Bridger Pipeline LLC proposes to build a 650-mile pipeline through nine counties in eastern Montana and eastern Wyoming to transport tar sands oil from Canada to an oil refinery hub in Guernsey, Wyoming. The project received a presidential permit from President Donald Trump this spring to cross the Canadian border, and the company said it plans to break ground within a year.
Tar sands oil generates about 20 percent more greenhouse gas emissions compared to conventional crude.
Nearly 300 Montana landowners own property along the proposed route. Pipeline companies typically pay landowners a one-time sum for an easement. In 2012, some landowners reported offers of up to $38,000 from the Keystone XL pipeline. Landowners in Nebraska said they were offered signing bonuses of tens of thousands of dollars, with some reporting offers of more than $150,000.
Bridger spokesperson Bill Salvin told Grist and Montana Free Press that the company has paid each of roughly 450 landowners on the preferred route for the right to conduct surveys. Salvin declined to say what collective payments might total. Before construction can begin, the company must complete surveys, secure state and federal permits, and negotiate easement agreements with landowners. The Bureau of Land Management will publish an environmental review for public comment.
Bridger anticipates hiring 2,000 to 2,500 construction workers and creating 50 to 100 full-time jobs in Montana once the pipeline is operational. The company plans to house construction workers in temporary housing referred to as "man camps."
Daniels County Commissioner Tammi Fladager said the project would provide economic benefit to the region. Fifty miles of the preferred route run through Daniels County, which has a population of roughly 1,600 people, 11 percent of whom live in poverty. Carter County commissioners said existing oil and pipeline infrastructure accounts for the vast majority of the county's property tax receipts.