Native American leaders, oil and gas business owners react to Biden executive order

TULSA, Okla. (KTUL) -- Native American leaders and oil and gas business leaders react to President Biden's executive order to halt the Keystone XL pipeline.

One of President Biden’s executive orders includes removing a permit on the construction of the Keystone XL pipeline.

The pipeline is expected to go through parts of Oklahoma on land tribal members have fought to protect.

It was a controversial pipeline and decision during President Trump's term to move ahead with the construction of the Keystone XL pipeline and is now one of the first things President Biden is stopping.

By signing an executive order to remove a permit on construction.

"This is not just a win for Native Americans we protect all of our neighbors," said Casey Camp-Horinek.

The project’s purpose first proposed more than a decade ago, is meant to transport hundreds of thousands of barrels of oil sands from Canada to the Texas Gulf.

But the construction has never completed due to lawsuits and executive orders.

"It has to pumped, it's as thick as cake dough," said Camp-Horinek.

Casey Camp-Horinek has fought against the project for years.

As a member of the Ponca Nation, she says the pipeline is an environmental hazard.

"Because it will become the largest Carbon bomb on the Earth," said Camp-Horinek.

Her fight has at times gotten her in trouble.

At Standing Rock, the location of a separate protest against the Dakota Access Pipeline, she says that landed her in jail.

"They wrote numbers on our arms like we were Holocaust victims," said Camp-Horinek.

"It would be a tough one to see go away because it would have been a great project," said Geoff Hager.

Geoff Hager, with Big Elk Energy Systems in Tulsa, says the permit removal will cost the state thousands of jobs.

Though he says they weren’t ever meant to be permanent anyway.

"The number that comes to mind is 40,000, I feel like there were 40,000 jobs that would have been involved," said Hager.

Still, Hager says losing the pipeline is a large blow.

As for Camp-Horinek, her fight continues.

"What we have to ask for is for common sense to be shown by all," said Camp-Horinek.

Protecting the land while also trying to create jobs.

A back-and-forth project stalled once again.

Former President Trump also greenlit the Dakota Access Pipeline during his term. President Biden has yet to sign an order to stop that project.