Regulations put in place to govern the development of things like oil pipelines and refineries were intended to facilitate those projects, not block them. The point was not to inhibit the build-out of that sort of infrastructure, which serves the production of energy products we all use, but rather to ensure it is done safely…
Judge Reviewing Davis Refinery Situation Says State Regulators Can’t Expand Their Jurisdiction Based on Speculation
The Dakota Resource Council, a local front group for the national environmental movement to impede fossil fuel development, has recently been making a stink about the Davis Refinery which is currently under construction near Belfield, North Dakota. In the past the DRC and other activists have opposed the refinery because, according to them, it’s too…
This Left Wing Environmental Group Blocked Me on Twitter
I had to laugh when I noticed this last night: I don't think I've ever even tweeted at the @DakResCouncil before yet I'm blocked. Weird move for a public policy organization. #NDPol pic.twitter.com/Oa2HmAK7KI — Rob Port (@robport) January 18, 2018 I’m not sure why the Dakota Resource Council blocked me. For those of you not…
Maybe the Solution for Oil Industry Spill Reporting Is Categories
North Dakota has a problem with the way it reports oil industry spills. Lots and lots of tiny, contained spills are documented by the state and the inclusion of that data in statistical analysis can lead to a false impression about the environmental impacts of oil and gas development in our state. When the public…
When Environmentalists Are Bad For The Environment
In recent years North Dakota has had a bit of a waste management issue in western North Dakota. More people, and more traffic and activity, has produced more waste in the oil patch and created a need for more waste disposal infrastructure. And we aren’t just talking about trash in the ditches, either. Several instances…
On Television: When Environmental Groups Have An Authenticity Problem
Last night on my regular television segment with Chris Berg on Valley News Live we discussed some of the concerns over funding of environmental and Native American groups – specifically Honor the Earth – who are active in opposing the Sandpiper Pipeline which would take a lot of North Dakota oil east from Tioga through…
It's Time To Stop Taking The Dakota Resource Council Seriously
The Dakota Resource Council is a well-funded environmental activism group that claims to represent North Dakotans, particularly North Dakota landowners. I’ve never been convinced. According to the group’s financial disclosures, they get a pittance from membership dues and fundraising activities. Most of their money comes from other sources like grants. In fact, in past years…
Some Environmental Activists Funded By Russian Energy Interests
The Free Beacon has a bombshell report linking major donations – millions and millions of dollars – to groups like the Sierra Club and the Natural Resource Defense Council to a Bermuda law firm which represents Russian interests. Russia, of course, has a big interest in fighting American energy development. Shale oil and gas plays in America…
Being The Loudest Doesn't Make Enviro Activists Right About NORM
Over three evenings this week the Department of Health has invited the public to learn about and comment on new regulations that will regulate low-level radiation waste within the state. These are levels so low that they compare to the radioactivity found in granite countertops installed in homes. What’s been most evident from these meetings is…
Less Than 100 Sign Dakota Resource Council Petition To Audit Oil Regulators
It often seems as though the left-wing activists who are out to stop fossil fuel energy development get an inordinate amount of attention from the media, far in excess of their actual on-the-ground support in the state. A recent case-in-point is an online petition launched by the Dakota Resource Council calling for an audit of…