BISMARCK, N.D. (Aug. 2, 2017) – Gov. Doug Burgum today announced he will host U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Scott Pruitt next week at meetings in Fargo and Grand Forks during Pruitt’s first trip to North Dakota as a Cabinet-rank official in the Trump administration.
“We’re thrilled to welcome Administrator Pruitt to North Dakota and grateful for his actions to roll back overreaching federal regulations such as the Waters of the U.S. (WOTUS) rule,” Burgum said. “Administrator Pruitt understands that the solutions to our challenges will be found in more innovation, not regulation, and we’re excited for the opportunity to host him and highlight North Dakota issues and priorities.”
Pruitt will participate in a WOTUS roundtable discussion with state and local officials on Wednesday, Aug. 9, in Fargo. A separate roundtable discussion on energy will be held later that day in Grand Forks after Pruitt tours the Energy and Environmental Research Center at the University of North Dakota.
Since his confirmation as EPA administrator in February, Pruitt, a former attorney general and state senator from Oklahoma, has pledged to work with governors and their states to help them protect their water and air and grow their economies.
In May, with Pruitt’s approval, North Dakota became the first state in the nation to apply for and receive primary regulatory authority over carbon dioxide capture and storage, paving the way for pilot projects that could have major impacts on the state’s energy industry.