Improperly permitted man camps widespread in ND

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WILLISTON, N.D. (AP) — The chairman of the Williams County Commission says problems with oilfield man camps being set up without the proper permits are widespread in northwest North Dakota.

Dan Kalil tells The Williston Herald that enforcement is difficult because the county doesn't have a compliance officer.

Man camps are temporary housing communities set up for oil patch workers. A Watertown, S.D.-based company recently paid more than $461,000 in fines and fees for a Williams County man camp that did not have the proper permit. County Planning and Zoning Administrator Jill Edson says other violations also have been identified.

Kalil says the county is “only scratching the surface” of the problem. But he says the rules must be followed, or the county will be “run over.”

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