Reactions to Senate Bill 2065 Becoming Law

Senate Bill 2065, a proposal to create a legal framework for permitting underground storage of natural gas, was recently approved by the North Dakota legislature and signed into law by Governor Doug Burgum last week. 

However, prior to its approval, the path to this bill becoming law included weeks of subcommittee hearings and differences of opinion between landowners and industry officials, particularly surrounding the issue of nonconsenting property owners’ rights in the process of appealing their set compensation. These disagreements during subcommittee hearings followed a recent court decision that ruled a 2019 law unconstitutional for denying property owners compensation for use of their pore space. Northwest Landowners (represented by Derrick Braaten) won that court decision over the state and oil company Continental Resources and remain concerned about how property rights are impacted by Senate Bill 2065, now state law.  

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