‘Win-Win’ measure reduces agricultural pollution while providing income for farmers
MADISON… Several Legislative initiatives authored by Senator André Jacque (New Franken) to support farmers and protect the Wisconsin agricultural industry passed the Assembly today. Among those is bi-partisan Senate Bill 78, which is aimed at helping Wisconsin farmers generate income while reducing runoff pollution through the agricultural best practice of manure composting. This legislation passed the Assembly Thursday on a voice vote, and will now be sent to Governor Tony Evers for a possible signature.
Current law requires a fertilizer distributed in Wisconsin to contain a combined weight of nitrogen, phosphorous and potassium that is at least 24 percent of the total weight of the fertilizer unless the Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection (DATCP) promulgates a rule exempting the fertilizer, or DATCP grants a permit authorizing the distribution of the fertilizer as a nonagricultural or special-use fertilizer. This makes organic products which use composting unsellable in our state. SB 78 removes this regulatory barrier to the economic viability of manure composting.
“This clean water legislation is a ‘win-win’ measure that removes a barrier to making the environmental and agricultural best practice of manure composting more economically viable for Wisconsin farmers, while reducing the pressure on dairy farms to excessively spread manure,” said Jacque.
SB 78 passed the Senate on a voice vote last April. Representative Jeff Mursau (Crivitz) is the lead author in the Assembly.
“In talking to experts who work with farmers to address financial and logistical hurdles, it is clear that Wisconsin farmers who are looking to make this environmentally friendly change face regulatory obstacles,” said Jacque. “This bill will help our producers sell the valuable organic compounds produced through the composting process that have been shown to create a profit center in other states.”
Senator André Jacque represents Northeast Wisconsin’s First Senate District, consisting of Door and Kewaunee Counties and portions of Brown, Calumet, Manitowoc, and Outagamie counties.
