Here & Now

Jim Zellmer on How the DNR Approaches Nitrate Contamination

Frederica Freyberg:

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. Thanks for being here.

Jim Zellmer:

Good morning, thanks for having me.

Frederica Freyberg:

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?

Jim Zellmer:

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. Unfortunately we ran out of time. We have a 30-month window by law to complete our rulemaking and we just could not reach consensus with all of our stakeholders to move that rule forward. So we stopped that rulemaking. We continued the discussions working with our stakeholders on making progress, really for that shared goal of reducing nitrate contamination to the groundwater.

Frederica Freyberg:

Has that worked, working through it even in the absence of the enactment of those updated rules?

Jim Zellmer:

Yeah, we continue to work with our stakeholders and we have been very impressed. Obviously with work with our sister agency, Department of Ag, also with the University of Wisconsin on really providing the agri-business with the tools they need to properly manage, to apply their fertilizer, be it either in commercial purchased fertilizer or manure to make the maximum use of it, 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 to farmers. Learning from each other what works, what doesn’t. We’re seeing some good success with that.

Frederica Freyberg:

Would it be important in your mind to have those updated rules to make sure that we attain and maintain clean drinking water? Or are we okay where we are with the status quo?

Jim Zellmer:

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 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 again work together to reduce the nitrate contamination.

Frederica Freyberg:

Given experts declare nitrate contamination from ag sources is Wisconsin’s most common groundwater contaminant, are CAFOs or these concentrated animal feeding operations getting new scrutiny?

Jim Zellmer:

They continue to get scrutiny. They have been heavily scrutinized and they continue to be scrutinized. We’re very encouraged by a number of the CAFOs, now I believe we have eight of the CAFOs working on wastewater treatment facilities for their operation. We also have a new organic biodigester 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, use it again for fertilizer and then the solids can be used for bedding and other purposes on the farm. So again, very encouraging some of the things going on.

Frederica Freyberg:

For people suffering with contaminated wells right now, I know there is a new well compensation and abandonment program funded with $10 million in ARPA money. How are will that go and how can people access that program?

Jim Zellmer:

Very good. Thank you for that question. So as you had said, Governor Evers allotted $10 million to expand that well compensation program that can be used for obviously drilling a new well deeper to find a safe source of water, installing treatment or connecting to a nearby, either another private well or a public water supply. 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 and the first thing that comes up will be this ARPA well compensation program. It talks about eligibility, application process pretty easy to fill out. We really encourage people to use that program.

Frederica Freyberg:

Good info. Jim Zellmer, DNR, thanks very much.

Jim Zellmer:

Thank you so much.