NORTH DAKOTA OIL

ND NORTHERN AREA
$37.00, UP $0.50

ND LIGHT SWEET
$37.00, UP $0.50

WEST TEXAS INTERMEDIATE

$47.49, UP $1.80

BRENT CRUDE
$48.90, UP $2.04

Tetons split
in weekend
tournament

ND ACTIVE
RIG COUNT: 36

There will be no Thursday edition of the

Williston Herald in recognition of the holiday

Have a happy Thanksgiving!

Sports, B1

WEDNESDAY
November 23, 2016
75 cents

Williams Countys Newspaper of Record

117th Year Number 169 Williston, ND

www.willistonherald.com

Blacktail spill haunts Summit Midstreams latest project

Public Service Commissioners have tough questions on Dakota Access connection, but union gives them an unexpected boost
BY RENE JEAN
[email protected]

The last time the company responsible for

the states largest saltwater spill had a project
before the Public Service Commission, they
faced substantial criticism from the Laborers International Union of North America.
This time however, as Summit Midstream
Partners subsidiary Epping Transmission
Company sought to build a 3.2-mile oil pipeline that will connect with the Dakota Access
terminal in Epping, they drew praise from
that same entity.
Evan Whiteford, testifying at the Public

Service Commission hearing for the project

Tuesday in Williston, said he believes the
company has learned from their mistakes
and deserves another chance.
We have had some history with them,
Whiteford said. Theyve had their ups and
downs and leaps and falls. Everyone knows
about the big saltwater leak in the Little
Muddy system.
That spill leaked an estimated 75,000 barrels of saltwater into the Little Muddy and
nearly made it into the Missouri River. Federal agencies tested the water and found that
it had been stopped just in time. The pipeline,
it was later discovered, had leaked for sever-

al weeks and perhaps months before being

discovered.
A subsequent leak a year later in the same
vicinity was discovered much more quickly,
thanks to new monitoring systems the company put in place. Zak Covar, vice president
of health, safety and regulatory affairs for the
family of companies, said the rapidity of response demonstrated that the companys new
policies are working. The spill in that case
was minimal, Covar testified.
Kevin Pranis with the Laborers Union,
said in an interview after the hearing that
the adoption of a responsible contractor
policy by Summit Midstream Partners was

a key factor in the unions decision to testify

in favor of the Epping Transmission project.
Pranis believes the companys policy would
be a good roadmap for many other companies
in the Bakken.
A lot of it is frankly ground-breaking in
terms of laying out the specifics of what a
contractor is required to do, he said. It
sets some clear, specific standards and expectations for contractors and really spells
everything out. You are not left to wonder
what will be in the contract between pipeline
company and contractor.
Specifics on safety training, the type of

What Williston is thankful for

Im thankful for a
great country, good
health and grandkids.

I am thankful to work for an organization that has a genuine interest in my self-growth and holds me
to high expectations.

I am thankful for my lovely wife

and family. The blessing of good
health along with my family's good
health. I am also thankful for the
supportive community of Williston.

Scott Busching
Williams County sheriff

Louise Skaare
Williston Downtowners executive director

Shane Wahlstrom
Williston High School cross country coach

"The holidays always remind me to

be thankful for the two institutions
that bring us together: family and
community. I'm grateful for the support my family lends me and for the
opportunity to belong to this great
community!"

As mayor, I am thankful for the patience the residents of our city have
shown as they deal with what was
thrown at them. Thankful for those
who share their opinions and talents
as we plan for the future. I would also
like to thank those who show that service is not lost in Williston, everyday
I witness an act that makes our town
a better place.

David Tuan
Williston city administrator

Howard Klug
Williston mayor

I am truly thankful for where I come from.

I come from a place that educated me not only
in school, but also in effort. I come from a place
that offered me pride in what I do, and where I
am from. I come from a place that I met my wife,
where I got married, and where we had our children (Pretty Big One!) I come from a place that
will offer my children the same as it offered me. I
am thankful for Williston, and the people in it.

I give thanks for my wife, family

and ALL the MonDak Thunder players and fans for a great 2016 football
season.

Troy Walters
Mon-Dak Thunder head football coach
and Grenora Public Schools superintendent,
principal and athletic director

Im thankful for friends

that make me laugh.

Melody Mileur
Communications officer
for Williams County

SEE SPILL, PAGE A9

Mat Ekblad
Williston High School girls hockey coach

Im thankful for the good health

of my immediate family, and I
thank God everyday that our officers complete their shifts without
being injured.

I am thankful to be working at
the Williston Herald because of its
long history of reporting and publishing the news of Williston and
the surrounding area. Newspapers
play a vital role in the communities
they serve and I am proud to be the
publisher of the Williston Herald.

James Lokken
Williston police chief

Ken Harty
Williston Herald publisher

Sonya Burt and

Adam Larvick
Summer Gardner and
Garrett McKenzie

Deaths (A2)

Leslee J. Bublitz
Florence Stone

38
27

Holiday Lights Parade shines on for 22nd year

30 floats set to
light up Williston
BY JAMIE KELLY
[email protected]

Thirty businesses and organizations

have signed up to participate in this years
Holiday Lights Parade, the most in at least
three years, according to the Williston Area Chamber of Commerce.
Bekka Bishop, events and marketing
manager for the Chamber, said she expects
a crowd of at least 200 to gather starting
at 6 p.m. Friday to watch the parade make
its way down Main Street toward Harmon
Park.
Lots of people come out for it, she said.
Everybody loves it.
The event has spawned related activities,

as well. At 7:15, when the parade reaches

Harmon Park, staff from the citys Parks
and Rec Department will turn on the lights
in the park. And the nearby James Memorial Art Center is hosting its 16th annual
Warm-Up after Light-Up. Santa will be in
the parade and appearing at the James
event.
The parade is the reason for it all,
through, and this is its 22nd year. Bishop
recommends arriving early. The crowd is
usually biggest along the northern stretch
of Main Street, she said, because many people move from the parade to the lighting at
Harmon.
This years theme is Animation, and
she said that there will likely be floats that
pay tribute to Pixar films such as Cars
and Monsters, Inc., along with others.
Most people end up creating floats that
match the parades theme, she said, but
that isnt mandatory.

What: 22nd Annual Holiday Lights

Parade
When: Friday, starting at 6 p.m.
Where: The parade starts at the
Chamber of Commerce and moves
north along Main Street, ending at
Harmon Park
Cost: Free, but arrive early to secure a
good viewing spot

SEE PARADE, PAGE A9

We are thankful for our wonderful customers and our great community!

Happy Thanksgiving from all of us at ASB&T!

Both offices closed Thursday, Nov. 24
Got to www.asbt.com for 24-Hour ATM Locations

If youre going

Banking, the American State Way.

www.asbt.com |

Member

FDIC

Main 774.4100
North 774.4102

XNLV301915

Births (A2)


News

WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 23, 2016

WILLISTON HERALD

A9

A9

PARADE: Its a great way to show SPILL: Companies plans depend on

theyre involved in the community completion of Dakota Access pipeline
FROM PAGE A1

bility literally in this case that having a float offers.

Newer or less well-known businesses
participate, as do ones that have been in
the area for years.
Its a great way to show theyre involved in the community, she said.

Some do their own thing, Bishop

said.
No matter the theme of the float, one
reason the parade is so popular with
businesses and organizations is the visi-

Businesses and organizations participating in the parade include

(in alphabetical order):
American State Bank & Trust
Arbonne - Michelle Fisketjon
Bethel Lutheran Nursing & Rehabilitation Center
Black Magic Harley-Davidson
Border Plains Equipment
Chamley Pipe & Salvage
Chelsey Belgarde Agency
Dark Acres LLC
Eaton Towing
Entertainment Inc!
Handy Andy Nursery
Masons - Eastern Star & Shrine
Meg-A-Latte Coffee House
Montana Dakota Utility
Mountrail-Williams Electric Cooperative

M-T Saddle Club

ND Flag Pole Guy
Our Redeemer's Lutheran Church
Prairie Rattlers MC
Red Rock Ford
Ryan Motors of Williston
Save the Children Head Start Williston
SBA Cafe
SRD Excavation
Studio 89
Truck Wash Express
Williston Fire & Safety
Williston Home & Lumber
Williston Lions Club
Williston Trinity Christian School

Dakota Access Pipeline

Police: Protesters injuries came

from improvised explosive
Standing Rock Tribe disputes claim, says caused by concussion grenade

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vironmental inspector on
site?
Company officials testified
in the affirmative on these
points.
There were also questions
about the projects timeline,
given that it is to tie into
Dakota Access. The line includes two .1-mile 8-inch
pipelines in addition to the
3.2-mile 12-inch line, as well
as some above ground
meters.
Mike Smith testified that
the company isnt sure when
they will start construction
on the lines. It is dependent
on completion of Dakota
Access, which is presently
stuck in the federal permitting process for a 1,000-foot
section that crosses under
Lake Oahe.
Fedorchak wanted to know
what was driving them to
winter construction given
the situation with Dakota
Access.
There is no end date in
the foreseeable future where
there will be oil running in
that pipeline, she pointed
out.
We want our customers to
be connected once its up and
running, Smith said. Once
the pipeline is approved they
will start calling for oil to fill
the tanks, so they want us
to be connected as soon as
DAPL is ready to go.
Smith said many customers want access to the pipeline so they can get the best
price for their product.
They see it as a key outlet
for Bakken crude, he said,
so they can realize the highest crude price available to
them in North Dakota.
Epping Transmission is
the sixth company to propose a connection to Dakota
Access, for a total of seven
connections in all. The other
companies have already
started construction on
connection lines, or have permits in process of being approved for seven connections
in all. Tesoro has the two connections, one of which was
less than a mile so was not
permitted through the Public
Service Commission.

XNLV300193

A Sneak Peek
of Our

said. This incident remains

under investigation by the
North Dakota BCI and ATF.
Additional details will be
released as the investigation
progresses.
Morton County authorities
released additional details
about their use of water
hoses. They said they heard
radio announcements from
the camp ordering all females to leave, as individuals
with guns were coming. Live
streaming was also to cease.
That suggested protesters
were going to try something
they didnt want recorded,
perhaps charging the line to
flank officers in the field.
Tear gas had been ineffective at crowd dispersal due to
wind, so field commanders
decided to try water, authorities said.
They also said protesters
were warned repeatedly that
water would be used, but
refused to leave, instead saying things like, Hit me! Hit
me, We are willing to die
for this, and We get paid
for this.

equipment that must be in

service and the transparency
expected on reporting incidences are among items the
policy spells out.
These things seem obvious, Pranis said, but youd
be amazed how many times
we witness or interview
workers and the realities are
opposite of what they should
be.
Pranis said a policy like
this helps weed out bad contractors and makes future
spills a lot less likely.
Spills were a point commissioners highlighted during
the proceedings. Public
Service Commissioner Julie
Fedorchak told the company
they would need to file a
10-year spill history for all
their pipelines nationwide,
not just the ones in North
Dakota.
Other homework for the
company included detailing
the proximity of co-located
lines and providing more
detail on why they require
winter construction, as
well as how they will assure
reclamation is successful.
This must include detailed
information on construction
plans, as well as the training
and experience of the workers involved.
The company is to provide the last Pipeline and
Hazardous Materials Safety
Administration audit to the
Public Service Commission,
as well as additional details
on its 24-7 monitoring with
its electronic Supervisory
Control and Data Acquisition
systems, and more information on how topsoil will be
sourced if it is needed.
Fedorchak also suggested
the company should show
areas where it is going above
and beyond requirements,
such as X-raying all welds
instead of only 10 percent of
them.
Are there ways that you
can show your companys
commitment to go above and
beyond to mitigate potential
leaks or avoid them in the
future? she asked. That

would be helpful to know for

the record.
Fedorchak and Commissioner Randy Christmann
both stressed throughout
the hearing that winter construction is not preferred and
repeatedly questioned its necessity, as well as the timing
of the companys application
for a permit.
Winter construction is
one of the first things on
the list to avoid because of
challenges for topsoil separation, Fedorchak said.
Especially in North Dakota,
topsoil is precious, and really
thin in some places.
The company indicated at
one point it would bring in
topsoil if necessary, but that,
too, poses concerns, Christmann pointed out. The sourcing of the topsoil would need
to be part of the companys
documentation with the Public Service Commission.
Christmann was concerned about noxious weed
control for the project, since
an area near the railroad
crossing has some Canadian
thistle. He was particularly
concerned in light of winter
construction, which might
make it less apparent where
extra precaution is needed.
Commissioners also had
questions about the wetlands
the line will cross. These
dont fall under Waters of the
U.S. since they are temporary and have no particular
connection to underground
hydrology. Whiteford, however, later testified that he
believes it better to bore
under wetlands in general,
instead of making a cut
across. Commissioners suggested theyd like to see more
documentation about the
companys plans for the wetlands and why cutting across
would be preferred.
The proposed pipeline was
moved to avoid two cultural resource areas that are
intact, but goes through a
historic dump that has been
previously disturbed.
Will someone be responsible for flagging those two
areas off? Fedorchak asked.
And will there be an en-

Bring In This Ad & Get

XNLV299133

Standing Rock Sioux tribal

members claim that a womans arm was nearly blown
off by a concussion grenade.
However, Morton County
authorities are disputing the
account, and claim it is more
likely due to improvised explosives set by protesters at
the Highway 1806 Backwater
Bridge at about 3 a.m. Monday morning.
A media release from
Standing Rock says they are
praying for Sophia Wilansky and her family after she
sustained injuries to her
arm. Doctors are working
to save her arm, Standing
Rock Sioux Tribes Chairman Dave Archambault II
said. An estimated 300 water protectors were treated
for injuries from Sundays
nighttime attacks. These injuries were the direct result
of excessive force by police
over the course of 10 hours.
At least 26 seriously injured
people were evacuated by
ambulance to three area hospitals, our medical teams on
the ground verified.
Morton County authorities, however, disputed Archambaults claims, saying
60 protesters were reported
near the Backwater bridge at
3 a.m. Monday, and this time
some of them set off improvised explosive devices.
Two males and a female
were seen using a barricade
behind a burned vehicle to
hide their activity, Morton
County authorities said.
They didnt respond to orders to come out, even after

officers tried using bean bags

and sponge rounds. Meanwhile, other individuals
approached the area, rolling
metallic cylinders into the
barricade. There was an explosion, after which several
individuals ran to the area,
pulling a female from under
the burned vehicle and fleeing.
The North Dakota Bureau
of Criminal Investigation,
with support from the Federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms, recovered
three propane canisters from
the site, as well as glass jars
consistent with Molotov
cocktails and heavy rocks.
We are aware of the information about the woman
on social media who has
claimed she sustained injuries to her arm due to law
enforcement tactics. The
injuries sustained are inconsistent with any resources
utilized by law enforcement
and are not a direct result of
any tools or weapons used
by law enforcement, Highway Patrol Lt. Tom Iverson

XNLV297822

BY RENE JEAN
[email protected]

FROM PAGE A1