What Are Some Examples Of Ground Water Contamination In S.D.?
Although South Dakota is not a very populous state, it has its share of potential ground water contamination problems. Between 1973 and October 28, 1993, a total of 3,327 releases of contaminants to the environment were reported to the Department of Environment and Natural Resources. To put this number of releases in perspective, there were only two reported releases in 1973 and only about 30 to 40 reported releases prior to 1982. The increase in the number of reported releases is attributed to the implementation of regulations and a greater public awareness of potential environmental problems. Of the 3,327 reported releases, 1,346 are still being investigated and/or cleaned up. Many routine day-to-day, human activities pose a threat to ground water and may result in the contamination of the ground water. Some examples of these routine activities are the application of fertilizer and pesticides to golf courses and private home lawns, the application of agricultural chemicals to crop la
