Byron Dorgan

If the Federal Government could decide it is going to move toward an electric drive fleet it would have a profound impact.

If we're trying to promote economic recovery here, why would we not make the investment here?

But, agreement is good news, and that never leads the news.

I got a call from the Governor of California, Governor Schwarzenegger, one day, thanking me for my work on hydrogen.

I think consumers will beat a path to the door behind which they believe are advantages.

If you build a product and consumers don't buy it, you know, it's not going to succeed.

If the Government supports this new path, if it helps to build these concentrations of electrification that are so crucial to jumpstarting a new, national transportation system, then that is a game changer.

We've spent a boatload of money, a lot of money, and have been involved all of the years...

What I'm very interested in doing is making certain that water retention is considered up and down the Valley for farms and small towns beyond the three major population centers.

Upper basin storage be included as a key tool to help solve the growing crisis caused by the ongoing flooding at Devils Lake.

Thank you Senator Dorgan and your colleagues on the Senate Energy and Water Appropriations Subcommittee for the opportunity to provide my testimony.

More work needs to be done to retain water in the upper Devils Lake basin.

If Senator Dorgan is correct that the flooding at the Canadian border constitutes a violation of the Boundary Waters Treaty of 1909, then the violation is the result of North Dakota's failure to comply with the Treaty and with its own…

The issue of this hearing was the State's plan for this outlet. In my judgment the outlet will run.

I guess the question is why not? If the release of the outlet in Devils Lake moves water from the lake and increases sulfate levels and so on, whatever the consequences of that are, why would there not be at this point or moving forward…

I funded that and it is now going to be ready and available and it's going to give us very substantial capabilities here in the Valley and Devils Lake that we've never before had in terms of more storage.

I understand but, you know, as I said it was just about 15 months ago that I stuck $90 million in to increase that levee.

It was about the need to get water out, but also balancing that with water quality downstream.

Those in Devils Lake area feel that as much water as you can get out as quickly as possible is the way to go, and then we have the concerns downstream.

I can't speak for those people, but now they would maybe fatalistically accept that that was the right plan.

Please describe the context of raising levees and running an outlet and doing things to try to protect roads and keep the economy working.

Why is it important that you continue that?

We in Valley City are appreciative of the combined efforts of Senator Dorgan and State Officials in North Dakota.

Senator Dorgan assisted in securing two $400,000 appropriations for a total of $800,000.

It appears obvious to us that if adjustments to downstream water quality/quantity requirements are not made to allow increased flows from the lake, a natural overflow could result in extreme water quality and flooding impacts downstream in…