Two North Dakota departments get first Federal bipartisan infrastructure law funds

(Bismarck, ND) -- Two North Dakota departments are getting the state's first set of funds from the Federal Bipartisan Infrastructure Law passed last fall.

The six-member Emergency Commission led by Governor Doug Burgum approved two-point-five million in increased spending authority for the Department of Mineral Resources. The funds will go toward plugging abandoned wells.

The panel also allocated one million dollars to the Department of Environmental Quality to hire four temporary, full-time equivalent employees. The employees will handle funding for future drinking water projects and deal with new federal requirements on lead and copper water lines.