Here we go again. The May 30 Star Tribune story read: Coalition targets farmers for cleanup of river sludge. The front page headline of West Central Tribune (Willmar) on May 30 read: Farmers under fire in water issue. The subhead read: Cities/conservationists say farm pollution has massive impact on Minnesota rivers. Farmers are squarely in the sites of several groups, agencies, even the MPCA as the main culprit in the muddy waters of Minnesota rivers. Apparently in a purposely staged 'media conference' on Tuesday, May 29, in the parking lot of MPCA's St. Paul headquarters buckets of mud brought in by various people were the focal point with farmers being blammed for most of the pollution but doing little to prevent the damage or fix it. And some rather amazing numbers were presented. Like these various 'voices' claim that farming produces about 84 percent of the 1 million tons of sediment depositied annually between Fort 'Snelling and Lake Pepin. The Star Tribune story used a rather preposterous graphic: a schematic of the Foshay Tower with the inference that 1 million tons would cover the entire block the height of the Foshay. A paragraph in the Star Tribune report reads: On the smaller but far more polluted Minnesota River, 10 cities will pay $175 million to help with the goal of reducing sediment 90 percent according to MPCA estimates. The bigger cleanup on the Mississippi River and Lake Pepin has a $843 million price tag to reduce pollution only 25 percent. So once again the stage is set. You may recall a January announcement of a voluntary federal program with cooperating farmers getting the equivalent of a public seal of approval plus access to cost-sharing federal money for using good conservation practices. Responded Minnesota Farmers Union President Doug Peterson, "You can't wave your hand and farm pollution disappears. It is going to take time to get a common sense menu in place." However Whitney Clarnk, executive director of Friends of the Mississippi River commented, "We can't rely on voluntary efforts by farmers. We need incentives to help them do the right thing. People do the things you require them to do; they don't do things you ask them nicely to do." In essence this city/conservation coalition is saying action is needed NOW!. They don't put much stock in a voluntary state-federal program. "We've been trying voluntary practices since the dust bowl." Stay tuned. This brouhaha is just beginning. |
