Suit: North Dakota refinery developer owes workers wages

Some current and former employees of a company developing an oil refinery near Theodore Roosevelt National Park in North Dakota filed a lawsuit claiming they are owed wages and bonuses. Five former and two current employees of Meridian Energy Group, including its operations manager, filed the lawsuit.

Some current and former employees of a company developing an oil refinery near Theodore Roosevelt National Park in North Dakota filed a lawsuit claiming they are owed wages and bonuses. Meridian Energy Group first proposed the refinery just 3 miles (5 kilometers) from the park in 2016, with the goal of having it operating by next year. However, the project has been beset by funding and legal setbacks. Last year, CEO William Prentice told The Associated Press that the company had delayed the refinery's startup until 2022.

The employees' lawsuit, filed last week in Texas, says that starting in spring 2018, Meridian “began to sporadically defer payment of weekly payroll to employees due to alleged financial woes.” The company, in an effort to keep employees working, said it would reward them with yet-to-be paid bonuses, according to the lawsuit, which was first reported Monday by Bismarck blogger Jim Fuglie. Five former and two current employees of Meridian Energy Group, including its operations manager, filed the lawsuit. Five of the people suing live in Texas and the other two live in Minnesota, according to the lawsuit.

The lawsuit seeks nearly USD 607,000 in “economic damages,” attorney fees and a jury trial. Calls to the company and to operations manager Todd Tooley, who lives in Minnesota and is suing his company for nearly USD 193,000, were not immediately returned Tuesday.

Theodore Roosevelt National Park is North Dakota's top tourist attraction with more than 700,000 visitors annually. Environmental groups argue pollution from the factory will spoil scenery and air quality at the 30,000-acre (12,000-hectare) park.

(This story has not been edited by Devdiscourse staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)