Yellowstone Pipeline Missoula to Thompson Falls Reroute

Aspen managed the preparation of an EIS to evaluate the impacts of Yellowstone Pipe Line Company’s proposed 67-mile petroleum products pipeline. It was to run between Missoula and Thompson Falls in Plains, Montana, through the Lolo National Forest. The project was highly controversial, and included an extensive public participation program, including a series of scoping meetings throughout western Montana and northern Idaho. Four alternative pipeline routes were analyzed, as well as the No Action Alternative, which involved use of trains and trucks to transport petroleum products. The EIS as prepared under the joint direction of the National Forest and the Montana Department of Environmental Quality, included 23 supporting technical reports in issues such as groundwater, fisheries, air quality, and wildlife biology. Each technical report presented detailed mitigation measures and a Mitigation Monitoring Plan.