Environment

Concerns arise over merger of SD agricultural and environmental agencies

PIERRE, S.D. – Some South Dakota farmers, ranchers and environmental advocates are concerned about Gov. Kristi Noem’s plan to combine the state Department of Agriculture and Department of Environment and Natural Resources into a single agency and are wondering what the new agency could mean for the state’s

Ethanol industry and corn growers in SD facing economic ‘bloodbath’ due to COVID-19

The ethanol industry in South Dakota and across the Midwest is in an economic free-fall due to decreased global demand for ethanol-infused gasoline during the COVID-19 pandemic. Fear of spreading the deadly virus has led governments around the world to cancel gatherings and urge or require people to stay home,

Human health, environmental and antibiotic concerns follow CAFO development

A growing body of research into the rising number of concentrated animal feeding operations across the United States reveals deepening concerns over impacts on human health and the environment. The high concentration of manure and other wastes created by animals housed in confined areas — and the storage and spreading of