 |
| Citizens groups in central Wisconsin oppose a proposed CAFO and aerial liquid manure spraying. Photo by Martha Karris of Rome and Saratoga-Friendly in Wisconsin (Facebook) |
Manure digesters are a con.
Here's a news report on the latest communication from Wisconsin's worst enemy of clean water, Scott Walker.
As reported by Matthew DeFour in the Wisconsin State Journal):
Gov. Scott Walker is seeking proposals to build anaerobic manure digesters in environmentally sensitive parts of the state to address water quality concerns.
The idea comes as the state’s water pollution monitoring has come under scrutiny by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, which last month spent four days reviewing records at the Department of Natural Resources.
"Environmentally sensitive parts of the state" refers to the areas in Wisconsin where residents cannot drink water from aquifers because of specific geological landscapes that direct pollutants to private water wells.
Sensitive areas include surface water in lakes and rivers that have been drained by high capacity wells plundering the aquifers. As the pollutants from factory farms are hazardous, all waters and air in any geographical region are vulnerable to the pollutants from Big Ag.
Deplete-and-poison is the water policy from Wisconsin Republicans and few Democratic Party yahoos such as State Rep. Jocasta Zamarripa (D-Milwaukee), (DBA).
Notes Lynn Utesch of Kewaunee County in northeastern Wisconsin:
A Digester's only purpose is to create methane. It does not solve water quality issues or reduce volumes of manure or toxic emissions such as hydrogen sulfide, ammonia, methane and dangerous VOC's [volatile organic compounds] which, simply put, are the 'odors' emitted from a digester.
Walker's proposal doesn't help those in Kewaunee County whose wells are already contaminated. He said constructing digesters will take time during which more wells could be contaminated, and they do not address other issues with concentrated dairy farming such as traffic, air pollution and the use of antibiotics.
Walker's release, reproduced in full is below.
November 17, 2016 - Press Release
Kewaunee – Governor Scott Walker announced he has requested the Public Service Commission (PSC), Department of Agriculture, Trade, and Consumer Protection (DATCP), and the Department of Natural Resources (DNR) to coordinate resources and draft a Request for Proposal that aligns digester technology to all sizes of dairy farms in environmentally sensitive areas of Wisconsin. The goal of this effort is to alleviate water quality concerns in these areas. Governor Walker made the announcement at the Heritage Farm Site in Kewaunee today to address nutrient management and water quality challenges in Kewaunee County.
“Water quality is a top priority for us,” Governor Walker said. “This joint effort is important progress, and we will continue working toward a sustainable solution to ensure our natural resources remain viable for generations to come.”
The state is already addressing recommendations made by the Kewaunee Groundwater Collaboration Workgroup and this joint initiative will be a key step in the effort to make sure Wisconsin’s water resources are safe and healthy for the citizens of the state.
Anaerobic digesters are an innovative approach to addressing groundwater quality issues. When properly scaled and applied, digesters can reduce agricultural runoff and groundwater issues, spur economic development in rural communities, and create a renewable source of energy production in the form of biogas.
The PSC, DATCP, and DNR will work together to make recommendations by December 1, 2016 that propose a tangible private sector response linking the application of digester technology to environmentally-sensitive areas of Wisconsin, specifically areas with high concentrations of dairy cattle. A Request for Proposal laying the groundwork for actionable items should be ready to release publically in January.
No comments:
Post a Comment