North Dakota
Burgum: Lawmakers should budget for court battles over federal regulations
BISMARCK — Gov. Doug Burgum told a group of lawmakers Wednesday to spare no expense in fighting federal regulations that affect North Dakota’s energy industry.
President Joe Biden’s administration has tightened environmental policies in a number of areas — including an Environmental Protection Agency rule on mercury emissions that North Dakota officials say targets the state’s lignite industry.
The EPA says the rule change is necessary to mitigate serious health risks caused by air pollutants. Analysis by the EPA found the rule will have “relatively minor impacts” on the energy industry, according to a fact sheet on the federal agency’s website.
Yet in testimony before the Energy Development and Transmission Committee, Burgum called the rules and other federal regulations cumbersome, illogical and an “existential threat” to North Dakota’s energy and agriculture industries.
The governor said he fears this trend will only continue if Biden is reelected — and that the Legislature should be ready to finance a spate of new lawsuits against the federal government in hopes the courts will roll the regulations back.
“As bad as it is right now, I don’t want anybody to think it couldn’t get worse,” Burgum told the committee.
The energy industry is a major driver for state revenue, which is why the stakes are so high for North Dakota, Burgum said. Fending off the rules will mean giving the Attorney General’s Office more money to hire special assistant AGs, he continued.
“I don’t want the attorney general to be going, ‘Well, I’m not sure I’ve got it in my budget,’” Burgum said. “Man, that would be penny-wise, pound-foolish when the billions of dollars of revenue that all of you appropriated is at risk.”
The governor’s office is preparing two state budgets to propose to lawmakers ahead of next year’s legislative session: one for if former President Donald Trump wins the election, and a Biden budget that sets aside more money for legal fees.
Burgum said the Legislature set aside at least $15 million in the 2023-25 state budget for lawsuits challenging federal regulations. Of that, $6 million went to the Industrial Commission — $3 million for lignite lawsuits, and the other $3 million for oil and gas litigation, he said. Another $4 million went to the Attorney General’s Office, and $5 million was appropriated for agriculture.
Burgum was far from the only state official at the meeting with strong words for the federal government.
David Glatt, director of the Department of Environmental Quality Director, called regulatory action under Biden an “unprecedented trainwreck” for North Dakota.
Lynn Helms, director of the Department of Mineral Resources, also encouraged the state to seek relief in court.
“It will be an incredible challenge to undo the rules and regulations that have been promulgated,” Helms said.
Sen. Merrill Piepkorn, D-Fargo — who last week announced he was joining the race to succeed Burgum as governor — took a more reserved stance.
“I have to be better educated on the subject as to where we are right now, and what the anticipated work would be,” he said. “I don’t know if I would be preparing a huge budget to hire additional attorneys right off the bat.”
This story was originally published on NorthDakotaMonitor.com
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North Dakota
Fire burns at Pallet Green Recycling storage yard in rural Williston
WILLISTON, N.D. (KFYR) – UPDATE (5/10/2026 at 11:45 p.m.): A fire broke out at a Williston recycling business Sunday evening, and no one was injured.
Multiple crews responded to Pallet Green Recycling just before 8:30 p.m., according to the Williston Fire Department. Crews arrived at the scene where they fought heavy smoke and flames.
Industrial storage containers were on scene, and officials say it is unclear what, if any, chemical residue was inside them. Officials believe there is no danger to the public.
Williston Fire Chief Corey Johnson said the fire was contained to the business’s exterior storage yard, and crews were not concerned about it spreading beyond the property.
“Right now, the structures are protected in the area. We’re not concerned about the fire spreading off of the lot,” Johnson said.
Multiple departments from across Williams County responded, and extra water trucks were brought in due to the fire’s remote location.
The cause remains under investigation.
This is a developing story. Your News Leader will provide updates as more information becomes available.
ORIGINAL STORY (5/10/2026 at 9:39 p.m.): Crews responded to a large fire at a storage yard in rural Williston on Sunday night.
The fire is located at Pallet Green Recycling, according to the business owner.
Sylvia Luebke captured video of the scene from a distance around 8 p.m. The fire sent a large plume of smoke over the area. Luebke said it was still burning as of around 9 p.m.
Williston Rural Fire is working to battle the fire. The department was unable to comment at this time.
The cause of the fire is unknown.
Copyright 2026 KFYR. All rights reserved.
North Dakota
ND Guard officer in charge of DC special mission
Submitted Photo
U.S. soldiers with the Nebraska and North Dakota National Guards, assigned to Joint Task Force-District of Columbia in support of the DC Safe and Beautiful mission, pose for a group photo at a hotel in Alexandria, Virginia, April 28. N.D. National Guard 2nd Lt. Caleb Hill, front row, far left, served as the officer in charge of the mission when soldiers assigned to JTF-DC responded to the shooting incident at the White House Correspondents’ Association dinner April 25. About 2,500 National Guard members are supporting the DC Safe and Beautiful mission, providing critical assistance to the Metropolitan Police Department to help ensure the safety of residents, commuters and visitors throughout the District. U.S. Army National Guard photo by Staff Sgt. Thomas Norris.
WASHINGTON – U.S. soldiers with the North Dakota, Arkansas and Nebraska Army National Guard, assigned to Joint Task Force-District of Columbia in support of the DC Safe and Beautiful mission, responded to a shooting incident at the White House Correspondents’ Association dinner (WHCAD) at the Washington Hilton in Northwest Washington April 25.
The Guardsmen were at the WHCAD at the request of the U.S. Secret Service (USSS) as an additional patrol unit created specifically for the event, which celebrates the contribution of news organizations and independent journalists alike who provide notable coverage relating to the presidential administration.
“Our mission was to assist the U.S. Secret Service with crowd control,” said Capt. Kevin Peatrowsky, an operations officer with the Nebraska National Guard (NENG) assigned to JTF-DC.
As the Guardsmen were monitoring their area of operations, they saw USSS agents sprint toward the hotel entrance.
“They were running full speed with their weapons drawn,” said Sgt. 1st. Class Allen Haney, a team member with the Arkansas National Guard. “We immediately followed suit.”
Staff Sgt. Kirsten Confer, a NENG combat medic and battle captain, recalled her response to the incident: “We fell back on our basic training. You run toward danger and move in a way that makes sense for the situation.”
According to Confer, the Guardsmen entered the hotel and immediately began securing the scene and ensured that the guests evacuated safely. At the direction of a federal agent, Confer began a rapid trauma assessment on the suspect which resulted in finding knives and ammunition on the shooter. Simultaneously, the Arkansas soldiers moved outside to provide crowd control at a pedestrian barricade outside the hotel.
“From there, we assisted wherever we could,” said 2nd Lt. Caleb Hill, a National Guardsman from North Dakota who served as the officer in charge for the mission. “We were initially helping with crowd control. After that, we realized that the USSS had begun rerouting everyone in the hotel, so we moved to the doors. We were controlling entry into the venue, so we had moved a couple more people outside, so we had five inside, eight outside.” Both Arkansas and Nebraska worked well alongside one another and, alongside the federal agencies. Hill also noted that relying on his soldiers allowed him to move to different teams, which helped allow him to plan and coordinate with different agencies.
According to 1st Lt. Jonathan Goins, a platoon leader with the Arkansas National Guard, Arkansas soldiers also helped establish a security perimeter for the staging of the presidential motorcade. Later, the team assisted federal agencies and MPD with crowd control, which helped clear the way for the president and administration officials, he said.
“Guardsmen on this mission represent the very best of the nation,” said U.S. Army Brig. Gen. Leland Blanchard II, the interim commanding general of the District of Columbia National Guard. “The world got a brief glimpse, but I see them each day serving and doing amazing things across the District.”
North Dakota
Stampede stay alive with 2-1 OT win in Fargo
FARGO, N.D. (KELO) — The Sioux Falls Stampede staved off elimination with a 2-1 overtime win over the Fargo Force in game four of the USHL Western Conference Finals Saturday night.
Thomas Zocco scored the game-winner 12 minutes into the extra period. Arseni Marchenko put Fargo on the board first in the first period. Noah Mannausau tied the game for the Herd in the second period.
Sioux Falls outshot Fargo 53-49, including 9-5 in overtime. Linards Feldbergs made 48 saves.
Three of the four games of the series have gone to overtime. The winner-take-all game five is Tuesday at the Premier Center.
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