Black Hills Trucking, Inc. v. N.D. Industrial Commission

Black Hills Trucking, Inc. appealed a judgment affirming a North Dakota Industrial Commission order assessing a $950,000 civil penalty and costs and expenses against it for illegally dumping saltwater on roads in Williams County, North Dakota. Black Hills was a Wyoming corporation in the business of transporting crude oil, produced saltwater, petroleum products, oilfield equipment and other materials. In 2014, Black Hills owned and operated trucks in North Dakota for the purpose of transporting oilfield waste. The Commission received a report from a security officer for Continental Resources, Inc., that he had photos and video of a Black Hills truck dumping substantial amounts of fluids onto roads near a saltwater disposal well. Commission staff examined the affected roads and collected a soil sample. The Commission also collected logs from the well which indicated a Black Hills driver had transported saltwater to the well on February 8, 2014. Black Hills challenged the penalty, arguing the Commission lacked jurisdiction over a discharge of produced saltwater on a public road occurring away from an oil and gas well site, disposal site, treatment plant, or other facility. The North Dakota Supreme Court concluded the Commission regularly pursued its authority and its findings and conclusions were sustained by the law and by substantial and credible evidence, and affirmed. View "Black Hills Trucking, Inc. v. N.D. Industrial Commission" on Justia Law