Williston's XWA Getting Set for Takeoff
Three years to the day from the groundbreaking ceremony that kicked off the project, Williston's new XWA Airport will open for business October 10.
The nearly $265 million facility will replace the existing Sloulin Field. It was determined it would be impractical to expand the current airport because costs would have been comparable to the relocation, and the airport would have to be closed at least two years for construction. Williston City Administrator David Tuan said it's rare that a new airport is built to replace one that already exists. Tuan, who was interviewed this week on the radio program,
Energy Matters, said all new infrastructure had to be developed at the site northwest of the city.
Click
here to listen to Tuan's comments.
To celebrate the opening of the new airport, the city will hold an open house on Saturday, October 5. Tuan said it will be an opportunity to see baggage handling and other inner workings of the facility.
Click
here to listen to Tuan's comments.
When the new airport opens, Sloulin field will be closed and transferred to the city. The sale of some of the land will help cover costs of building the new airport. Tuan said the city has plans for redeveloping the site, which he says will change the character of the city.
Click
here to listen to Tuan's comments.
The city is hoping to attract a third airline to serve the community once the airport opens. For now, it will continue to be served by Delta and United, and both airlines plan to add larger planes to serve Williston shortly after XWA opens.
Click
here to see the XWA Airport Facebook page. Click
here to see an archive of newsletters describing various details about the project. Clear
here and advance to the 30:24 mark to listen to the full
Energy Matters interwiew with David Tuan.
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XWA Airport Releases Thank You Video
Williston's new XWA Airport recently produced a video showcasing the terminal, the project and the contractors who helped with the massive project. You can watch the “thank you” video
here.
The main runway at XWA will be 7500’ long by 150’ wide. The runway will also include stub outs for a future crosswind runway, which will be 4500’ long by 75’ wide. These stub outs will allow uninterrupted operations on the main runway during the crosswind runway construction at a future date. The largest aircraft the new airport is designed to handle is the Boeing 757. The security perimeter fence around the airport is about 30,000 linear feet, or 5 ½ miles long.
There will be a restaurant and bar at the new airport operated by Oakwells (
www.Oakwells.com). This establishment will be called the Refinery Kitchen + Bar and will serve tenants and the travelling public after they pass through security while waiting for their flights.
The community is invited to tour the facility on October 5 from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. There will be a free BBQ, giveaways, and games for the entire family.
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Ethics Measure Already Chilling Speech
Dozens of Unanswered Questions about its Effect
If you think the language and intent of the ethics measure passed last fall is clear, you'd have a difficult time convincing Representative Larry Klemin.
Klemin, the Speaker of the House in 2019 who chairs the interim Judiciary Committee, put down his gavel this week to testify before the committee about the so-called anti-corruption measure. Klemin walked through the 1,400-word measure, now
Article XIV in the state constitution, pointing out terms and phrases that are subject to interpretation. Many of the 51 questions he posed relate to protecting the privacy rights of individuals and their Freedom of Speech.
"What is the extent and meaning of the (people's) "right to know" in Article 1, Section 1, and how does that reasonably relate to the rights of free speech, assembly and petition guaranteed by the First Amendment?" he asked.
Klemin also questioned a provision in the measure that provides for a "confidential whistleblower hotline" to report alleged ethics violations. He wonders if the rights of the accused will be protected.
"Do the provisions of Article XIV impair, impede, or violate the rights in the US Constitution, particularly with respect to ... the right of confrontation guaranteed to accused persons by the Fifth Amendment?" he asked.
John Olson, a lawyer and registered lobbyist from Bismarck, testified about the implications of the measure on participation in the political process. Olson said it's already had a chilling effect.
"Some organizations have shied away from certain political activities because they may be subject to future potential regulation, even though those activities are currently allowed under law," he said.
Olson said the confusing language in the measure has created uncertainty, and until the questions are resolved it will continue to affect political participation.
"We need clarity to maximize participation," Olson said. "Lobbyists are diligent in making sure that they follow the law, and whatever rules are out there we need to identify which i's and t's we're going to need to dot and cross."
Two members of the newly-appointed Ethics Commission - Paul Richard from Fargo and Ward Koeser from Williston - attended the interim Judiciary Committee meeting, but did not offer any testimony. Klemin said the committee will meet four or five more times to attempt to clear up some of the uncertainty the measure has created. Click
here to read Speaker Klemin's testimony.
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Interior Secretary to Visit Medora,TR Park
Secretary of the Interior David Bernhardt will be in North Dakota next week to tour the Medora area and discuss efforts to establish a Theodore Roosevelt Presidential Library and Museum in the national park named for America's 26th President.
Gov. Doug Burgum, a strong advocate of the library, will accompany Bernhardt during his visit Thursday, October 3.
“As the Cabinet leader who oversees the National Park Service, Secretary Bernhardt is a key partner in the Theodore Roosevelt Presidential Library and Museum, and we deeply appreciate him visiting Medora to learn how this world-class tourist attraction and upgrades to the national park can be mutually beneficial,” Burgum said.
Since President Trump announced in early February that he was nominating Bernhardt to lead the Interior Department, Burgum has engaged him in discussions about the library to lay the groundwork for future collaboration on the project. During a phone call with the governor in February, Bernhardt said the library “could be a fantastic project for the state,” and he reaffirmed his support for the project during a meeting with Burgum during the Western Governors’ Association’s annual meeting in June.
The 2019 ND Legislature authorized the creation of a $50 million endowment for the library and museum if $100 million in private donations is first raised for its construction. Only the earnings from the endowment will be used to help pay for library operations and maintenance.
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Lakebed Minerals Survey Making Progress
Pace of Work Hampered by High Water Levels
Surveryors hired by the North Dakota Department of Trust Lands are gradually making their way around Lake Sakakawea to establish the boundaries of the original Missouri River channel.
Senate Bill 2211 enacted by the 2019 Legislature directs the Land Department to identify the original channel to establish the ownership of mineral rights under land inundated by the Garrison Dam. Land Commissioner Jodi Smith told attendees at last week's meeting of the North Dakota Petroleum Council that the survey work has been slowed due to unusually high water levels on Lake Sakakawea. Smith said the work is expected to take a year to complete and should be done next summer.
Click
here to listen to Smith's comments.
Once the land has been surveyed on a quarter-quarter basis, the Land Department will begin the process of distributing about $230 million in royalties that have been held in escrow by the state. Legislation enacted during the 2017 session clarifies that the state owns minerals under the historical Missouri River channel, but does not own minerals under Lake Sakakawea.
The Land Board awarded a $1.088 million contract to KLJ Engineering to complete the survey work.
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Funding Formula Committee to Meet Oct. 1
The North Dakota Legislature's interim Education Funding Formula Review Committee will meet next week to continue its effort to improve the equity of the state's Foundation Aid Formula for K-12 schools.
The meeting begins at 10:00 a.m. Tuesday, October 1, in the Roughrider Room at the Capitol. Committee Chairman Don Schaible, R-Mott, said legislators will review the numerous weighting factors in the formula to make sure funding to the state's 178 public school districts is distributed fairly. Schaible said one of the biggest questions is the state's requirement that every district make a local contribution through property taxes.
Click
here to listen to Schaible's comments.
One topic pointed out during the committee's first meeting is the fact that the the cost of building new schools is not factored into the funding formula (see
article in WDEA's Aug. 2 newsletter). Schaible said he expects the committee will revisit that issue.
Click
here to listen to Schaible's comments.
Schaible said at a minimum, he would like to see the state expand its existing school construction loan program, including raising the limit that a district can borrow to help schools with large building projects.
One unique feature of the interim committee is the presence of school administrators from around the state. Schaible said it's a way for legislators on the committee to get instant feedback.
Click
here to listen to Schaible's comments.
Schaible made his comments during an interview with WDEA Executive Director Geoff Simon on the radio program,
Energy Matters. Click
here and advance to the 44:10 mark to listen to the full interview.
Click
here to see the agenda for the interim Education Funding Formula Review Committee's meeting.
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Ribbon Cutting for Public Works Shop
McKenzie County officials will hold a ribbon cutting ceremony next week officially opening the county's new Public Works Building.
The building is located at 1300 12th Street SE in Watford City, across from the Law Enforcement Center. The ceremony is scheduled Tuesday, October 1 at 2:00 p.m.
The county broke ground on the $20 million project last summer. The shop garages and administration building cover 67,000 square feet, with a 23,000 square foot cold storage building and a 6,000 square foot salt storage building. The new shop will house the Weed Control, Water and Road departments. It will eventually house the entire McKenzie County Public Works Department, and provide office space for the Western Area Water Supply Authority.
The facility was designed by Icon Architectural Group and built by Construction Engineers
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Heritage Fund Outlays Nearing $50 Million
North Dakota's Outdoor Heritage Fund has awarded more than $46 million in grants to 156 projects since its inception in 2013.
The state legislature's Budget Section heard an update on the fund's status this week. It was established to provide grants to state agencies, tribes, political subdivisions, and nonprofits to enhance conservation practices in the state.
The Heritage Fund has four directives:
- Directive A: Provide access to private and public lands for sportsmen, including projects that create fish and wildlife habitat and provide access for sportsmen
- Directive B: Improve, maintain and restore water quality, soil conditions, plant diversity, animal systems, and by supporting other practices of stewardship to enhance farming and ranching;
- Directive C: Develop, enhance, conserve and restore wildlife and fish habitat on private and public lands; and
- Directive D: Conserve natural areas and create other areas for recreation through the establishment and development of parks and other recreation areas.
Andrea Pfennig, deputy director of the ND Industrial Commission, told legislators that 46% of grants to date have gone to Directive B, about 22% to Directive C, and about 16% each to Directives A and D.
Click
here to see Pfennig's presentation to the Budget Section. Click
here for the Outdoor Heritage Fund web page. The next grant application deadline is November 1.
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2019 North Dakota Finance Facts Now Available
The North Dakota Legislative Council has released the latest version of ND Finance Facts, a 36-page booklet full of economic statistics about the state, its people, the performance of its primary economic sectors, the state budget and more.
Among other things, the document pegs the state's 2018 population at 760,077, an increase of about 5,000 people over the previous year. The document lists North Dakota's per capita personal income at $54,306, ranking it 18th among the states. The income figure has declined about 3.2% since the height of the oil boom in 2014.
The booklet lists the value of the state's 2018 gross product at $57.6 billion, up about six percent over the previous year, but still below 2014, a year in which oil prices topped $100/barrel. The state's total employment was 392,650 in 2018, a figure that has trended slightly downward the past five years.
The price of the average home sold in Bismarck was about $270,000, just over $250,000 in Fargo and Williston, around $225,000 in Dickinson and about $220,000 in Minot.
The number of North Dakota families receiving public assistance (Temporary Assistance to Needy Families) is estimated to have fallen below 1,000 this year, down significantly from the nearly 1,400 families in 2013. The state's inmate population was just under 7,100 last year, about 5,300 males and 1,800 females. The figure has dropped slightly the past couple years, but is still nearly 1,000 inmates higher than the number incarcerated in 2014.
Click
here to view or download the 36-page booklet.
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LoadPass Advisory Panel to Meet Oct. 8
Session on Permit System Part of BOPSS Show
WDEA's LoadPass Permits advisory committee will hold its semi-annual meeting October 8 at the Bismarck Event Center. LoadPass will also be prominently featured at the Bakken Oil Product and Service Show to be held October 2-3 in Williston.
The advisory committee meeting is scheduled for 2:15 on October 8 at the conclusion of the annual conference of the ND Association of Counties in Bismarck. The agenda includes several administrative topics including:
- LoadPass Outage Policy – discuss a procedure if system outages last longer than an hour
- Notification Message Policy – discuss potential policy limiting notifications sent by each county
- GIS System and Road Network Discussion
- LoadPass statewide expansion update
- Wise Roads weather station project update
- Member App and Law Enforcement App development plan
LoadPass staff will also have a booth at the Bakken Oil Product and Service Show next month. The
agenda for the event includes a two-hour session on the LoadPass Permits. System administrators will present basic usage, advanced features and useful tips and tricks to help industry truckers become more efficient in requesting and managing permits and other account details. Click
here for more info.
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Scholarship Application Deadline Oct. 18
The deadline to apply for one of five energy scholarships being offered by WDEA is fast approaching. Applications must be received via email or postmarked by October 18.
The association is offering five $1,000 scholarships to students interested in pursuing a career in the energy sector. The opportunity is aimed at students who are enrolled in, or plan to enroll in energy-related training at either a college or technical school. The application process is easy. Students are asked to complete a one-page form, write up to a 300-word essay describing their interest in energy development, and include a recent transcript. Additional supporting documents such as letters of recommendation may also be included.
Click
here to see the selection criteria. Click
here to view or download the scholarship application.
Scholarship winners will be announced at WDEA's annual meeting, October 30-31 in Minot..
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Registration Open for WDEA Annual Meeting
Sponsorship/Exhibitor Opportunities Available
Registration is now open for the annual meeting of the Western Dakota Energy Association to be held October 30-31 at the Grand Hotel in Minot. The earlybird registration fee for the two-day event is just $95.00, but will increase to $120 after Oct. 18.
Sponsorships and exhibit space are available to companies or organizations interested in supporting the communities in the energy-producing region of western North Dakota. Click
here for the sponsor/exhibitor form. All revenue from sponsor fees goes toward the WDEA Scholarship Program for students aspiring to a career in the energy sector.
The meeting kicks off at 1:00 p.m. on October 30 with an update on enhancements and expansion of WDEA's
LoadPass Permits system, to be followed by an update on the association's
Wise Roads weather station project. The presentations will be followed by a panel discussion about truck permitting issues between industry representatives and county highway managers. The balance of Day One will be devoted to issues associated with North Dakota's growing natural gas production. The day will be capped off by an evening social at 5:30 featuring remarks from Cal Klewin regarding the Theodore Roosevelt Expressway Association and efforts to improve Highway 85.
Day Two opens with a perspective on ethics issues from Minot Senator David Hogue, to be followed by a presentation on workforce issues by Paula Hickel and Susan Ogurek from Job Service of ND, an update on the Western Area Water Supply Authority from Curtis Wilson, and the Upper Great Plains Transportation Institute's update of its county roads needs study. The morning agenda also features a presentation from Tim Nesheim with the North Dakota Geologic Survey about the potential for oil production in different benches in western North Dakota, a panel discussion about the education funding needs of western communities and an interim legislative report from Senator Rich Wardner.
Lt. Governor Brent Sanford will deliver a keynote address during the noon luncheon. The afternoon agenda includes details on lignite research and marketing efforts, and will conclude with a traditional county-by-county production report from Lynn Helms, director of the Department of Mineral Resources. The association's annual business meeting and election of officers will wrap up the event.
Click
here for the agenda and registration details. A block of rooms has been reserved at the Grand Hotel. To receive the discounted rate, guests should mention WDEA Annual Meeting when registering. Contact the hotel at: 701-852-3161 or (800) 735-4493.
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Quick Connect
- Ten states join opposition to Washington state’s oil standards -- Land Line
- Montana DEQ holds radioactive oil waste hearing, concerns raised by public -- KULR-TV
- Spills would be TENORM company's responsibility, state officials say -- Williston Herald
- Extent of North Dakota Ethics Commission's authority already questioned -- Bismarck Tribune
- City investing $1 million in new pipeline to sell water to Davis Refinery -- Dickinson Press
- District 8 board members willing to work with District 1 on overcrowding -- Williston Herald
- Williston discussions focus on what will happen to District 8 high school students -- KFYR-TV
- Continental Resources seeking teachers for Funding the Future grants -- Williston Herald
- Williston Basin International Airport receives $6 million in federal grants -- Williston Herald
- NDDOHS re-implements fingerprint background check for child-care providers -- KXMB-TV
- Klug calls health care in Williston "unacceptable," vows to make changes -- Williston Herald
- Ask the Weather Guys: Do turbines on wind farms modify climate? -- Bismarck Tribune
- Casper, Wyoming regional landfill begins burying wind turbine blades -- Wyoming News Now
- Wet weather has cut off a significant portion of wheat from ND's harvest -- Williston Herald
- Global oil markets remain shaky, one supply disruption away from crisis -- Oilprice.com
- Elizabeth Warren’s fracking ban would be bad news for the US, IEA chief says -- CNBC
- Energy Outlook 2019 projects 50% increase in world energy use by 2050, led by Asia -- EIA
- New poll finds climate change not a top priority; economy and security top list -- Inside Sources
- China is erasing the Paris Climate Accord providing support to Trump's withdrawal -- IER
- Green Giants: Axios finds skyrocketing donations to enviro groups -- Energy In Depth
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Factoid of the Week
The oldest natural gas production in North Dakota was from a Dakota Sandstone water-well near Edgeley in 1892. During the early 1900s shallow gas was discovered in Bottineau County in sufficient quantity to supply Mohall, Westhope, Lansford and some small towns and farmsteads. The oldest commercial production was established in 1929 when the Cedar Creek gas field was extended into Bowman County from Montana.
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October 1
Bismarck, ND
October 2
Bismarck
October 2
Williston
October 2-3
Williston
October 3
Bismarck
October 3
Bismarck
October 6-8
Bismarck
October 8
Bismarck Event Center
October 9
Bismarck
October 15-17
Williston
October 16-18
Bismarck
October 21-23
Dickinson
October 23
Bismarck, ND
October 24-25
Bismarck
October 30-31
Minot
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Oil prices and rig count
September 27, 2019
WTI Crude: $55.91
Brent Crude: $61.91
Natural Gas: $2.40
North Dakota Active Rigs: 57 (down 1)
9/27/2018
-- 65 rigs
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Geoff Simon
Editor/Executive Director
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