White Earth Waste Facility Plant - KXNet - Bismarck/Minot/Williston/Dickinson

White Earth Waste Facility Plant

It was a long, two year battle to keep an oil waste facility from being placed in White Earth.

But in the end, it was all worth it for the people who opposed the project.

Gary Brode has more on how the small community was able to take on such a giant task.

It's been nearly two years of opposition from the people of White Earth but finally the battle to keep their tiny town has come to an end. With David once again defeating Goliath. CCS Midstream Services, now named Tervita, announced plans for an oil waste treatment facility to be placed at the edge of the scenic town. The plan did not sit well with members of the community.

(Rose Person, Landowner) "When I did some research, I wasn't satisfied with what I found out, I'm not saying the company isn't competent. It's just we're very protective of our valley and where it was going to be, one wrong move could have contaminated a lot of people's property."

Issues such as location, stability of soil in the area, and traffic caused uncertainty with the townspeople.

(Scott Davis, Rancher) "Not knowing what chemicals are going in the wells and stuff like that. Then these chemicals are going to put right across the road from you. It just kind of raises a little bit of a hazard to us."

As a rancher, Davis was unsure whether or not his beef would be safe to eat. Would the scenery of White Earth remain in tack seemed to be another sentiment in the minds of the townspeople. Vice President of Mondak Energy Alliance, Ward Koesser, believes energy companies must find a way to keep North Dakota's beauty in tact

(Ward Koeser, Vice President, Mondak Energy Alliance) "There's always this nervousness of what's going to happen there. I think it's important as we develop energy in a reasonable prudent manner that we take care of the natural resources out there.

(Gary Brode, KX News) "Nearly the entire population of White Earth showed up to voice concern. Now while their voices may have been heard, but both Person and Davis worry that a situation like this will come back sooner or later."

(Scott Davis, Rancher) "I don't trust any of this. I think that they're going to let us get comfortable and everything. I don't think it's gone away completely."

(Rose Person, Landowner) "One of their representatives when Tervita decided not to do this... came and talked to me and said that they will be looking down the road. Most likely for another site and they are hoping to interact with the community."

Tervita declined comment but sent this newspaper article as its official statement. For now, the people of White Earth will go back to their daily lives knowing they had a big win for their small town.

In White Earth, Gary Brode, KX News.

Person says she would be willing to help other communities in similar situations.