North Dakota Democrats Target Attorney General Wayne Stenehjem Ahead Of Flaring Ruling Decision

0
The oil and gas industry has managed to keep up with skyrocketing gas production in North Dakota's oil fields, keeping the volume of gas flared in check.
The oil and gas industry has managed to keep up with skyrocketing gas production in North Dakota’s oil fields, keeping the volume of gas flared in check.

Tomorrow the North Dakota Industrial Commission, the regulatory triumvirate made up of Governor Jack Dalrymple, Attorney General Wayne Stenehjem, and Agriculture Commissioner Doug Goehring – will consider a request for an extension on new flaring regulations from the oil and gas industry.

The industry, which helped develop the regulations, say falling oil prices and other obstacles are impeding their ability to capture more gas (though they’ve made remarkable progress on capturing gas to date). Environmental activists and, apparently, North Dakota Democrats don’t want to cut the industry any slack despite the aforementioned progress.

But there’s only one member of the NDIC Democrats care about in an fundraising email blast sent out this afternoon. The email, signed by party executive director Robert Haider, has this as the subject line: “TAKE ACTION: Tell Stenehjem to keep his promise”

Stenehjem, of course, is just one member of the NDIC, and Democrats aren’t urging their activists to contact any other members of the commission, making one wonder if the Democrats really care all that much about the flaring issue or if they’re just looking to manufacture a talking point against Stenehjem who has expressed interest in running for governor.

Clearly, Democrats think he’s running. Would they have sent out this email about the flaring decision if he wasn’t running?

My guess is no.

Anyway, here’s the full email. The links go to a landing page on the Democrat website complete with a button to make a monetary contribution to their party.