Pits Opened in South Dakota to Dispose of Livestock Killed by Storm

Between 10,000 and 20,000 killed by early blizzard

Two 20-foot-deep disposal pits opened in western South Dakota on Monday to help ranchers dispose of tens of thousands of livestock carcasses piling up since an early October blizzard decimated herds.

Up to 4 feet of snow fell in the Black Hills area during the storm, killing at least 10,000 to 20,000 head of livestock, state officials say. The South Dakota Stockgrowers Association estimates this part of the state lost at least 5 percent of its cattle, which is mostly raised for beef.

Ranchers are encouraged to bring carcasses to the sites in Pennington County, which were built to state Animal Industry Board guidelines, said Alexa White, public information officer with the county's Emergency Operations Center.