeline and associated facilities until the U.S. State Department completes a supplemental environmental review. The ruling vacated the 2017 decision that issued a presidential permit for the project. The court said that that the department did not take a “hard look” at the environmental impacts of the project and disregarded prior climate change related findings. The ruling found that the analysis did not fully review the effect of oil prices on the viability of the project, potential for oil spills, and the cumulative effects of emissions. The pipeline would transport heavy crude to Steele City, Nebraska from oil sands in Canada. The case is Indigenous Environmental Network v. U.S. Department of State. (4:17-cv-00029)