GLLC Hosts Web Meeting on Nitrates
In July, the Great Lakes-St. Lawrence Legislative Caucus hosted a web meeting to discuss the impacts that nitrates in drinking water have on human health. Co-hosted with the Midwestern Legislative Conference’s Committee on Energy and Environment, participants were able to hear from three panelists on the topic: Sara Walling from Clean Wisconsin and Kerri Johannsen and Michael Schmidt from the Iowa Environmental Council.
During the presentations, the panelists discussed how nitrates occur naturally in our environment, and are not harmful in the low doses that come from natural sources alone. The presenters shared data on high levels of nitrates in drinking water sources, specifically in Iowa and Wisconsin. The nitrate levels have been traced back to runoff and groundwater infiltration from excess fertilizer use, animal manure, and sewage/septic systems. Ingesting high levels of nitrates in drinking water has been connected to a number of serious conditions, such as cancers and low oxygen levels in infants. The speakers also highlighted that this issue affects private wells and homeowners may not have the resources to test and see if their water is safe.
When it came to policy recommendations, there was significant agreement between Iowa Environmental Council and Clean Wisconsin. The speakers encouraged lawmakers to improve water monitoring and reporting, reexamine and adjust the allowable level of nitrates in drinking water, create incentive programs to discourage nutrient loss from fields, develop statewide manure management policies, reforming tile drainage oversight, and consider nitrates in statewide nutrient management plans.
The Great Lakes-St. Lawrence Legislative Caucus focuses on five policy areas, including nutrient management and toxic substances and is committed to providing resources to legislators on improving drinking water quality and preventing contamination.
If you would like to watch the web meeting or read any of the panelists’ research and policy recommendations, click here to visit the event page on the GLLC website