On Wednesday, Jan. 15, the Public Utilities Commission (PUC) held an open, public meeting in Mitchell to allow all concerned citizens to have their chance to voice their opinion about a proposed CO2 pipeline to be constructed in southeast South Dakota, including the counties of Sanborn, Beadle and Davison. The meeting was the first of six scheduled by the PUC to allow for public input before they make a decision about the application submitted by Summit Carbon Solutions for a permit to construct a CO2 pipeline that will run through approximately 16.3 miles of the southeastern corner of Sanborn County.

Gary Hanson, Vice-Chairman of the PUC in South Dakota, spoke on behalf of the Commission. He opened the meeting and stated that, according to state law, the commissioners and their attorney are not allowed to discuss this matter outside of the open, public meeting, so if there is anyone who wants to say something about the subject, they have to say it at a public open forum, or they won’t be heard. 

Once all the legalities were read and explained, representatives for Summit Carbon Solutions (SCS) were given 20 minutes to explain their reason for submitting the application for the pipeline. JD Meyers, a farmer from Iowa who has worked with SCS, did most of the talking for the company as he explained the need for capturing CO2 and all the benefits it would have, not only for the farming community, but also for the entire state’s economy, as it will create jobs and help the ethanol industry expand and grow. Meyers stated that the most important factor to take into consideration is that the demand for ethanol is decreasing, so the ethanol industry is working on capturing CO2 through the pipelines to keep the need for the corn that farmers are growing for the industry. They are doing this to expand the industry and, thus, keep corn growers in business. 

Of course, the main concern most people who are against the pipeline have is the safety, or lack thereof, in having the pipeline constructed so close to people’s homes and fields where animals graze and live.

…Read on in this week’s issue of the Sanborn Weekly Journal!

According to the Center for Disease Control (CDC), there are more cases of Pertussis, commonly known as whooping cough, in the United States now than there were at this time last year. Their website states that “Whooping cough is an endemic (common) disease in the United States; however, reports of pertussis cases were lower than usual over the past few years, during and following the COVID-19 pandemic, which is probably due to mitigation measures used during the pandemic (e.g., masking, remote learning). Now, the United States is beginning to return to pre-pandemic patterns where more than 10,000 cases are typically reported each year.”

Recently, both Sanborn Central and Woonsocket Schools reported in their daily announcements that the schools had been contacted by the Horizon Health Clinic of Woonsocket with information about Pertussis due to the rise in cases in South Dakota. In a short interview with local provider, Katlyn Rostyne, CNP for the clinic in Woonsocket, she reported that the clinic contacted the schools because there was an unconfirmed case detected in Sanborn County, but there has also been an outbreak in Hartford and at South Dakota State University in Brookings, so they thought it would be best to get information out to the communities. “With many of Sanborn County’s young people going to school at SDSU, it was the responsible thing to do to get people informed, and with the unconfirmed case in our area, we needed the schools to be aware and take action, as well.”

…Read on in this week’s issue of the Sanborn Weekly Journal!