Tuesday, January 26, 2016

2007 task force offered blueprint, science for WI groundwater safety

There has been a spate of concern and reporting of late about groundwater contamination in Wisconsin as awareness of polluted runoff near livestock and farming operations seeps into the public's consciousness.

Even Walker says that the state is working on a science-based approach to known groundwater pollution in Kewaunee County where many large dairy farms are operating.

You wonder why things take so long?  For example, read this 2007 report from a state/university/private-sector and multi-county task force - - including Kewaunee County - - about the confronting known groundwater threats.
File:Confined-animal-feeding-operation.jpg
Let's dust off that 2007 report, eh, though Walker's DNR is sending an opposite signal.


4 comments:

nonquixote said...

And along with the 2007 Karst report was the 2009 SB632 to begin regulation of manure management.

http://docs.legis.wisconsin.gov/2009/proposals/SB632

1st Assembly Rep Garey Bies refused to co-sponsor, the bill was part of the normal mass dump of unscheduled legislation near the end of the session in April 2010 iirc. Dems had tried something to begin addressing the water quality issues.

Anonymous said...

We can't get the excrement out of the water until we get the manure out of the Senate, Assembly, Governor's Office, and Supreme Court; so better enjoy your fecal-chocolate delights Wisconsin!

Anonymous said...

What are you all complainin' about -- you'd think we were getting lead in our water and that all the children were poisoned for life. What's wrong with a little chocolate milk courtesy of a nearby Concentrated Animal Feeding Operation/CAFO.

Anonymous said...

The writers of the report were a mixed bag of farmers an scientists but the recommendations were supposed to be based on the best science. If that is the case, why did DNR pretend that their committees, filled with DNR staff and CAFO owners, were going to do better? It seems like DNR was just stalling for time to get past Walker's Presidential run. And now he is trotting around saying everyone deserves clean water. I don't believe he thinks that at all. He is going to support the least amount of regulation (if any is even proposed) and then take away even more local control. It sounds like a raw deal for Kewaunee county.