Pollution
On ag pollution, state’s carrot doesn’t work and the stick is a twig
Department of Agriculture and Natural Resources (DANR) Secretary Hunter Roberts confirmed what long has been known about South Dakota during a Jan. 19 briefing before a legislative committee. South Dakota gives only lip service to controlling agricultural pollution. In a broad discussion, Roberts told the House Ag and Natural Resources committee that financial efforts to […]
Fossil fuel drilling threatens air and wildlife in national parks, advocacy group finds
WASHINGTON — A “massive” methane cloud forming over Chaco Culture National Historical Park in New Mexico. Noxious air pollution fouling Rocky Mountain National Park in Colorado. Herds of mule deer and pronghorn at risk of decimation at Grand Teton National Park in Wyoming. Environmental problems like these are already resulting from fossil fuel extraction near four […]
Landowners feel sidelined as Custer plans wastewater discharge into French Creek
Critics of a city’s decision to release treated wastewater into a scenic and historic Black Hills creek say it could pollute the water and is being done without sufficient input from affected residents. The city of Custer is upgrading its wastewater treatment system because of projected population growth and maintenance problems with the current system. […]
NorthWestern customers to see bump in monthly refunds from overpriced pollution clean-up
More than 48,000 NorthWestern Energy customers in South Dakota will see higher refunds in their utility bills over the next year. The Public Utilities Commission approved a plan by the company on Friday that will bump up the refunds it has used to pay back customers since 2016 for a cleanup project that came in […]
Iowa town in talks with 3M to fix ‘forever chemical’ contamination
CAMANCHE, IOWA — A major manufacturer of toxic chemicals that persist indefinitely in the environment will pay for a new drinking water source or a water treatment system for Camanche in eastern Iowa. The town of about 4,600 residents lies across the Mississippi River from a 3M Company facility near Cordova, Illinois. The facility has […]
Changing climate could flush more soil and fertilizers into water, experts say
BROOKINGS — Water management professionals say more soil and fertilizer will leave farms and enter the state’s waterways as climate change intensifies storms and droughts. Experts from around the nation discussed the problem recently at the annual Eastern South Dakota Water Conference in Brookings. The Northern Great Plains can expect more heavy rains because of […]