BISMARCK (AP) — North Dakota’s Agriculture Department will start refereeing disputes between landowners and oil companies that come onto their property to drill for oil.
The North Dakota Senate voted Friday to expand the duties of the agency’s agricultural mediation service.
Its name will now be just the North Dakota Mediation Service. Its authority is being broadened to cover arguments between oil companies and surface landowners.
Grand Forks Sen. Connie Triplett says the service is getting an infusion of $100,000. But she says its operating costs should be covered by fees paid by people who use it.
Some critics of the proposal wanted a specialized oil patch mediation service with greater authority, but the Senate turned down the idea.
The bill now goes to Gov. Jack Dalrymple. It is HB1462.
Source: The Associated Press
Posted by Haylie Shipp
