North Dakota Commission urges Schneider to revise OSM’s Stream Protection Rule
The North Dakota Public Service Commission condemned the Office of Surface Mining’s (OSM) proposed Stream Protection Rule on Tuesday, claiming that the rule would worsen environmental consequences in the state and have severe repercussions for the mining industry.
In an effort to inform the U.S. Department of the Interior of the impact the legislation would have on the state of North Dakota, the commission invited the agency’s Assistant Secretary for Land and Minerals Management Janice Schneider to tour the state’s facilities and learn about the mining processes from industry experts.
On the tour, Schneider was shown mining facilities in various stages of development. Mining experts spoke with her regarding the potential impact the Stream Protection Rule would have on the state’s mining industry and on the environment. While the bill might work well in other states, the commission warned that it will be a detriment to North Dakota, as it does not take into account the state’s geology, mining practices or insight from industry leaders.
“This is a foolish proposal that shows very little effort on the administration’s part to recognize the vast differences in geology and mining practices in each state and develop regulations to properly address them,” Commissioner Julie Fedorchak said. “I appreciate Assistant Secretary Schneider coming here to see first-hand the real conditions and reclamation practices in our state and to direct her state to fix this proposed rule accordingly.”
The commission hopes that the OSM will revise the rule to better coincide with North Dakota practices and environmental factors.
