Submitted Photo This air monitor to measure and record materials emitted during flaring activities is in the Four Bears Segment of the Fort Berthold Reservation.

NEW TOWN – Flaring, a persistent challenge in the Bakken region, has garnered attention from various groups concerned about its potential environmental impact.

Recently, Dakota Resource Council and Fort Berthold Protectors of Water and Earth Rights (POWER) announced a significant step in their efforts by unveiling plans to install seven air monitors strategically positioned around the Fort Berthold Reservation.

Currently, eight monitors have been placed in seven locations on the reservation: Nueta Hidatsa Sahnish College in New Town, two locations in the Four Bears Segment, two in Mandaree, Twin Buttes and Parshall.

Designed to measure and record diverse materials emitted during flaring activities, including ozone and particulate matter, each device will play a crucial role in monitoring the environmental impact. The collected data will be accessible to the public via a dedicated dashboard and also will be submitted for thorough analysis to officials at Colorado State University.

Co-founder of Fort Berthold POWER, Rep. Lisa Finley-DeVille, D-New Town, at the unveiling of the plans spoke about the importance of deploying these monitors to the reservation. In 2016, Finley-DeVille personally experienced health issues commonly associated with residing near flaring wells.

“Our asthma rates are escalating, and we owe it to future generations to conduct these studies and equip them with the necessary tools to tackle these challenges head-on,” said Finley-DeVille.

During the 2023 North Dakota Legislature session, Finley-DeVille championed a bill advocating for a comprehensive study on the viability of implementing air quality monitors on Fort Berthold. The bill fell short in a 15-74 vote.

The air monitors were made possible through the efforts of the Dakota Resource Council, with funding secured from multiple grants. The public dashboard, which will provide real-time access to the recorded data, is expected to go live this month.