An oil pipeline in Montana has leaked as much as 50,000 gallons of oil, with a portion of it going into the Yellowstone River. And naturally, some are wondering how the pipeline sizes up with the controversial proposed Keystone XL pipeline expansion, which would cut across Montana, Nebraska, North Dakota, and South Dakota if completed.
The pipeline in question that leaked on Saturday is called the Poplar Pipeline.
Here’s a few tidbits about the Poplar Pipeline:
- The Poplar Pipeline is a 10-inch and 12-inch line that moves crude oil from northern Montana to southern Montana, according to the True Company pipeline system.
- The line, formerly known as the Wascana Pipeline, is operated by Bridger Pipeline and was built about five decades ago (Editor’s note: This is a correction; the article said originally that it was built in 2012.
- There’s four receipt points: Poplar Station in Roosevelt County, Fisher and Richey Stations located in Richland County, and Glendive located in Dawson County. It starts at the Canadian border and runs to Baker, Montana. The spill is located about nine miles upstream of Glendive.
- The pipeline is part of the True Company pipeline system, which are composed of the Bridger Pipeline, LLC, the Belle Fourche Pipeline Co., and the Butte Pipeline Co. They own and operate the Belle Fourche pipeline, Bridger Gathering System, Butte pipeline, Four Bears pipeline, and the Poplar System pipelines, according to a State Department report.
- An emergency response plan was activated, and local governments were immediately notified. The pipe leak was “shut in” on Saturday, said Bridger Pipeline via an update.
