Montana Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ)

Montana Oil Pipeline Safety Review Council

Governor Brian Schweitzer created the Montana Oil Pipeline Safety Review Council in accordance with sections 2-15-122, MCA and Executive Order 10- 2011. The purpose of the Council is to advise the Governor on the status of all existing oil pipelines running underneath Montana’s rivers and stream beds. The Council will review all documentation necessary to analyze and critique the safety of each pipeline and the standards required at the time of the installation of each pipeline. The Council will assess the risk of ruptures and leaks in all sections of pipeline that cross rivers and streams. The review will gauge a variety of factors including each pipeline’s age, thickness and corrosion, and the condition and operation of all shut-off valves. The Council will make any recommendations to prevent future failures that could damage Montana’s pristine rivers and streams.

The Council members are:

Chairman Richard Opper, Director of the Montana Department of Environmental Quality
Mary Sexton, Director of the Montana Department of Natural Resources and Conservation
Tim Reardon, Director of the Montana Department of Transportation

Final Report to Governor Schweitzer

Related Links

The Yellowstone River Pipeline Risk Assessment and Floodplain Reclamation Planning Project final report and addendum have been published to the Yellowstone River Corridor Resource Clearinghouse maintained by the Montana State Library.

Pipeline River Crossings in Montana 2011

Pipeline River Crossings in Montana 2012

Executive Order

U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO)

August 17, 2012 Meeting 10:00 AM