North Dakota's largest oil company butts heads with state over emissions regulations

BISMARCK — North Dakota's largest oil producer is fighting state regulators in court over what it sees as an overly strict reading of air pollution rules, which the state described as an effort to "weaken" those regulations.

Attorneys for the state and Oklahoma-based Continental Resources are scheduled to butt heads before the state Supreme Court Thursday, Sept. 5. The company is seeking to reverse a lower court decision dismissing its lawsuit against the North Dakota Department of Environmental Quality and is asking the justices to send the case back for further proceedings.

The legal spat pits the state against one of the flagship companies operating in North Dakota's oil patch. Continental Chairman and CEO Harold Hamm is seen as a pioneer of drilling technology that made North Dakota the country's No. 2 oil producer.

The dispute centers on state rules restricting the emission of volatile organic compounds, a broad category of air pollutants that can contribute to smog. In its brief to the Supreme Court, Continental said the rules are based on the understanding that flares and other emissions control equipment are not "leakless" and a "very small portion" escape from piping components.

Read more: https://www.inforum.com/news/government-and-politics/4643956-North-Dakotas-largest-oil-company-butts-heads-with-state-over-emissions-regulations