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…
Legislation Would Let Lawmakers Void Expensive Oil and Gas Regulations
At one point last year the North Dakota Industrial Commission (the executive branch triumvirate which regulates oil and gas activity in our state) passed a raft of new rules for the state’s oil and gas industry among them a new requirement for a six inch berm around well sites to help contain spills there. The new six inch…
Audio: Lawmaker Says His Bill Would Have Stopped Reporting of Most 2016 Oil Industry Spills
Last week I wrote about HB1151, introduced by state Rep. Roscoe Streyle, a Republican from Minot. The legislation is pretty simple. It would limit the number of oil industry fluid spills reported in the State of North Dakota. Here’s the specific text (I put the full text of the bill in my original post): The…
Legislation Would Stop Reporting Small, Contained Oil Spills
There has been a lot of negative attention paid to North Dakota over oil spills, and to a certain point it’s been justified. Oil spills aren’t good. They should get lots of attention. The public absolutely be aware when they happen. But not all oil spills are equal. Some reporters and activist groups are fond…
North Dakota Will Debate "Constitutional Carry" Legislation In 2017
Last week the State of Mississippi became the 9th state in the union to embrace what gun rights proponents call “constitutional carry,” or the right to carry lawfully-owned guns concealed without a permit. North Dakota lawmakers are already talking about following suit ahead of their 2017 session which will begin in January after the November…
Getting Ugly: Burgum Surrogate Calls Stenehjem "Underhanded"
I told you this was going to get ugly. Earlier today I wrote about a surrogate for Attorney General Wayne Stenehjem taking a shot at the candidate’s gubernatorial nomination opponent Doug Burgum. This afternoon a Burgum surrogate swiped right back at Stenehjem. “Wayne’s false, underhanded attacks underscore why we need an outsider in charge,” Robert…
Roscoe Streyle: Doug Burgum Will Say Anything To Win
In a desperate attempt to save a failing campaign, Doug Burgum unleashed a nasty new TV ad attacking Republican statewide elected officials and legislators. In the ad, Burgum claims to be a conservative who opposes state spending and property taxes. Here is the truth. The increased state spending Burgum complains about was mostly one-time spending…
Have North Dakota's State Agencies Have Figured Out That The Oil Boom Is Over Yet?
North Dakota’s oil boom is over. In fact, it’s been over for a while. Drilling activity is down. Commerce is slowing. Workers who came here to get oil industry jobs, and related employment, are now seeking their fortunes elsewhere. While the word “bust” isn’t an accurate description, it is a significant change from the last…
Lawmakers: NDSU's Enrollment Growth Plan Is The Wrong Priority
Recently North Dakota State University President Dean Bresciani announced that he’d like to aggressively inflate his school’s enrollment, increasing it by as much as 24 percent, over the next five years. But the Chairman and Vice Chairman of the Legislature’s interim Higher Education Funding Committee are skepitcal that this is the right priority. I wrote…
Roscoe Streyle: Fargo Forum Should Stop Pitting East vs. West
The Fargo Forum describing the needs of Eastern North Dakota in a recent editorial is important, but to pit East versus West in terms of funding water projects needs correcting, because they forget to cite many facts that are important. I am proud to report that the North Dakota Legislature has supported water and flood…