FARGO (KFGO-AM) - North Dakota's attorney general is coming to the state's defense against Minnesota's attempt to shut down construction of the Oxbow-Hickson-Bakke flood control project.
The state of Minnesota wants a federal judge to halt construction until it completes an environmental impact study.
Attorney General Wayne Stenhejem says there is no legal basis for Minnesota's ability to extend its laws beyond its borders. In court documents, Stenehjem said Minnesota “does not and cannot regulate conduct in North Dakota.” He also said "the record is devoid of any support for the proposition that the construction of the levee will have any impact whatsoever in Minnesota."
A hearing was recently held in federal court in Minneapolis regarding whether the project should be halted.
Stenehjem says "Minnesota can question the wisdom of North Dakota's policies”, but he says "it is not free to interfere with them."