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 1,179-mile 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 ware scheduled for today 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 5 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.