February 2010 Vol. 237 No. 2

Projects

FERC Finds Bison Pipeline Environmentally Acceptable

The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission has prepared a final environmental impact statement (EIS) for the natural gas pipeline facilities proposed by Bison Pipeline, L.L.C.

The Bison Pipeline Project facilities would be located in Wyoming, Montana, and North Dakota and would be designed to transport 477 MMcf/d of natural gas.

Bison proposes to construct, operate, and maintain 301.2 miles of 30-inch interstate natural gas transmission pipeline, one compressor station, two meter stations, 19 mainline valves, and three pig launcher/pig receiver facilities. The pipeline would extend northeast from a point near Dead Horse, WY, through southeastern Montana and southwestern North Dakota. It would connect with the Northern Border pipeline system near Northern Border’s Compressor Station #6 in Morton County, ND.

FERC’s environmental staff concluded that the construction and operation of the project would result in some adverse environmental impacts. However, the environmental impacts would be reduced to less than significant levels if constructed and operated in accordance with applicable laws and regulations, Bison’s proposed mitigation, and additional measures recommended in the EIS. The U.S. Department of the Interior, Bureau of Land Management (BLM) cooperated in the preparation of the EIS.