BISMARCK, N.D. - The federal government has halted the drilling of oil wells near a North Dakota resort boat ramp at the request of the Three Affiliated Tribes.
The well site is separated from the Van Hook Resort boat ramp by a barrier wall. The site is located about 800 feet from Lake Sakakawea.
Tribal Chairman Mark Fox says the tribe appealed the federal permit of the drilling site because it violates tribal setback requirements from the lake. The drilling site falls within the boundaries of the Fort Berthold Indian Reservation.
The Interior Board of Land Appeals is an appellate review body of the U.S. Department of the Interior. It has delayed the project in response to the tribe's appeal last week.