Refinery’s final environmental impact statement a daunting read
Refinery’s final environmental impact statement a daunting read
Editor’s note: This is the final of a three-part series looking at the building of a refinery on the Fort Berthold Indian Reservation northwest of Makoti. The proposed refinery has been in the works for several years and became a step closer to reality on Sept. 9 when EPA tentatively announced the issuance of a permit for wastewater. Proponents say the refinery will create jobs and help the reservation economy and opponents are concerned about air and water quality issues.
By MARVIN BAKER
EDITOR
Nobody ever said the federal government wasn’t thorough.
A final environmental impact statement regarding a 13,000-barrel-per-day oil refinery on the Fort Berthold Indian Reservation, is a long and complicated document to sift through and understand. It has six appendices, lists the final environmental impact statement in two parts and includes a technical report with 19 entries including everything from environmental analysis to groundwater discussions.
The hard copy of the report is approximately 1,400 pages long and includes summaries, a list of acronyms and a history of oil refining. Environmental Protection Agency personnel who presented the colossal document at a public meeting in New Town Sept. 9, agree the FEIS is a huge report, but needed to be presented in such a way to inform the public of its positives and negatives.
