NORTH DAKOTA PETROLEUM COUNCIL
SURGING ROADS: Through Senate bill 2103, construction on North Dakota roadways and highways within the oil patch will commence at the start of construction season thanks to an emergency clause in the bill that allows the $450 million in funding to be distributed immediately. PHOTO: NORTH DAKOTA DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
SENATE BILL 2103 ‛SURGE’ NUMBERS: • $240 million for the state’s top 10 oil-producing counties. • $172 million for the cities of Williston, Watford City, Dickinson and Minot. • $112 million for counties outside the state’s oil production region. • $100 million for other cities within the top 10 oil-producing counties. • $16 million for townships outside the state’s oil production region. • $10 million for cities within eligible counties bordering the oil patch. • $450 million to the N.D. DOT for state highway improvements.
passage. There were many regulatory bills that would have added further uncertainty to the industry during the correction we have seen in oil prices. Many of those bills were killed or defeated, while others were amended to include more reasonable solutions to the challenges we face. Such a bill is House bill 1358, which calls for new regulations for pipelines, that is once again the first of its kind in the nation. This bill would require that crude oil and produced water gathering lines be bonded and inspected by a qualified third party. More importantly, the bill would provide significant resources for studying and analyzing pipeline standards, researching best methods for reclaiming and remediating land in the case of a spill, and also provide funding for the clean-up of spills that occurred before 1983.
Advancements have been made in reclamation practices, and these studies will ensure North Dakota is again the leader in responsible energy development. As the legislative session moves into the second half, the assembly will likely wait until after Moody’s issues its newest forecast before making final decisions on bills with fiscal impacts. The NDPC will continue to watch these and other bills to ensure western counties and regulatory agencies get the support they need and to also ensure onerous bills do not put at risk the positive business environment North Dakota has worked hard to create over the past decade. Author: Tessa Sandstrom Communications Manager, North Dakota Petroleum Council tsandstrom@ndoil.org 701-557-7744
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