BISMARCK, N.D. (AP) — A $12.5 million civil penalty has been agreed upon by two pipeline operators regarding crude oil spills that occurred in Montana and North Dakota.
The settlement was announced by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency on Monday, resolving a 2022 federal court lawsuit. Belle Fourche Pipeline Company and Bridger Pipeline LLC will jointly pay the $12.5 million to address the claims under the Clean Water Act and Pipeline Safety Laws, according to the EPA. These affiliated companies are responsible for owning and operating oil pipelines in Montana, North Dakota, and Wyoming.
The incident in question took place in 2015 when Bridger’s Poplar Pipeline ruptured, resulting in a spill of over 50,000 gallons (approximately 190,000 liters) of crude oil into the Yellowstone River near Glendive, Montana. Bridger has since completed the cleanup of the affected site, and in 2021, the company settled a lawsuit with federal and Montana authorities for $2 million. Additionally, Montana’s Department of Environmental Quality had previously imposed a $1 million fine on Bridger in connection with this case.
In 2016, there was another incident involving Belle Fourche’s Bicentennial Pipeline in Billings County, North Dakota. The pipeline broke as a result of a landslide, leading to a massive spill of over 600,000 gallons (approximately 2.3 million liters) of oil. This spill affected an unnamed tributary, Ash Coulee Creek, and the Little Missouri River.
Belle Fourche has been actively working on the cleanup efforts since the incident occurred. The cleanup process is being closely monitored by North Dakota’s Department of Environmental Quality, as reported by the EPA.
The announced agreement on Monday does not fully resolve all issues related to the Ash Coulee spill, and the government retains the right to pursue future legal claims.
As part of the $12.5 million civil penalty, nearly $4.6 million will go to North Dakota’s Department of Environmental Quality. Additionally, Belle Fourche will cover the state’s past response costs, which amount to over $98,000, as mentioned in court documents filed on Monday.
Principal Deputy Assistant Administrator Larry Starfield of the EPA’s Office of Enforcement and Compliance Assurance emphasized the significant and lasting environmental damage caused by oil pipeline spills in a statement. The settlement aims to hold Belle Fourche and Bridger Pipeline accountable for their role in these oil spills and requires them to take meaningful measures to prevent future incidents.
In addition to the civil penalty, the pipeline operators are obligated to implement specific compliance measures to further address and prevent such spills in the future.
Belle Fourche and Bridger Pipeline are both subsidiaries of the Wyoming-based True Companies.
According to Bill Salvin, a spokesperson for Bridger Pipeline, the operators have already fulfilled all the necessary remediation actions mandated by North Dakota’s Department of Environmental Quality up until the present time. He further stated that they are committed to closely cooperating with the department if any additional actions are deemed necessary. Ongoing soil testing remains a part of their efforts.
In an endeavor to improve safety measures, the operators have invested in upgrades for their pipeline network. These enhancements include the establishment of a new control center at their headquarters in Casper, Wyoming, as well as the implementation of a new leak detection system powered by artificial intelligence. These measures are aimed at bolstering the pipeline’s safety and minimizing the likelihood of future spills.