A natural gas pipeline owner has been fined $10,000 for failing to file the necessary permit applications with the North Dakota Public Service Commission.
Caliber North Dakota LLC built the short 2.6 mile, eight inch diameter pipeline in McKenzie County without a siting or route permit.
Commissioner Julie Fedorchak said this matter came to light when the company asked the PSC for a temporary change in the pipeline’s operation.
"In the process, they realized they hadn't been permitted to begin with, " Fedorchak said. "So they came to us and said, 'Oops — we didn't permit this."
Fedorchak said the company asked to keep operating the pipeline, and get a temporary approval to do that, and then go through the permitting process.
PSC staff came to a "consent agreement," under which the fine was levied. In December, an earlier consent agreement — which levied a $5000 fine — was rejected by the Commission.