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September 21, 2007 | Jim Lane | Comments 0

Ogallala aquifer at risk from biofuel, corn production expansion

The non-profit group Environmental Defense released a report predicting that the increase in Midwestern ethanol production could place an unacceptable strain on the Ogallala aquifer. The report projected an additional 2.6 billion gallon demand from the aquifer for processing, and as much as 120 billion gallons from added corn production, which supplies water for more than 20% of all irrigated land in the United States, covering an area between Texas and South Dakota.

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