MONITORING WELLS ON HIS PROPERTY
IS EXPECTED IN COURT OVER THE
NEXT FEW MONTHS.
AS WE JUST HEARD, SOME PRIVATE
WELL OWNERS IN NELSONVILLE SAY
THE RULES ARE THE PROBLEM AND
CALL ON THE WISCONSIN DEPARTMENT
OF NATURAL RESOURCES FOR HELP IN
ADDRESSING NITRATE CONTAMINATION
THERE AND ACROSS THE STATE.
WHAT HAS BEEN DONE TO HELP AND
WHAT MORE REMEDIATION IS IN THE
OFFING?
WE TURNED TO JIM ZELLMER, DEPUTY
ADMINISTRATOR IN THE DNR'S
ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT
DIVISION.
THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE.
>> THANKS FOR HAVING ME.
>> SO WE KNOW THE UPDATE TO THE
DNR RULES FOR WATER QUALITY THAT
WERE TO ADDRESS NITRATES IN
AREAS SUSCEPTIBLE TO GROUNDWATER
CONTAMINATION DID NOT HAPPEN.
YET THAT IS WHAT CONCERNED
PEOPLE IN PLACES LIKE
NELSONVILLE ARE CALLING FOR.
WHAT CAN YOU TELL THEM?
>> SURE.
AS YOU MENTIONED, YOU KNOW, WE
HAD STARTED THE RULEMAKING A
COUPLE YEARS BACK AND BROUGHT
STAKEHOLDERS TOGETHER TO TRY TO
ESTABLISH TARGETED PERFORMANCE
STANDARDS FOR AREAS THAT ARE
SUSCEPTIBLE TO GROUNDWATER
CONTAMINATION.
UN WE RAN OUT OF TIME.
JUST COULD NOT REACH CONSENSUS
WITH ALL OF OUR STAKEHOLDERS TO
MOVE THE RULE FORWARD.
SO WE STOPPED OUR RULEMAKING.
WE CONTINUED THE DISCUSSIONS
WORKING WITH OUR STAKEHOLDERS ON
MAKING PROGRESS.
REALLY FOR THAT SHARED GOAL OF
REDUCING NITRATE CONTAMINATION
TO THE GROUNDWATER.
>> HAS THAT WORKED, WORKING
THROUGH IT EVEN IN THE ABSENCE
OF THE ENACTMENT OF THOSE
UPDATED RULES?
>> YEAH, WE CONTINUE TO WORK
WITH OUR STAKEHOLDERS AND WE
HAVE BEEN VERY IMPRESSED.
OBVIOUSLY WITH WORK WITH OUR
SISTER AGENCY THE DEPARTMENT OF
AG AND ALSO WITH THE UNIVERSITY
OF WISCONSIN ON REALLY PROVIDING
THE AGRI-BUSINESS WITH THE
SCHOOLS THEY NEED TO PROPERLY
MANAGE, TO APPLY THEIR
FERTILIZER, BE IT EITHER IN
COMMERCIAL OR MANURE TO MAKE THE
MAXIMUM USE OF IT AND MAKE IT
AVAILABLE FOR THE CROPS BUT NOT
TO RESULT IN LEACHING TO THE
GROUNDWATER.
AND WE'VE SEEN SOME VERY GOOD
SUCCESS WITH -- WE HAVE OUR
DEPARTMENT OF AG HAS
PRODUCER-LED WATERSHED GROUPS
ACROSS THE STATE.
WE HAVE WELL OVER 40 OF THESE
GROUPS THAT ARE -- THIS IS
REALLY FARMERS TALKING THE
FARMERS.
LEARNING FROM EACH OTHER WHAT
WORKS, WHAT DOESN'T.
WE'RE SEEING SOME GOOD SUCCESS
WITH THAT.
>> WOULDN'T IT BE IMPORTANT IN
YOUR MIND TO HAVE THE UPDATED
RULES TO MAKE SURE THAT WE
ATTAIN AND MAINTAIN CLEAN
DRINKING WATER?
OR ARE WE OKAY WHERE WE ARE WITH
THE STATUS QUO?
>> YEAH.
WE CONTINUE TO EVALUATE THAT.
WE'RE WORKING -- LIKE I SAID
RIGHT NOW WITH OUR PARTNERS TO
FURTHER THAT INITIATIVE.
ALSO SPECIFICALLY TO, YOU KNOW,
UP IN THE NELSONVILLE AREA WHERE
YOUR REPORT HAS BEEN FOCUSED ON,
WE'RE JUST IN THE EARLY STAGES
OF WORKING WITH THE PORTAGE
COUNTY LAND AND WATER
CONSERVATION DEPARTMENT TO
DEVELOP A GEOGRAPHIC PLAN FOR
THE WATERSHED TO LOOK AT THE
CAUSES.
WE KNOW SOME OF THE CAUSES OF
THE NITRATE CONTAMINATION AND
THEN LOOK AT WHAT PRACTICES CAN
BE PUT IN PLACE TO ADDRESS THOSE
PROBLEMS.
IN THAT PLAN WILL BE MILESTONES
AND THEN ALSO A CHECKING BACK
AND REPORTING TO SEE WHAT'S
WORKING AND WHAT'S NOT.
AND THEN MOVING FORWARD TO, YOU
KNOW, FIND PROVEN TECHNOLOGIES
THAT WE CAN WORK TOGETHER TO
REDUCE THE NITRATE
CONTAMINATION.
>> GIVEN EXPERTS DECLARE NITRATE
CONTAMINATION IS WISCONSIN'S
MOST COMMON GROUNDWATER
CONTAMINANT ARE THESE
CONCENTRATED ANIMAL FEEDING
OPERATIONS GETTING NEW SCRUTINY?
>> THEY CONTINUE TO GET
SCRUTINY.
THEY HAVE BEEN HEAVILY
SCRUTINIZED AND CONTINUE TO BE
SCRUTINIZED.
WE'RE VERY ENCOURAGED BY A
NUMBER OF THE CAFO'S, WE HAVE
EIGHT NOW WORKING ON WASTE WATER
TREATMENT FACILITIES FOR THEIR
OPERATION AND WE ALSO HAVE A NEW
ORGANIC BIO DIGESTER THAT HAS
BEEN PUT IN OPERATION IN BROWN
COUNTY THAT, I BELIEVE, BRINGS
IN MANURE FROM 14 NEARBY FARMERS
THAT THEY THEN TREAT THE MANURE
AND THEN THEY TREAT THE -- THEY
GENERATE GAS THAT IS PUT INTO
OUR NATURAL GAS PIPING SO WE CAN
USE IT TO HEAT OUR HOMES.
ALSO THEY CONCENTRATE THE
NITROGEN AND USE IT AGAIN FOR
FERTILIZER AND THE SOLIDS CAN BE
USED FOR BEDDING AND OTHER
PURPOSES ON THE FARM.
VERY ENCOURAGING SOME OF THE
THINGS GOING ON.
>> FOR PEOPLE SUFFERING FROM
CONTAMINATED WELLS RIGHT NOW, I
KNOW THERE IS A NEW WELCOME PEN
-- WELL COMPENSATION PROGRAM.
>> GOVERNOR EVERS ALLOTTED $10
MILLION TO EXPAND THE WELL
COMPENSATION PROGRAM THAT CAN BE
USED FOR DRILLING A NEW WELL
DEEPER TO FIND A SAFE SOURCE OF
WATER OR CONNECTING TO A PRIVATE
WELL OR PUBLIC WATER SUPPLY OR
TREATMENT.
WE REALLY ENCOURAGE FOLKS.
SO FAR WE'VE -- THERE IS ENOUGH
MONEY THERE TO FUND IN EXCESS OF
1600 WELL REPLACEMENTS.
SO FAR WE'VE ONLY HAD 40
APPLICANTS.
SO WE REALLY ENCOURAGE PEOPLE
THAT ARE EXPERIENCING PROBLEMS
WITH THEIR PRIVATE WELLS, THAT
THEY CONTACT US.
THEY CAN GO ON OUR WEBSITE AT
DNR.WI.GOV, TYPE IN WELL COMP AN
THE FIRST THING THAT COMES UP
WILL BE THE WELL COMPENSATION
PROGRAM.
ELIGIBILITY.
AB
ABLE -- APPLICATION PROCESS AND