Pipeline meeting set — BLM to host Newcastle meeting on pipeline project

The Bureau of Land Management will host a public meeting in Newcastle later this month to provide information and gather input on the proposed Bridger Pipeline Expansion project.

The meeting is scheduled for April 13 from 5 to 7 p.m. at the Newcastle Lodge and Convention Center, 22918 U.S. Highway 85.

According to the BLM, the Notice of Intent to begin public scoping for the project was published in the Federal Register on April 1, officially opening the comment process.

The proposed project includes construction of a 647-mile, 36-inch buried pipeline designed to transport up to 550,000 barrels of crude oil per day from the Canadian border in Phillips County, Montana, to an existing terminal near Guernsey. The route would cross private, state and federal lands, including areas managed by the BLM, U.S. Forest Service and U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.

Although only about 64 miles of the pipeline would cross BLM-managed public lands, the agency is serving as the lead federal agency for the environmental review of the entire project.

The review process will evaluate potential environmental, cultural and community impacts, as well as reasonable alternatives. The Montana Department of Environmental Quality is also reviewing the project under the Montana Environmental Policy Act as part of the permitting process.

The April 13 meeting is one of several opportunities for public input. Additional in-person meetings will be held in Montana, along with a virtual meeting. Only written comments will be accepted at the meetings.

The public comment period will remain open until May 1, or 15 days after the final public meeting, whichever is later.

Comments may also be submitted online through the BLM National NEPA Register or mailed to the BLM Miles City Field Office in Miles City, Montana.

More information, including details on additional meetings, will be posted on the project’s webpage.