Citizen Lobbying Pays Off! Joint Finance Committee Funds Study
The Legislature's finance committee released the $487,300 required for DNR and its partners to complete the Central Sands Groundwater Study! The study was a silver lining around the black cloud of 2017 Act 10 that gave high capacity well owners forever permits and an unhindered ability to dry lakes and streams. The study had a productive start but it looked as if it was all for naught when the legislature failed to renew its funding in the regular state budget. Thanks to all who called and wrote their legislators!
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Seven Takeaways from Nekoosa Nitrate Panel
Over 200 Central Wisconsin citizens attended the Groundwater Contamination Science & Solutions discussion at the Nekoosa High School on January 6, organized by the Wood County Citizens Groundwater Group and its partners. A panel of nine was moderated by the League of Women Voters and included two groundwater pollution scientists, two farm representatives, a county public health specialist, UW potato and horticulture researcher, state toxicologist, and three central sands state legislators.
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Dr. Mark Borchardt of USDA discussing Danish groundwater protection approaches
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The takeaways:
1. The Central Sands has a major nitrate problem and it occurs where we have lots of agriculture. Environmental health specialist Nancy Eggleston showed nitrate standard exceedance rates of over 40% in some townships and in places like Armenia and Nelsonville.
2. Nitrate is a serious health concern – and not just for infants. All ages and genders should avoid high-nitrate water due to risks of birth defects, thyroid disease, and cancers.
3. Agriculture is by far the largest nitrate source. Ken Bradbury, state geologist, showed that nitrate in groundwater cleaned-up after a former farm field was converted to residences.
4. Andy Diercks of Coloma Farms, following his industry’s norm, deftly ignored the prevalence and causes of nitrate pollution and promoted his industry’s economic importance (though disregarded how other sectors pay pollution costs and a disproportionate share of property taxes), how much research money his industry spends, and how growers “spoon feed” fertilizer on their crops, do irrigation scheduling and the like. Mr. Diercks’ talking points have been touted for over 30 years and to date have been ineffective at providing clean groundwater. John Eron described the sustainable farm practices the Farmers of Mill Creek Watershed Council have been implementing on their own farms and their outreach to the farming and local communities to share information about their work.
5. The UW-Madison potato and horticulture researcher pretty much repeated the industry points while holding out a hope that someday new potato varieties might need less nitrate and use less water.
6. Senator Testin and Rep. Krug stated the problem was serious but that collaboration and cooperation along with Best Management Practices and research would take care of it, despite evidence that these methods have not solved groundwater problems. They touted as a “success” an effort for increasing Little Plover River flows that spent several million public dollars with little flow improvement. Both stated their willingness to work on legislation and funding based on WQTF report findings.
7. “We should set goals, for example reducing nitrate contamination by 30% by 2030,” according to Rep. Shankland. Nitrate, as well as other agricultural pollution problems, are often prescribed “solutions” that may or may not be helpful and without a goal to achieve. The idea of setting goals and then figuring what measures would help us get there would be novel for how Ag pollution is addressed.
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Who's Going? John Is!
To Clean Water Lobby Day at the Capitol
John is a former pipe-fitter who has dedicated his retirement to getting clean and healthy water for people, fish, and wildlife! John is a founding member of the 14 Mile Creek Watershed Committee, and has led monitoring in the watershed for the last 2+ years. He’s a regular at hearings, and proud to exclaim, “Water is Life!”
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Join John, lots of your central Wisconsin water friends, and water advocates from around the state at Clean Water Lobby Day on January 30! This year is especially critical: 2019 was declared by Gov. Evers as the “Year of Clean Drinking Water” and the state legislative’s Water Quality Task Force just released its recommendations, PFAS pollution is a new concern, and finally nitrate is getting some attention.
Click here for more information and to sign up.
Need a ride to Clean Water Lobby Day?
Check out this link to start or join a carpool!
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