State of North Dakota secondary Archives: on Environment
Doug Burgum:
Innovation--not regulation--solves oil & gas challenges
We believe innovation--not regulation--is the best way to solve complex challenges in a digital age. Adding value to our enormous natural gas production is a tremendous opportunity. Converting gas to plastics or fertilizer--using gas to heat
commercial-scale greenhouses for year-round local food production--converting gas to electrons to be exported on transmission lines--or reinjecting gas back into the ground as part of enhanced oil recovery-
each of these represents a billion-dollar business opportunity. Substantial progress on gas capture is in our near future--with billions of private capital being invested in mid-stream processing and gathering pipelines--
but more capacity will be needed as our gas-to-oil ratio continues to grow. And we must ensure our regulations incent--versus discourage--capital investment.
Source: 2019 State of the State address to North Dakota Legislature
Jan 3, 2019
Doug Burgum:
Dept. of Environmental Quality to focus on clean air & water
We all want the same thing: clean air and water. North Dakota has some of the cleanest air and water in the nation, and our nation has some of the cleanest air and water in the world. If you've had a chance to travel around the world lately, you'll
be thankful you're living in the United States because we do such a great job here. To make sure that it stays that way, we took a department inside another agency, elevated it to cabinet level and created the Department of Environmental Quality.
Source: 2020 North Dakota State of the State address
Jan 29, 2020
Eliot Glassheim:
$220 million to cities stricken by water contamination
Eliot Glassheim called on Sen. Hoeven to reverse his position on desperately needed aid for Flint, MI [which suffered from widespread drinking water contamination in 2015], by supporting bipartisan legislation to provide $220 million to cities stricken
by water contamination. "Senator Hoeven's decision to block assistance to the people of Flint was shortsighted and irresponsible," said Glassheim. "Now, Senator
Hoeven has a chance to do the right thing by reversing his position and supporting funds to help solve the water contamination crisis in Flint."
The bipartisan $220 million aid package would tap into the same Energy Department funding Senator Hoeven voted to eliminate in order to provide aid to Flint and other cities [affected] by water contamination.
Source: Scribd.com press release on 2016 North Dakota Senate race
Apr 27, 2016
Marvin Nelson:
Invest in flood protection, even if we have to raise taxes
We asked Nelson for his take on ensuring flood protection for Minot: "I don't care if we have to borrow the money, or if we have to raise taxes, or whatever. If it came down to raising taxes in order to provide flood control for Minot,
Minot's more important to me than the taxes are. We have to make that investment," he said. GOP candidate Doug Burgum met with Minot leaders on flood protection in May.
Source: KFYR-TV on 2016 North Dakota Gubernatorial race
Aug 12, 2016
Marvin Nelson:
Block giveaway of state-owned mineral resources
A lawsuit filed against the state of North Dakota seeks to prevent the transfer of up to $2 billion in oil and gas mineral rights, challenging a recently enacted state law as unconstitutional.The case filed by state Rep. Marvin Nelson and others
relates to the ownership of minerals under Lake Sakakawea, which the Legislature sought to clarify last year through Senate Bill 2134. The lawsuit argues the law is unconstitutional.
The legislation is estimated to reduce state revenues by $205
million for 2017-19 through oil royalty that will be returned or not collected. The lawsuit claims the state owns all of the minerals under Lake Sakakawea and the legislation gives away the perpetual ownership of those minerals, worth an estimated
$1.76 billion.
Nelson, who was a vocal opponent of the legislation, said the state holds those sovereign minerals in trust for the people of the state. "This illegal law harms taxpayers for the benefit of a small group of private parties," said Nelson.
Source: Bismarck Tribune on North Dakota voting record S.2134
Jan 10, 2018
Michael Coachman:
Block giveaway of state-owned mineral resources
A lawsuit filed against the state of North Dakota seeks to prevent the transfer of up to $2 billion in oil and gas mineral rights, challenging a recently enacted state law as unconstitutional.The case relates to the ownership of minerals under Lake
Sakakawea, which the Legislature sought to clarify last year through Senate Bill 2134. The lawsuit argues the law is unconstitutional.
The legislation is estimated to reduce state revenues by $205 million for 2017-19 through oil royalty that will be
returned or not collected. The lawsuit claims the state owns all of the minerals under Lake Sakakawea and the legislation gives away the perpetual ownership of those minerals, worth an estimated $1.76 billion.
[Lawsuit plaintiffs claim
that] "this illegal law harms taxpayers for the benefit of a small group of private parties." Other plaintiffs in the lawsuit against the state are Paul Sorum, a Republican candidate for governor in 2016, his running mate Michael Coachman.
Source: Bismarck Tribune on North Dakota voting record S.2134
Jan 10, 2018
Shelley Lenz:
Balance energy needs with need to preserve grasslands
I am a strong advocate for animal agriculture and the importance of our grasslands which helps balance our energy production costs and control the water cycle.
A strong advocate for new opportunities and revenue streams to help our ag sector weather the natural disasters or man-made disasters of market loss.
Source: 2020 North Dakota gubernatorial campaign website
Apr 15, 2020
Wayne Stenehjem:
Sue EPA to block "Waters of the US" land control
When the Obama administration tried to force WOTUS (Waters of the US) onto the backs of farmers, Attorney General Wayne Stenehjem led the lawsuit to block WOTUS from taking effect. And he won.In fact, because of Wayne's effort, the Environmental
Protection Agency (EPA) and the Army Corps of Engineers (Corps) were stopped dead in their attempt to control the nation's land. Wayne's effort was the only injunction to be upheld by a federal court. Without his effort, WOTUS would be in effect today
in all 50 states.
Why does it matter? The EPA and Corps used WOTUS to give the federal agency the ability to regulate almost any source of water that reaches a federal waterway -- even the smallest of North Dakota's prairie potholes. Farmers would have
been hit the hardest.
Under WOTUS, potentially every drainage ditch would have been subject to new regulations and farmers would be forced to file permits and receive approval from the federal government for the management of their own farmland.
Source: 2016 StenehjemForGovernor.com North Dakota campaign website
Feb 2, 2016
Page last updated: Feb 18, 2023