One of the items the new state Department of Environmental Quality could be taking over is a program known as “Quad Oh,” or “Quad Zero.”
That’s the federal term for it.
DEQ director Dave Glatt said that program affects a number of industries, but primarily oil and gas. He says it deals specifically with air quality.
"We will be taking reports from industry, but we also will be going out in the field, and 'ground-truthing,'" Glatt said. "If they're saying they have no emissions, we'll have inspectors out there to see if that's the truth."
Glatt said he sees this more as a "compliance assistance" effort.
"The sooner we can get out in the field and work with industry, to address air emission issues, the quicker we get compliance, the better the air quality is," Glatt said.
Meanwhile, Gov. Doug Burgum will soon be naming a 15-person advisory committee for the new Department of Environmental Quality.
The plan is to combine the Air Pollution Advisory Board and the Water Pollution Advisory board.
Glatt said the board will include representatives of industry, agriculture and municipalities, as well as other state agencies. He said his department will "bounce ideas off" that board, such as new rules and new policies.
"We have found out that's a nice process," Glatt said. "We can vet issues before they go out to the general public."
Glatt said that advisory committee will be instrumental in DEQ going ahead with "common-sense" regulations.
