Environment & Agriculture
National parks try to make progress on long-deferred maintenance
WASHINGTON — During a Wednesday U.S. Senate hearing centered on national parks, administration officials outlined to senators how funding from the Great American Outdoors Act is starting to reduce the backlog of maintenance projects — even as visitation to parks has exploded. An Interior Department official said the most-loved parks are the ones that need […]
State approved the use of pesticide-coated seed corn for ethanol plant a decade ago
LINCOLN — A troubled ethanol plant in Mead, Nebraska, had state approval to use seed corn treated with harmful pesticides years before state regulators raised concerns. Recently discovered state documents indicate that Nebraska environmental regulators approved the use of seed corn by the troubled AltEn ethanol plant back on July 26, 2012. The state’s lawsuit […]
Bill to give tax breaks to carbon capture facilities runs into opposition
LINCOLN — A bill to ensure that Nebraska ethanol plants can qualify for state tax incentives for building carbon-capture facilities is running into opposition from a leading environmental group. The Bold Alliance, which includes Bold Nebraska, the group that led the fight against the Keystone XL crude oil pipeline, testified last week against a proposal […]
USDA pledges $1B for ‘climate smart’ ag products
The U.S. Department of Agriculture plans to spend up to $1 billion to foster the creation of climate-friendly agricultural and forestry products by offering grants to facilitate their production and the markets to sell them. The goal is to reduce greenhouse gas emissions or sequester carbon in those industries. “Agriculture is such an exciting but […]
‘Modern,’ $375 million soybean crushing plant planned near Norfolk
NORFOLK, Nebraska — A $375-million soybean crushing plant is planned near this northeast Nebraska city. The plant, planned by Norfolk Crush LLC, will be the “first modern soybean processing plant” in the state, according to a news release issued Friday. Fifty to 55 jobs would be created, and 38.5 million bushels of soybeans would be […]
Legislators urged to invest in completing recreation trails across Nebraska
LINCOLN — Nebraska should capitalize on plentiful state and local funds by completing two major hike-bike trails that cross the state, a panel of state lawmakers were told Tuesday. State Sen. Robert Hilkemann of Omaha, an avid biker who’s pedaled across the U.S., said that $18 million would be required to finish the Mo-Pac Trail […]
USDA to send out $1.4 billion to boost rural economies in the states
WASHINGTON — U.S. Department of Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack announced Wednesday that the agency is investing $1.4 billion into rural economies through job training, business loans and the expansion of technical assistance. “It’s a good day for rural America,” Vilsack, a former governor of Iowa, said during a call with reporters. Eight programs will distribute 751 […]
Utilities decry proposal to appoint, rather than elect, board members
LINCOLN — A proposal to have the governor appoint the majority of board members for the state’s two largest public utilities — instead of having them elected by voters — would “take the ‘public’ out of public power,” a legislative committee was told Thursday. “One of the founding principles of public power is that citizens […]
Some question $500 million plan to resurrect irrigation canal on South Platte
LINCOLN – People lined up at the State Capitol Tuesday to support proposals by Gov. Pete Ricketts to spend the state’s allocation of $1.04 billion in American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds. Mental health providers praised his idea of setting aside $40 million for new treatment facilities. Sports and arts groups supported the $100 million […]
Nebraska company attempts to unload toxic waste on Kansas farmer
TOPEKA — A Nebraska company nearly unloaded its toxic ethanol byproduct on an unsuspecting Topeka farmer before regulators intervened in late December. AltEn, which is under close observation after creating an environmental crisis in Mead, Nebraska, didn’t disclose the risks of its biochar before selling it to Brady Yingling, owner of B. Cole Agriculture, according […]
Top energy regulator backs pipeline standards after Colonial Pipeline hack
A new report recommends that a single federal agency be responsible for ensuring pipeline reliability. The recommendation comes after cyberattacks and winter storms disrupted energy transmissions last year.