Bismarck, North Dakota – According to the Salted Lands Council, abandoned oil wells are damaging the soil in North Dakota.
According to the council, an abandoned oil well should be plugged.
The council claims that the oil well may release salt effluent that contaminates the area surrounding it if it is not plugged. According to Fintan Dooley of the Salted Lands Council, it is the responsibility of North Dakotans to repair the devastated lands. According to Dooley, the Legacy Fund is one method of financing this.
“The wells that have been left behind by companies who have left us because of bankruptcy the cost of restoring those is $2.5 billion. All we get from the state of North Dakota is about 100 million. There’s a big difference between the B’s and the M’s,” said Dooley.
The Lazarus Project steps in at this point. A constitutional amendment is being worked on to allocate 2.5% of the Legacy Fund towards the repair of polluted lands.
On Thursday night, the North Dakota Heritage Center hosted the official unveiling of that project by the Salted Lands Council. Author Harold Hamm, who has a new book out called “Game Changer” and examines the oil sector in North Dakota, also spoke with attendees.
