Energy development is one of the leading industries in North Dakota.
“Successful reclamations of lands used for energy development is critical as these lands are often key to the state’s leading industry, agriculture,” says Miranda Meehan, NDSU Extension livestock environmental stewardship specialist. “The advancement of reclamation methods and strategies must continue for the sake of landowners, oil and gas industries, and the state.”
To aid that effort, NDSU Extension, Dickinson State University, the Society for Range Management, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Agricultural Research Service, the North Dakota Department of Environmental Quality and BKS Environmental are hosting the North Dakota Reclamation Webinar Series.
The North Dakota Department of Environmental Quality awarded loans for water projects to three communities through the Drinking Water State Revolving Fund (DWSRF) Programs in September and October. Cavalier received a $1,750,000 DWSRF loan to replace the aging ground storage reservoir and pump station. This project will ensure continued reliable water service to the system.
North Dakota regulators want greater authority to go after corporate leaders who flagrantly disregard spills and other environmental problems in the oil patch.
The proposal was among several significant bills related to energy and the environment heard during the first week of the legislative session. Lawmakers also are considering measures tied to storing natural gas underground and cleaning up contaminated property.
Senate Bill 2064 would allow the state to penalize corporate officers deemed responsible for oil- and gas-related violations.
Two serious environmental problems recently occurred in the oil fields, prompting the legislation after the state spent hundreds of thousands of dollars to clean up the sites, State Mineral Resources Director Lynn Helms told the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee during a hearing Thursday. The state tried to get the companies to act, but they shirked their responsibilities, he said.