Rushmore State News

The cancelation of the Keystone XL pipeline by President Joe Biden has put many living in communities depending on that pipeline in financial straits.

Aside from pipeline workers ending up without a job, several business owners in those communities are in danger of closing up shop for good because there won’t be any customers to sell their products or services to.

One particular business owner is saying that the cancelation of the pipeline affected her livelihood and even her emotional state.

Tricia Burns, owner of Ignite Wellness Studio—a fitness center located in Philip, says that the cancelation of the pipeline impacted her business because most of her customers are pipeline workers. Due to the cancelation, those pipeline workers will have to relocate, which means a majority of her customers won’t renew their membership.

Having developed a friendship with most of her customers, Burns say that it breaks her heart as well to see them leave their town and it frustrates her that there’s nothing she can do about it.

On top of that, Burns’ family owns a ranch in Philip, which is also impacted by the pipeline cancelation. Without the pipeline, the ranch is experiencing a surge in energy and fuel costs, which is eating away on their tight budget.

But seeing her pipeline worker friends lose their jobs was the most devastating thing that came out of President Biden’s actions. She told The Epoch Times, “The devastation was so evident. Not just loss of their jobs but a bleak future of the trade they worked so hard for.”