President Donald Trump has granted a key approval for a major new oil pipeline that would transport crude from Canada into the central United States. The Bridger Pipeline Expansion, a three-foot-wide (one-meter) conduit, is designed to carry up to 550,000 barrels (87,400 cubic meters) of oil daily from the Canadian border with Montana, traversing eastern Montana and Wyoming before connecting with an existing pipeline network.
Project Details and Timeline
The 650-mile (1,050-kilometer) pipeline would, at peak capacity, move two-thirds the volume of the more famous Keystone XL pipeline, which was partially constructed before President Joe Biden revoked its permit in 2021 due to climate concerns. The Bridger Pipeline Expansion still requires additional state and federal environmental approvals before construction can commence, with company officials anticipating a start date in the fall of 2027 and completion by late 2028 or early 2029.
Speaking after signing the cross-border approval, Trump remarked: "Slightly different from the last administration. They wouldn't sign a pipeline deal. And we have pipelines going up." His first term saw approval of the Keystone XL project in 2020, despite objections from Native American tribes over spill risks and environmental groups concerned about fossil fuel contributions to climate change.
Environmental and Safety Concerns
Environmentalists are mobilizing to halt the project, citing worries about potential ruptures and spills. The Bridger Pipeline Expansion would not cross any Native American reservations, with over 70% of its route lying within existing pipeline corridors and 80% on private land, according to Bridger Pipeline LLC, a Casper, Wyoming-based company operating more than 3,700 miles (5,950 kilometers) of pipelines in the region.
Bridger Pipeline is a subsidiary of True Companies, which has a history of significant pipeline accidents. These include a 2015 spill of over 50,000 gallons (240,000 liters) of crude into the Yellowstone River, contaminating a Montana city's drinking water; a 45,000-gallon diesel spill in Wyoming in 2022; and a 2016 incident releasing more than 600,000 gallons (2.7 million liters) of crude in North Dakota. Subsidiaries of True agreed to pay a $12.5 million civil penalty to settle a government lawsuit over the North Dakota and Montana spills.
Company spokesperson Bill Salvin emphasized safety improvements, including an AI-driven leak detection system and plans to bore 30 to 40 feet (9 to 12 meters) beneath major rivers like the Yellowstone and Missouri to reduce accident risks. "We designed the pipeline with integrity and safety in mind," Salvin said. "We have emergency response plans should something happen where oil happens to get out of the line, which is fairly rare."
Environmental groups, including the Montana Environmental Information Center and WildEarth Guardians, remain opposed. Attorney Jenny Harbine of Earthjustice stated: "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."
The project could avoid reversal by a future administration if completed before Trump leaves office on January 20, 2029.
