USACE seeks public comment on Draft Environmental Assessment for Line 84 Pipeline, Missouri River Crossing Depth of Cover Remediation Project

A draft Environmental Assessment (EA) for the proposed rehabilitation of a segment of an 8-inch-diameter steel crude oil pipeline, Line 84, owned and operated by the North Dakota Pipeline Company, LLC (Enbridge), near the City of Trenton, North Dakota in Williams and McKenzie Counties at the Missouri River crossing is currently available for public review and comment.

Line 84 was installed in 1984 via trenching across the Missouri River and surrounding floodplain. A recent study indicated that there is insufficient depth of cover for the existing Line 84 under the Missouri River, which has the potential to lead to a pipeline failure and inadvertent release of oil. Enbridge proposes to address the shallow depth of cover by replacing the section of pipeline with a new 8-inch-diameter pipeline using Horizontal Directional Drilling installation methods. The new pipeline would be approximately 3,840 feet in length and installed at a minimum of 40 feet below the Missouri River providing sufficient depth of cover. This would bring the pipeline into compliance with 49 CFR 195 of Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration recommendations.

This draft EA is consistent with the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (NEPA) as amended, the Council on Environmental Quality’s (CEQ) regulations for implementing NEPA, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) regulations for implementing NEPA (33 CFR 325 and Engineering Regulation 200-2-2) and other applicable environmental laws and regulations. This assessment is being completed in accordance with the CEQ regulations in Section 1506.5(a) and 1506.5(b), which allows an applicant to prepare an EA for a federal action. USACE has independently evaluated and verified the information and analysis in this EA and takes full responsibility for the scope and content contained herein.

The public is encouraged to provide comments on the draft EA. The reference number for the draft EA is 408-NWO-2023-0064. It is available for viewing at:

• Public Notice: https://usace.contentdm.oclc.org/utils/getfile/collection/p16021coll15/id/4921
• Draft EA: https://usace.contentdm.oclc.org/utils/getfile/collection/p16021coll15/id/4922
• Draft FONSI: https://usace.contentdm.oclc.org/utils/getfile/collection/p16021coll15/id/4923

Comments can be emailed to cenwo-planning@usace.army.mil or they may be mailed to:

U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Omaha District CENWO-PMA-C:

ATTN: Line 84 HDD EA

1616 Capitol Avenue

Omaha, NE 68102-4901

Comments must be postmarked or received no later than March 28, 2024.