The Western Dakota Energy Association will host an informational meeting next month to give the public an opportunity to learn more about two pending applications for the disposal of TENORM waste in Williams County.

The meeting, which will have no formal program, is scheduled June 16 from 6:30 to 8:00 p.m. at The ARC in Williston. Two companies -- Secure Energy and WISCO -- have submitted applications to the county for a conditional use permit to operate a landfill to dispose of TENORM (Technologically-Enhanced Naturally Occurring Radioactive Material). The Williams County Planning and Zoning Commission will hold public hearings on the applications the following evening, June 17.

Both Secure and WISCO will have company representatives on hand at The ARC to explain their operational plans, as well as the safety and environmental measures they employ to protect the public. The Department of Environmental Quality will also be in attendance at the informational meeting to answer the public's questions about the solid waste permitting process, landfill construction and operation, and inspection and monitoring requirements. 

Representatives from the Department of Mineral Resources and the ND Petroleum Council will also attend to share information about future drilling and production expectations, and the volume of TENORM likely to be generated as a result of industry processing operations. The low-level radioactive material in TENORM is found in nature, but is concentrated by industrial processes to a level that requires special handling and disposal. Most of the TENORM now produced in North Dakota is shipped to a landfill in Montana, but regulatory changes there have increased the urgency of finding an in-state disposal solution.

WDEA, along with the Vision West ND Consortium, will also have representatives at the June 16 meeting to answer questions, including details of a study prepared for WDEA about TENORM disposal options (see article in July 24, 2020 newsletter).