Gov. Doug Burgum issued the following statement today in response to a letter from the U.S. Air Force citing a “significant threat to national security” from the proposed Fufeng Group corn milling project in Grand Forks. The letter, sent to U.S. Sens. John Hoeven and Kevin Cramer from the Office of the Assistant Secretary of the Air Force, states the Air Force’s concerns about the project.
“As we said previously, our top priority is the security of our citizens and our nation. We joined with city leaders in asking the federal government for clarity on any national security implications related to the Fufeng project, and now we finally have that clarity. The U.S. Air Force has stated that its ‘view is unambiguous: the proposed project presents a significant threat to national security with both near- and long-term risks of significant impacts to our operations in the area.’ Given these concerns, we support the decision by the City of Grand Forks to initiate steps to stop the project with Fufeng Group and will support the city in finding another partner for a corn milling operation. We appreciate Mayor Bochenski and city officials for their leadership and proactive due diligence throughout this lengthy and complex process. The State of North Dakota stands ready to assist the city in exploring additional opportunities for value-added agriculture. As our farmers who compete in global markets know, agriculture is a global business, and North Dakota welcomes investment from domestic companies and our friends and allies.”