Ag + Environment
North Dakota will hold hearing on pipeline ordinances this month
A hearing to discuss whether utility regulators in North Dakota should overrule county ordinances that limit the placement of a carbon dioxide pipeline is set for Dec. 21. The North Dakota Public Service Commission is in the process of reconsidering an application by Summit Carbon Solutions, which seeks to build a five-state pipeline system to […]
Fatal deer disease outbreak this year could be second-worst
An outbreak in Iowa this year of a disease that causes deer to bleed internally and often results in death is poised to be the second-worst since the first known outbreak occurred 11 years ago, according to the Iowa Department of Natural Resources. Epizootic hemorrhagic disease is caused by a virus that is spread by […]
Ahead of climate conference, U.S. House panel tussles over curbs on emissions
Republicans on a U.S. House panel argued Wednesday against aggressive moves to meet carbon reduction goals, saying U.S. fossil fuel companies are working to make their products cleaner. Democrats on the U.S. House Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on the Environment, Manufacturing and Critical Minerals countered that to achieve further reductions, federal policies should be continued […]
Northeast Iowa cheese producer fined for wastewater violations
A large cheese producer in far northeast Iowa has repeatedly failed for years to properly treat its wastewater that flows into creeks that feed the Turkey River, according to the Iowa Department of Natural Resources. Prairie Farms Dairy near Luana recently agreed to pay a $10,000 fine for the ongoing violations and to upgrade its […]
Animal waste hauler fined again for illegal field spreading
A southwest Iowa company that transports and disposes of partially digested food from the stomachs of slaughtered animals was recently fined again for improperly spreading the material on fields, according to the Iowa Department of Natural Resources. Feedlot Service Company of Neola and its owner, Fred Roane, agreed this month to pay a $7,000 fine […]
Crop harvest is ‘virtually complete’ in Iowa
Nearly all of Iowa’s corn and soybean fields have been harvested, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s final crop update about the state this year. “Corn harvested for grain is virtually complete with farmers in the southern part of the state still running a few combines,” the USDA said in its Monday report. The […]
Iowa’s bird flu death toll this fall has surpassed last year
Another massive flock of egg-laying hens in Iowa was recently found to be infected by a very transmissible and deadly version of avian flu, which has pushed the total number of affected birds this fall beyond last year’s casualties for the same time period. The recent detection of avian influenza was in a flock of […]
A year after devastating winter storm, power plant problems ‘still likely’ in extreme weather
Nearly a year ago, a Christmas weekend storm blasted across the country, forcing utilities to cut electricity to hundreds of thousands of people in parts of the southeastern U.S. after temperatures plunged, demand spiked, large numbers of power plants failed and natural gas supply was strained. As the anniversary approaches of Winter Storm Elliott, a pair […]
Ukrainian farmers, visiting Iowa, describe tilling around land mines, corpses
On Thanksgiving Day, Iowa farmers have much to be thankful for. Harvest is behind us and the grain is in the bin or at the co-op. Overall, farmers in Iowa and the Midwest had a successful 2023 season. We had our challenges for sure, but our challenges are nothing compared to our fellow farmers in […]
State’s corn harvest is almost done, except in south-central Iowa
This year’s corn and soybean harvests are virtually complete in nearly every area of the state, with one exception: south-central Iowa. “Farmers in south central Iowa still have over 10 percent of their corn for grain crop remaining to be harvested,” the U.S. Department of Agriculture reported on Monday. That region of the state is […]
Wolf asks to withdraw Illinois pipeline request and refile
Wolf Carbon Solutions moved to withdraw its carbon dioxide pipeline permit application in Illinois on Monday to address concerns identified by state regulators. “This voluntary action does not impact our commitment to the project and its stakeholders, or the ongoing regulatory processes, including with the Iowa Utilities Board and Army Corps of Engineers,” said Dean […]
Northwest Iowa tree thief found guilty of 51 charges
A 41-year-old rural Rolfe man is guilty of felony theft and 50 timber violations for taking dozens of trees from public property, a jury recently decided. Jason Levant Ferguson’s criminal tree-theft case went to trial last week in Pocahontas County. He had been accused of taking about 150 trees from a wildlife management area northeast […]