A North Dakota company, Targa Badlands LLC, has been sentenced for violating the Clean Air Act. U.S. District Judge Daniel M. Traynor issued the sentence following a plea agreement announced by United States Attorney Nicholas W. Chase.
The sentence includes three years of probation, 500 hours of community service to the Mandan, Hidatsa, and Arikara Nation, a $500,000 fine, and $400 in special assessments. Targa Badlands LLC pleaded guilty to the violation on February 18, 2025.
According to court documents and the plea agreement, Targa Badlands LLC operates six natural gas compressor stations on the Fort Berthold Indian Reservation. Between 2018 and 2022, at its Johnson Compressor Station in Dunn County, North Dakota, the company failed to install continuous parameter monitoring systems on two engines as required by National Emission Standards for Hazardous Air Pollutants (NESHAP). These systems are used to monitor temperature and pressure data during engine operations to ensure that emission controls are working properly and hazardous pollutants are not released into the environment.
Previously, in 2019 and 2021, Targa Badlands LLC had agreed to pay civil penalties for separate NESHAP violations related to other compressor stations it operates on the Fort Berthold Indian Reservation.
The plea agreement also notes that Targa Badlands LLC identified and reported its failure regarding the monitoring systems at the Johnson Compressor Station. The company corrected this issue and has since adopted new policies and procedures aimed at improving environmental permit compliance.
“Today’s sentence underscores the importance of enforcing our environmental laws, which protect the land, water, and communities,” said US Attorney Chase. “At the same time, we recognize that Targa Badlands LLC took responsibility for its actions and self-reported the violation. Natural gas production is vital to our state’s economy, and it must be done responsibly. This case demonstrates that we can support strong energy production while holding companies accountable when they fall short of their legal obligations.”
The investigation was conducted by the United States Environmental Protection Agency – Criminal Investigation Division. Assistant United States Attorney Jonathan J. O’Konek prosecuted the case.
