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Controversial pipeline project in Canada put on hold

caption: FILE: Anti-pipeline activists build a so-called 'Watch House' near Kinder Morgan's tank farm in Burnaby, British Columbia, Canada, Saturday, March 10, 2018.
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FILE: Anti-pipeline activists build a so-called 'Watch House' near Kinder Morgan's tank farm in Burnaby, British Columbia, Canada, Saturday, March 10, 2018.
AP Photo/Phoung Lee

Environmentalists are keeping pressure on Kinder Morgan, following its suspension of Canada's controversial Trans Mountain Pipeline project.

A news release from the company Sunday blamed concerns about escalating costs for the decision.

Sven Biggs with the environmental group, Stand.earth applauds the action. He said while the pipeline would cross 700 miles of Canada, it could also affect Washington state and beyond.

“Most of the tankers would be headed to California, where they have heavy oil refinery capacity – so it puts at risk the entire West Coast of North America,” Biggs said. “One tanker accident along that route would be devastating for generations to come.”

The pipeline would move large amounts of oil from Alberta's tar sands to Vancouver, B.C — increasing the number of oil tankers in the waters around Vancouver and Washington.

There were a number of other demonstrations against the project during the weekend.

Kinder Morgan has not said it's canceling the project yet. It says it'll decide by the end of May whether to kill it or move ahead.

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