North Dakota Attorney General Wayne Stenehjem said he welcomes the appointment of Scott Pruitt to head the federal Environmental Protection Agency.
Pruitt is the current Oklahoma Attorney General.
Stenehjem said he’s worked closely with Pruitt to fight what Stenehjem termed the "massive government overreach” of some of EPA’s policies.
"Scott has been a leader in bringing that kind of litigation," Stenehjem said. "He believes that, under our system of federalism, the executive branch should only faithfully execute the laws passed by Congress."
Stenehjem said North Dakota and other states have been fighting EPA on a number of fronts, including the Clean Power Plan and fracking regulations.
"We will find working with Scott at EPA is a breath of fresh air for us," Stenehjem said.
Pruitt’s opponents label him as a “climate change denier.” He must still be confirmed by the US Senate.