On January 17, Dakota Resource Council (DRC) members participated in a hearing in Dickinson to oppose the air quality permit for the proposed Davis Oil Refinery. The oil refinery is sited just three miles from Theodore Roosevelt National Park.
Opposition to the air permit came from both from locals and from folks across the state. Of the 42 people who testified, 32 expressed deep concerns related to the project. This included local DRC members. Locals addressed the possible degradation of air quality, and the damage the project could do to the local tourism industry. Others expressed concerns with whether the company lied in its permit application to skirt siting and environmental reviews.
Notable Quotes from the Hearing
“The only piece of land in North Dakota that is owned by all Americans is Theodore Roosevelt National Park,” Bismarck resident and DRC member Marie Hoff said. “All Americans have a stake in this issue. The developers claim it will be a clean oil refinery. The issue is more than view shed, the refinery will affect air quality.”
Linda Weiss, a Belfield resident and DRC leader, asked “what game are they playing?” referencing reports from the company citing output at 49,500 barrels per day. The air quality permit is for a facility that would produce 55,000 barrels per day. This discrepancy was seen as a means of escaping scrutiny from the Public Service Commission, which is not empowered to hold facilities that produce less than 50,000 barrels per day to standards.
What’s Next
The comment period closed on January 26. Now the North Dakota Department of Health will have some time to respond to relevant comments. It is likely that a decision on the Davis Oil Refinery will be made on the air quality permit later this winter or in the spring.
Read more stories about oil and gas here.
Sign up for WORC blogs
WORC will send you a notice of new blog posts. You can sign up here.
Photo from Good Free Photos
Read more:
Colorado Oil and Gas Activists Hopeful, Despite Ballot Defeat
Fracking Cover-Up Continues Groundwater Contamination Disaster in Pavillion, Wyoming
WORC Files Injunction to Stop Secret Royalty Policy Committee Meetings