(Helena) – The Montana Department of Environmental Quality and United States Bureau of Land Management have received a request for approval of the Bridger Pipeline. Craig Jones, Mifsa-Meepa Coordinator for Montana DEQ explains the scope of the project.
“The proposed Bridger pipeline would be a new 36-inch diameter crude oil pipeline. Entering Montana from the Canadian border going through Phillips County, going through Eastern Montana and then continuing on to an end point down in Gurnsey, Wyoming. It’s about 435 miles in Montana and it moves about 550 thousand barrels per day of crude oil if it were approved.”
The project as proposed would cross private, state, and federal lands, including those managed by the BLM, U.S. Department of Agriculture Forest Service, and U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. Though only about 64 miles cross BLM-managed public lands, the BLM is lead federal agency to review potential impacts of the entire project to ensure environmental, cultural, and community considerations are fully evaluated.
Bridger Pipeline Project has applied to Montana DEQ for a Certificate of Compliance under Montana’s Major Facility Siting Act. Prior to making a decision for the Certificate of Compliance, Montana DEQ must complete an environmental review under the Montana Environmental Policy Act (MEPA). This public comment period helps identify issues, potential impacts, and reasonable alternatives that should be considered in the MEPA document.
The public will have an opportunity to comment on this Bridger Pipeline Project next week. Keep listening to New Media Broadcasters stations for more about those meetings.
