June 14, 2018 - 1:07 PM
BISMARCK, N.D. - The Dakota Resource Council is suing the developer of a proposed oil refinery near Theodore Roosevelt National Park.
The environmental group is challenging the zoning permit Meridian Energy Group received from Billings County for the Davis Refinery, saying in part the one-year term of the permit has expired.
Meridian declined comment. Billings County zoning director Stacey Swanson tells The Bismarck Tribune the county's position is the one-year time frame starts with the state's approval of construction. That happened this week.
The state says a 1 1/2-year review determined the refinery won't negatively impact the park. Several national and regional conservation groups doubt that and are opposing the project.
The refinery still needs state water and wastewater permits, and will need to prove once it's built that it meets air quality standards.
News from © The Associated Press, 2018