701-566-9300Murphy’s Law Blog 2017 | #48
This week, I attended the Interim Agriculture Committee in Bismarck. This was their second meeting, the first one months back discussed if anything should or could be done to improve the accuracy of grain testing (see blog entry #42 for more detail). That topic came up at the end of this meeting and it looks like the committee may be looking at it again next time they meet – probably in March...
Murphy’s Law Blog 2017 | #47
This Wednesday I attended the Natural Resources committee meeting – their second of this interim session. In #43 of this blog, I laid out the goals of the committee and what they did their first meeting. Wind occupied the entire morning, with presentations from Public Service Commission Commissioner Fedorchak explaining their siting and decommissioning process. She also explained how far wind...
Murphy’s Law Blog 2017 | #46
Since I last wrote to you, I have worked a couple of days each in October (Dickinson tour) and November (Minot). Both were efforts to track the Interim Legislative committee known as Energy Development and Transmission (EDTC). Chaired by Senator Wardner of Dickinson, this is the most active of all interim Committees as it has met nearly every month and often for two days at a time.
Here is...
Murphy’s Law Blog 2017 | #45
This is the second filing from my recent trip to Bismarck covering the Energy Development and Transmission Committee (EDTC) and having encapsulated the first day, what follows is the gist of the second. Each year, the EDTC attends the EmPower ND Energy Conference and this was it. It pulls in the Who’s Who of ND Government and Energy related people. Senator Hoeven kicked it off followed by...
Murphy’s Law Blog 2017 | #44
This is about the two days just spent in Bismarck covering the Energy Development and Transmission Committee (EDTC), which is one of the North Dakota Legislature’s Interim committees that I follow. It is the most active of all interim committees and they are charged with some issues that could change our taxes as well as determine where our dollars go. Of the three issues (study taxation of...
Contact the EPA about the RFS
We want to let you know about the EPA’s Notice of Data Availability (NODA) that may lead to a roll back of biomass diesel volumes in the Renewable Fuels Standard (RFS). Please submit comments to the EPA asking them to not only not to cut biodiesel volumes but grow the volumes in the RFS as Congress intended to help make America energy independent and support economic development. Please take a...
Follow up on Herbicide Damage Claims Before Harvest
North Dakota farmers who have made herbicide damage liability claims are encouraged to make sure their claims have been fully investigated before harvesting crops on those affected fields. Once more than 20 percent of fields with damage claims are harvested, farmers will not be able to pursue civil action to collect damages.
The North Dakota Soybean Growers Association is also aware of...
Murphy’s Law Blog 2017 | #43
Last week I was in Bismarck to cover interim committees (see #42 for Ag) and on Wednesday it was the first meeting for Natural Resources. Its directives for next year or so include:
1. Study whether state and local level regulation of high-level radioactive waste disposal is consistent with applicable federal regulations and to ensure ND has proper input into federal location selection...
Murphy’s Law Blog 2017 | #42
Early last week, the interim Agriculture Committee spent the morning listening to Karl Rockeman, director of water quality at the state Dept. of Health give a presentation on nutrient management. For this presentation, nutrient meant both nitrogen and phosphorous. Based on 2009 numbers, of our state’s 168 lakes and reservoirs, 47 were judged to be impaired or threatened due to excess...
Murphy’s Law Blog 2017 | #41
Right now, the Superintendent of Williston Public Schools is testifying in front of the ND Legislature’s Energy Development and Transmission Committee as they have traveled to the Bakken oil field for hearings. The committee wants to see what is happening with the money North Dakota has sent out to the West and Williston is their first stop. In months to come, the committee will hold meetings...