skip to main content
skip to newscasts

Monday, April 14, 2025

Public News Service Logo
facebook instagram linkedin reddit youtube twitter
view newscast page
play newscast audioPlay

Police say an arson suspect harbored hatred towards Pennsylvania's Governor; voting-rights groups warn of barriers for voters under a federal bill; older adults relieved as SSA halts proposed service changes; and America's historic crops at risk as DOGE cuts funding for seed bunkers.

view newscast page
play newscast audioPlay

FEMA, other disaster preparedness agencies could face tough times due to budget cuts. Crop seed preservation in a precarious state under Trump administration. And new executive order undercuts states' powers on climate change.

view newscast page
play newscast audioPlay

Trump's tariffs sow doubt and stress for America's farmers, rural Democrats want working class voters back in the fold, and a cancelled local food program for kids worries folks in Maine.

Power of rural organizing reflected in SD carbon pipeline law

play audio
Play

Tuesday, March 11, 2025   

The future of a big carbon capture project in the Midwest was thrown off balance after a new South Dakota law was adopted. Rural property owners made a big push for the policy and their organizing is getting noticed.

South Dakota's governor just signed a bill prohibiting eminent domain for carbon dioxide pipelines. It is in response to a proposed line where the company behind it has not secured all the voluntary land agreements it needs. Worried landowners found sympathetic ears in the Legislature.

Sarah Jaynes, executive director of the Rural Democracy Initiative, said outcomes like these reflect the mindset of smaller communities when big projects come their way, potentially affecting their way of life.

"Rural people are not in the habit of fighting things," Jaynes pointed out. "They're in the habit of taking a close look at what's proposed for their communities after decades of exploitation."

She is referring to corporations outsourcing jobs from rural areas, as well as agricultural firms wanting to add larger animal feedlot operations. Jaynes noted the decline of local news outlets is likely playing a role in how communities are responding. Without access to key information, residents are enhancing their coordination to have a bigger voice.

The multistate carbon pipeline is proposed by Summit Carbon Solutions, which wants to capture ethanol plant emissions and store them underground. It touts economic and environmental benefits but some skeptics see it as a power grab, especially if objecting landowners are forced to let it run along their property through eminent domain.

Jaynes explained in a broader sense, rural residents are not confined to narratives about what they care about.

"They want to make sure that they have clean air and water and access to nature," Jaynes emphasized. "They want to take care of their land."

Such sentiments have surfaced in polling from the Rural Democracy Initiative.

As for the Summit project, the new law might lead to a legal challenge. Summit has won permit approval in other states and is trying again in South Dakota. But the uncertainty, along with the land restrictions, could make it harder to begin construction. The governor insists the action will not kill the project, calling it an "opportunity for a needed reset."


get more stories like this via email

more stories
Technical violations accounted for nearly two-thirds of Mississippi's probation/parole revocations in 2023, according to a 2024 Mississippi Department of Corrections task force report. (Pixabay)

Social Issues

play sound

Criminal-justice experts say Mississippi's parole and probation systems, designed as alternatives to incarceration, are instead functioning as …


Environment

play sound

A bill to promote virtual power plants goes before the California State Assembly Utilities and Energy Committee next week. Virtual power plants are …

Health and Wellness

play sound

About 200,000 kids in Michigan have asthma, and nearly five million suffer from the condition nationwide. Research from Michigan State University …


There are more than 47,000 registered electric vehicles in Nevada, according to the U.S. Department of Energy.(Adobe Stock)

Environment

play sound

While Nevada ranks among the top states for electric vehicle sales, one local business says it is seeing less demand for charging stations, and has …

Social Issues

play sound

Final action is expected soon on a plan that would prevent North Dakota cities and counties from using alternative voting methods for local elections…

Rinsing nasal passages with a saline solution is another option to help flush allergens out of the nose. (Adobe Stock)

Health and Wellness

play sound

About one in four adults and one in five children suffer from seasonal allergies in Maryland, and experts have tips on how to treat them. You may …

Social Issues

play sound

The Department of Government Efficiency, or DOGE, plans to cut 7,000 jobs from the U.S. Social Security Administration as it works to reduce the size …

Social Issues

play sound

On the heels of courtroom victories, some Minnesota prosecutors say they'll try to replicate the success in going after more businesses suspected of …

 

Phone: 303.448.9105 Toll Free: 888.891.9416 Fax: 208.247.1830 Your trusted member- and audience-supported news source since 1996 Copyright © 2021