Letter to the editor: Oil-drilling pads wasting too much space

House Bill 1348 would increase setbacks from oil wells to people’s homes from 500 feet to one-fourth mile. I testified in support of the bill. At the hearing, the North Dakota Petroleum Council made the argument that if you get setbacks to 1,000 feet or more, it will cost the surface owner the most! The reality is this would be the most effective way to make the oil companies use the new technology and build multi-pads instead of single well pads.

By: By Frank Leppell, Keene, N.D., The Jamestown Sun