BISMARCK, ND – North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum and Attorney General Drew Wrigley on Sep 13th, applauded a U.S. District Court judge’s decision to temporarily block the U.S. Bureau of Land Management from enforcing a natural gas venting and flaring rule published in April 2024.

The preliminary injunction granted by U.S. District Court Judge Daniel Traynor blocks the BLM from enforcing the rule in North Dakota, Montana, Texas, Wyoming and Utah pending the outcome of the case. North Dakota is the lead plaintiff in the lawsuit. 

Traynor wrote in his ruling that the plaintiffs “have shown they are likely to succeed on the merits of their claim the 2024 Rule is arbitrary and capricious.”

“This rule is yet another example of the Biden-Harris administration overstepping the limits on agency authority set by Congress to achieve their misguided goal of phasing out traditional energy production,” Burgum said. “The BLM rule imposes harmful and unnecessary regulations that undermine states’ authority to be the primary regulator of air quality within their borders under the Clean Air Act. The court’s decision is a temporary victory for consumers, U.S. energy independence and national security.” 

“The Biden-Harris administration continuously attempts to overregulate and ultimately debilitate North Dakota’s energy production capabilities,” Wrigley said. “And while Judge Traynor’s well-reasoned decision pauses one such attempt by the Biden-Harris anti-energy zealots, North Dakota is forced to fight similar legal battles against their unwise and illegal overreach on multiple fronts – battles to which we remain committed.”