BISMARCK – Gov. Jack Dalrymple signed legislation Monday that will strengthen the state’s regulatory oversight of gathering pipelines.

House Bill 1358 provides $1.5 million for a study of pipeline technology and authorizes the North Dakota Industrial Commission to develop new rules regarding the construction and operation of gathering pipelines.

“This legislation builds on our ongoing work to enhance pipeline safety in North Dakota,” Dalrymple said in a statement. “With this bill’s passage, North Dakota will require significantly more from pipeline builders and operators. At the same time, the state has significantly expanded its pipeline reclamation fund so that we can also resolve land and water restoration needs that are more than 30 years old.”

The original bill would have required specific leak-detection technology, but that was removed from the bill in favor of the study.

The bill also provides $1.5 million in state funding to reclaim land and water resources affected by oil and gas development before 1983.