Clean drinking water was a cornerstone priority during the Wisconsin Farmers Union lobby day on Thursday. A package of two bills on the lobbying agenda touched on a number of areas including well water compensation, and nitrate pollution in groundwater. Rep. Joel Kitchens (R-Sturgeon Bay), the bills’ author, noted that the legislation was shaped largely by work done by the state’s Clean Water Task Force. During a virtual meeting for the lobby day Kitchens explained, “We took the issues surrounding nitrates in ground water and we combined them basically into two bills that address a number of things that came out of the Clean Water Task Force.”
One of the bills, (AB-727) with its Senate counterpart (SB-677), creates a commercial nitrogen pilot program. Through the Department of Agriculture, Trade, and Consumer Protection, grants would be awarded to farmers to engage in projects which reduce nitrogen loading and nitrate leaching. Every year, $1 million would be provided in grant funding through the bill, with grants totaling up to $500,000 each.
The grants prioritize farmers who want to use innovative, creative practices which aren’t currently funded by state or federal programs. Farmers who participate would also need to partner with a UW system institution for at least two growing seasons under the bill. Additionally, the bill authorizes a new program to provide crop insurance rebates of $5 per acre to farmers who plant cover crops. A full-time state hydrologist position which will focus on groundwater issues is also provided through the bill.
Most of the nitrate pollution in Wisconsin can be traced back to agricultural operations, usually from the spreading of manure. While manure and fertilizers are often used for the growing of crops, it’s also not unheard of for vast quantities of waste to be released by accident. Last June, an unknown quantity of manure spilled into a creek in Lincoln County and caused several observable fish kills. A recent joint report by the Environmental Working Group and Midwest Environmental Advocates found that in nine counties, the amount of animal manure spread over farmland far exceeded the limits recommended by researchers. The report also highlighted that medical costs due to nitrate contamination in drinking water range from $24-80 million per year in Wisconsin.
Nitrates, in fact, are the most common groundwater contaminant in the state, with over 90% coming from agricultural sources. Research is still ongoing to determine the health and ecological effects, and how they can be fixed. Kitchens admitted that “there’s more knowledge that we need to gain.” He recalled attempts by Gov. Tony Evers during the budget cycle to establish limits on nitrates in groundwater which were eventually cut from the budget by the Republican-led Legislature. Kitchens said, “We’re not to the point right now where we can really do that effectively.”
Another bill (AB-728) was also shaped by the Clean Water Task Force. It broadens eligibility for the Department of Natural Resources (DNR) well compensation program. Through the bill, grants could be provided for replacing, reconstructing or treating contaminated wells. Funds could also be used to fill or seal off a well, or even to connect a public water supply to the well. By removing certain requirements for such grants, the bill opens the door wider for farmers and rural communities. The DNR would be compelled through the bill to prioritize the most contaminated wells and to ensure people can access the program to remedy bacterial contamination.
Changes are also made to the Producer-led Watershed Protection Grant Program under the bill. Specifically, it clarifies that grants can be awarded to producer-led watershed groups which are found across adjacent watersheds. These groups would also be able to qualify for lake protection and river protection grants.
The Wisconsin Farmers Union lobbying day also focused on several bills that blended climate and agricultural issues. One bill on the lobbying agenda (AB-788) would allow the DATCP to provide grants to establish regional biodigesters, devices which break down organic material into gas, liquids, and solids. Biodigesters are effective in disposing of everything from wasted food to manure, while also cutting down on the presence of vermin during the process. Expansion of the use of biodigesters would also cut down on the over-reliance on landfills, which are filled with decaying matter pumping methane and carbon dioxide into the atmosphere.
Speaking of that very issue, a separate bill (AB-790) hones in on food waste by providing grants for pilot projects to address the problem by composting excess food or rerouting it to hunger relief organizations. There’s also a bill to create a department for agricultural management. The department would focus on soil and water management, and fund county staff to work on climate resilience solutions. Two full-time research positions are also carved out in another bill. The research positions, at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, would work on climate and agricultural issues.
All of the issues on the Farmers Union agenda are becoming more pressing for rural Wisconsin each year. As of this month, much of Wisconsin continues to experience drought conditions. Some of the worst regions, in south central Wisconsin also overlap with regions included in the joint report on manure spreading.
Wisconsin Examiner is part of States Newsroom, a network of news bureaus supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. Wisconsin Examiner maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor Ruth Conniff for questions: [email protected]. Follow Wisconsin Examiner on Facebook and Twitter.
[ad_2]
Originally Appeared Here