FORT COLLINS, Colo. (AP) – President Donald Trump granted essential approval on Thursday for a significant new oil pipeline, often referred to as "Keystone Light" due to its resemblances to a controversial project previously blocked by the Biden administration. The Bridger Pipeline Expansion, which has a diameter of three feet (1 meter), will facilitate the transportation of up to 550,000 barrels (87,400 cubic meters) of oil daily from Canada through Montana and Wyoming, where it will connect with another pipeline.
This project still requires additional environmental approvals at both state and federal levels before construction can commence, which company officials anticipate will begin next year. Environmental advocates are raising alarms, fearing that the pipeline could rupture and cause oil spills.
At its maximum capacity, the 650-mile (1,050-kilometer) pipeline would transport two-thirds as much oil as the more widely known Keystone XL pipeline, which was partially constructed before President Joe Biden canceled its permit on his first day in office in 2021, citing concerns about climate change.
Trump remarked, "Slightly different from the last administration. They wouldn’t sign a pipeline deal. And we have pipelines going up," following his endorsement for the pipeline to cross the border from Saskatchewan into northeastern Montana. During his first term, Trump had previously approved the Keystone XL project in 2020 despite significant opposition from Native American tribes regarding potential spills and environmental groups concerned about fossil fuels contributing to climate change. The cancellation led to frustration among Canadian officials, including Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, especially after Alberta invested over $1 billion in the endeavor.
Occasionally referred to as "Keystone Light," the Bridger Pipeline Expansion is designed to route entirely outside Native American reservations. According to Bridger Pipeline LLC, over 70% of the new pipeline's construction will occur within existing pipeline corridors, and 80% will take place on private land. The line is intended to transport various grades of crude oil, including those from Canada’s oil sands region, for export or refining in the U.S., as indicated by company spokesperson Bill Salvin.
Trump's permit also authorizes the transport of other petroleum products, such as gasoline, kerosene, diesel, and liquefied petroleum gas. However, Salvin stated that the primary focus remains on crude oil for the time being. If Bridger Pipeline manages to finalize the project before the end of Trump’s term on January 20, 2029, it could potentially withstand a reversal from a future administration. The company aims to initiate construction in the fall of 2027, with hopes to complete the project by late 2028 or early 2029.
Bridger Pipeline and its parent company, True Company, have been tied to several significant pipeline accidents, including a 2015 incident where over 50,000 gallons (240,000 liters) of crude spilled into the Yellowstone River, contaminating a Montana city’s drinking water supply. Other accidents include a 45,000-gallon diesel spill in Wyoming in 2022 and a major spill in North Dakota in 2016 that released over 600,000 gallons (2.7 million liters) of crude oil, polluting the Little Missouri River and its tributaries. True Company subsidiaries agreed to pay a civil penalty of $12.5 million to resolve a federal lawsuit over the North Dakota and Montana spills.
In the years following the Yellowstone spill, Bridger Pipeline has developed an AI-driven leak detection system aimed at improving the speed of problem identification. Additionally, the company plans to bore 30 to 40 feet (9 to 12 meters) beneath major rivers, such as the Yellowstone and Missouri, to mitigate the risk of future incidents. "We designed the pipeline with integrity and safety in mind. We have emergency response plans should something happen where oil happens to get out of the line, which is fairly rare," Salvin stressed.
Headquartered in Casper, Wyoming, Bridger Pipeline manages over 3,700 miles (5,950 kilometers) of gathering and transmission pipelines located in the Williston Basin of North Dakota and Montana as well as the Powder River Basin of Wyoming. Environmental organizations opposing this pipeline project include the Montana Environmental Information Center and WildEarth Guardians. Attorney Jenny Harbine from the environmental law firm Earthjustice emphasized, "The biggest concern we see right now is the concern inherent in all pipeline projects which is the risk of spills. Pipelines rupture and leak. It’s just a fact of pipelines."
