South Dakota Residents Shut Down Proposed Mega Dairy

A dairy factory farm planned for construction near Lake Hendricks, SD was removed from the Brookings County Planning Commission agenda this week. On August 30, residents of Trenton Township Brookings County overwhelmingly sided against the dairy farm—with 96 percent voting to shut down construction to four percent voting in favor of the mega farm. Riverview LLP—the applicant behind the proposed 4,000-cow dairy—obtained a permit with the county earlier this year but received preliminary negative feedback from local residents who opposed its construction for fear that daily operations would pollute surrounding waterways. Richard Haugen, the county’s Development Deputy Director, said that while Riverview LLP satisfied its requirements with the county, the lack of neighborhood support ultimately led to the farm’s failure.