% >> ON THIS PROGRAM LAST WEEK, WE
% HEARD FROM A VILLAGE WHOSE
% PRIVATE WELL WATER IS
% CONTAMINATED WITH NITRATE.
% THIS WEEK, "HERE AND NOW"
% REPORTER NATHAN DENZIN TAKES US
% BACK TO NELSONVILLE TO FIND OUT
% WHERE THE NITRATE IS COMING FROM
% AND WHAT RESIDENTS CAN DO ABOUT
% THEIR CONTAMINATED WATER.
% >> IT DOESN'T TASTE ANY
% DIFFERENT.
% IT DOESN'T LOOK ANY DIFFERENT.
% NO SMELL TO IT.
% IT TASTES GREAT.
% >> WHAT HE FOUND OUT IS HIS
% FAMILY'S PRIVATE WELL WATER HAD
% UNSAFE NITRATE LEVELS, A PROBLEM
% RESIDENTS IN THE SMALL VILLAGE
% OF NELSONVILLE IN PORTAGE COUNTY
% LEARNED ABOUT BACK IN 2018.
% THE TWO CONTRIBUTORS UNDER THE
% MICRO SCOPE MANURE FROM FARM
% ANIMALS OR SEPTIC SYSTEMS THAT
% LEAK HUMAN WASTE.
% PORTAGE COUNTY WATER RESOURCE
% SPECIALIST JEN MCNELLY SAYS
% SCIENTIFIC WATER TESTING SHOWED
% NIGH RATES ARE LARGELY COMING
% FROM AGRICULTURE.
% >> PROBABLY NOT BY AND LARGE THE
% LARGEST CONTRIBUTING SOURCE OF
% IT IS SEWER.
% >> GORDONDALE FARMS WITH OVER
% 1,000 COWS.
% ITS OWNER AND HIS FAMILY HAVE
% BEEN FARMING THIS LAND NEAR
% NELSONVILLE SINCE 1900.
% >> I THINK WE HAVE TO BE REALLY
% CAREFUL WHEN WE TALK ABOUT THE
% SCIENCE SHOWS.
% WE WOULD REALLY LIKE TO SEE MORE
% RESEARCH ON THAT.
% THEY SEEM TO HAVE DISMISSED
% SEPTIC.
% >> GORDON SAYS HE ACCEPTS
% FARMING FROM IMPACT DRINKING
% WATER BUT HE IS NOT CONVINCED
% HIS OWN FARM IS.
% >> OUR TAKE ON THE NITRATES FROM
% OUR STANDPOINT IS OUR FARM HAS
% ALWAYS HAD A PLAN SINCE 1981 AND
% FOLLOWED EVERY REGULATION PUT
% FORTH TO US.
% SO TO BE HONEST, IT IS QUITE A
% PUZZLE.
% WHERE IS IT COMING FROM?
% WHAT IS THE DEAL?
% >> BY ALL ACCOUNTS GORDONDALE
% FARMS HAS FOLLOWED EVERY DNR
% NITRATE REGULATION AND IN RECENT
% YEARS GONE FURTHER.
% IN MOST PLOTS NEAR THE VILLAGE,
% GORDON SAYS HIS FARM PLANTS
% ALFALFA OR ITALIAN RYE GRASS
% THAT SOAK UP MORE NITRATE IN
% SOIL THAN CORN.
% DESPITE THE EFFORTS AND ABIDING
% BY REGULATIONS AGRICULTURE
% REMAINS THE LIKELY CULPRIT IN
% PART BECAUSE DNR RULES DON'T
% ACCOUNT FOR THE SANDY SOILS IN
% THE REGION.
% ALSO WATER FLOW ITSELF AFFECTS
% WHAT KIND OF WASTE, AGRICULTURAL
% OR SEPTIC, IS ENDING UP IN
% WELLS.
% PETE ARNTSEN IS A HYDROLOGIST
% FOR AN ENVIRONMENTAL GROUP.
% >> BECAUSE OF THE HYDRO GEOLOGY
% THE WATER FROM THE SEPTIC SYSTEM
% PASSES ABOVE ALL THE WELLS AND
% DISCHARGES TO THE RIVER AND
% REALLY ISN'T THE ISSUE.
% >> BECAUSE WELLS DRAW FROM
% GROUNDWATER, CONTAMINATION CAN
% COME FROM MILES AWAY AND TAKE
% YEARS TO END UP IN THE DRINKING
% WATER.
% AGRICULTURAL PRACTICES LIKE THE
% ONES GORDON HAS TURNED TO CAN
% REDUCE THE NITRATES IN PRIVATE
% WELLS.
% BUT ACCORDING TO SCIENTIST
% GEORGE KRAFT IT CAN ALSO TAKE
% YEARS.
% EVEN DECADES.
% >> I THINK WE'D BE ALMOST OUT OF
% THE WOODS, SIGNIFICANTLY IN 8,
% 10 YEARS AND MAYBE MOSTLY OR
% ENTIRELY IN 2025.
% >> IN AUGUST, THE DNR TOLD
% GORDONDALE FARMS IT HAD TO
% INSTALL THREE MONITORING WELLS
% ON ITS PROPERTY.
% GORDON IS FIGHTING THAT IN
% COURT.
% FOR ITS PART, THE VILLAGE ALSO
% HOPES TO USE A QUARTER MILLION
% DOLLARS IN FEDERAL FUNDS TO
% INSTALL ITS OWN MONITORING
% WELLS.
% SO FIGHTS OVER THE MONITORING
% WELLS AND WHO IS AT FAULT FOR
% THE CONTAMINATION IS FRAC
% TOURING THE COMMUNITY.
% >> I WOULD SAY THAT A LOT OF
% PEOPLE ARE ANGRY.
% >> LISA ANDERSON IS A CLEAN
% WATER ADVOCATE WHO LIVES IN
% NELSONVILLE.%>> WE HAVE BEEN
ACCUSED OF
% HAVING AN AGENDA.
% WE'VE BEEN TARGETED ON SOCIAL
% MEDIA.
% >> TEMPERS ARE DEFINITELY HIGH.
% >> I'M SURE -- WE EITHER GET A
% PLUGGED NOSE OR GET A FINGER.
% THE SAD PART, WE'RE BUSY
% FIGHTING EACH OTHER.
% I UNDERSTAND CLEAN WATER IS
% EVERYONE'S RIGHT, BUT IF YOU ARE
% GOING TO LIVE OUT HERE IN
% PARADISE, IT'S YOUR
% RESPONSIBILITY TO TAKE CARE OF
% YOUR WELL AND TAKE CARE OF YOUR
% SEPTIC SYSTEM.
% >> THE SPEND $10,000 ON A WELL
% FOR MOST OF US IS A MAJOR
% EXPENSE AND MANY CAN'T AFFORD
% IT.
% AND I THINK MANY OF US FEEL LIKE
% WHY SHOULD WE HAVE TO?
% >> GORDON ALSO SAYS HE CAN'T
% AFFORD THE MONITORING WELLS HE
% IS ORDERED TO DIG AND IT COULD
% PUT HIM OUT OF BUSINESS.
% VILLAGE RESIDENTS SAY THEY DON'T
% WANT THAT.
% THEY JUST WANT CLEAN WATER.
% >> I'M NOT ANTI-AG.
% JUST GET THAT OUT OF THE WAY.
% IT'S NOT THE FARMER AT ALL.
% THEY ARE WORKING AS HARD AS THEY
% CAN TO MAKE A GOOD LIVING AND
% THAT'S FAIR.
% >> STILL, RESIDENTS SAY THE
% STATE SHOULD IMPOSE NEW
% REGULATIONS FOR THE CENTRAL
% SANDS REGION TO PROTECT THE
% GROUNDWATER.%>> THE RULE IS T
HE PROBLEM.
% SO THE DNR NEEDS TO STEP UP AND
% FIX THIS ISSUE IN MY MIND.
% >> FOR "HERE AND NOW" I'M NATHAN