BOWMAN A Montana oil field operator who wants to move his oil waste composting operation over to a remote plateau in Bowman County cleared a few zoning hurdles Tuesday night.

Dale Leivestad, owner of Petrocomp is getting shut down in Fallon County, Mont., but Bowman County officials said oversight and inspections by the State Health Department should help ensure the company doesn't cause problems on this side of the state line.

About 25 people attended the evening meeting at the Bowman County Courthouse, some to air the same concerns they expressed when Leivestad explained his plans at a free supper in Marmarth a week ago. Some are still concerned about the possibility of oil chemicals running into the Little Missouri River through the Big and Little Gumbo drainages. Some also had questions about what types of chemicals are involved in the oil waste composting operation and any smells that might occur.

The land Leivestad would buy for the site, where he wants to mix waste oil products and contaminated soil with straw and manure for composting and burial, is about one mile away on the west side of the Little Missouri River. The manure and straw create a bacteria-rich environment, fed by oil hydrocarbons, gradually breaking down the oil.

The county commission and zoning board approved the needed zoning changes, but stipulated that another public hearing would be held when the State Health Department issues a draft permit. The State Health Department regulates these types solid waste disposal sites.

At that time, the site will be designed, and Leivestad can tell people exactly how high his containment berms will have to be, whether there's any underground water on the land and how much land he'll open up for burying the composted waste.

As operator, Leivestad will have to post bonds so there's money to close the operation if he fails.

He's being closed down near Baker, Mont., because his site is overused there, with too much oil being brought in for the compost, according to the Montana Department of Environmental Quality.

One zoning member, John Soriede, said he talked with a Fallon county commissioner and was told Leivestad would have been a good operator at his own site, but his contract to be an operator for the county at the county landfill was unworkable.

Bowman County Commissioner Ken Steiner said he wanted to know whether the county would be responsible if Leivestad fails or walks away. State Health Department spokesman Brad Torgerson said it's not happened to any of the three oil compost sites in northwestern North Dakota. He said those are inspected about three times a year and none have environmental violations.

Leivestad said oil sludge and waste he handles is less hazardous than regular household garbage.

He said he plans to run a sound operation in Bowman County.

"There's no future for us if we don't do it right," Leivestad said.

(Reach reporter Lauren Donovan at 888-303-5511 or lauren@;westriv.com.)