DEQ Opens Public Comment on 647-Mile Bridger Pipeline Expansion Project

A proposed buried crude oil pipeline stretching 647 miles from the Canadian border south through Montana cleared a regulatory milestone last week when the Montana Department of Environmental Quality formally opened public comment on the project, setting a May 1 deadline for written submissions.

The Bridger Pipeline Expansion, classified under the Major Facility Siting Act, would move approximately 550,000 barrels of crude oil per day if approved, ranking it among the largest pipeline projects reviewed under Montana's environmental siting framework. DEQ posted the notice April 1 alongside a schedule of public meetings set for April 14, 15 and 16, where Bureau of Land Management and DEQ staff will take questions from landowners, tribal representatives and local governments.

For Lewis and Clark County, the review carries practical stakes beyond the pipeline's overall footprint. Major Facility Siting Act analyses examine cross-jurisdictional impacts including construction traffic, river and wetland crossings, groundwater risks and demands on local emergency response. Segments that intersect county roads, public lands or waterways could trigger temporary closures, sustained heavy truck traffic and coordination requirements with county emergency managers.

The formal comment record built during this window carries legal weight. Under the Major Facility Siting Act, regulators must address written public comments in their final evaluation; those comments can drive permit modifications, added mitigation conditions or, in some cases, a recommendation for further study or denial. Every submission before May 1 becomes part of the administrative record that shapes whatever conditions DEQ ultimately writes into any approval.

DEQ's public comment page lists the Bridger matter among currently active notices, along with the project docket and associated environmental review documents. The mid-April meeting series is the primary in-person opportunity to question agency staff before the window closes.

Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks has been flagged as a relevant coordination point for any segments crossing wildlife migration corridors or recreation areas, adding another layer of agency review to a project whose scale will require scrutiny well beyond a single county line.