Pennington County Commissioners drop the ball

Vocal residents that don't understand the threat our drinking water is under in the Black Hills have stalled the County from the first baby steps toward continuous regulation of septic tanks. Don't take it from me -- ask the USGS:

Water resources of the Black Hills area have been stressed by increasing population, resource development, and periodic droughts. Additional water supplies are being developed for rapidly expanding communities. The potential exists for water-quality degradation from mining activity, urbanization, irrigation, forest management activities, and recreational development.

County commission rejects septic system proposal, RCJ, May 5

Commissioners voted 4-1 to create a committee to work through the on-site wastewater system ordinance, which would require all septic systems in the county to be pumped every four years and create a licensing system similar to that of Rapid City.

Planning staff have been working on the ordinance for about a year, but at a public meeting last week, residents came out largely against the program, planning director Dan Jennissen said.

So, essentially they caved in to short-sighted, selfish and vocal landowners.

Sorry, guys and gals; it's not 1950 any more -- a lot more people live here and we need to protect the water. With all the limestone around, water can travel miles per day.

This is one of things that only government can and must do. I'm sorry, it's just reality -- just be thankful that in America you can choose that government, but in this case, we desperately need it-- this isn't something you can outsource to corporations.