TransCanada Talks KXL Construction

It was almost exactly 10 years ago that TransCanada Corp. announced it hoped to cross Phillips and Valley Counties, and for the first time in its history the project has a presidential permit as well as permits in state along the route.

“We are committed to moving forward with this project in a timely manner,” said TransCanada spokeswoman Robynn Tysver.

Tysver said TransCanada has assessed numerous options when dealing with housing the pipeline’s workforce during construction in northeast Montana. She said that TransCanada’s plan is to erect a camp in Hinsdale, which has been developed and approved under Valley County subdivision regulation, as well as Montana Department of Environmental Quality regulations.

“We are also considering the possibility of locating a camp in northern Phillips County to support the construction of a KXL pump station,” Tysvedr said. “The exact location and details of this proposed second camp are still under discussion and review, as is the construction timeline for both camps.”

The work camp near Hinsdale will be able to house nearly 800 workers for about eight months but the Phillips County camp would be much smaller, housing about 75 workers for approximately 12 months. Tysver said the camps are constructed with interconnecting modular buildings and the Hinsdale campsite will be fully prepared prior to the arrival of the modular buildings. Once the site is ready, she added, the buildings will be set and anchored in place.

“When the work is complete, and the camp is no longer required, the campsite will be reclaimed and left in good or better condition than we found it,” she said.

Depending on weather conditions at the time, it is estimated that it will take approximately three months to reclaim the site, she added.

Tysver said that while TransCanada was assessing options for housing the pipeline’s workforce during construction, local community and law enforcement feedback was valuable and TransCanada will continue to work to engage the community and address concerns. Tysver said the safety of the workers in the camp and the nearby communities is paramount. She said KXL camps will allow the consumption of alcohol in the workforce camps in accordance with the camp Code of Conduct, which restricts the consumption of alcohol to non-public areas; such as in the resident’s dorm room or RV. “There will be no alcohol sold within the camp facility,” she said. “The camp operator’s security staff will strictly enforce the camp Code of Conduct.”

As for the construction of the pipeline itself, TransCanada expects full construction to start in 2019, with possible pre-construction activities starting this fall. The price tag for the nearly 1,200 miles of pipeline is $8 billion. The pipeline will move crude through Montana and South Dakota to Nebraska where it will connect with lines carrying oil to Gulf Coast refineries. Tysver added that the Montana Department of Revenue estimated in 2009 that the pipeline would bring about $4.4 million annually into Phillips County’s tax coffers.

Tysver said that TransCanada will do everything possible to answer people’s questions and address concerns about the pipeline and pending work camps. “We have and will continue to do everything possible to engage with our stakeholders in Montana.” she said, “It is TransCanada’s stance that pipelines are the safest way to transport crude.”

“We understand that not everyone agrees, and we respect the various viewpoints that people have on this project,” she continued. “We also respect their right to hold peaceful and legal protests. At the end of the day, we’re going to move forward with this project, respectfully and legally. As for the legal challenges, we will handle them case-by-case, while moving this project forward in anticipation of construction starting in earnest in 2019.”