"Minnesota state agencies aren’t doing enough to prevent nitrates — a toxic byproduct of fertilizers and livestock manure — from entering drinking water in the southeast part of the state, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.
The EPA notified the Minnesota Department of Agriculture, the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency and the Minnesota Department of Health last week that Minnesota isn’t effectively identifying, notifying and assisting people in southeast Minnesota who have high levels of nitrate in their drinking water.
Southeast Minnesota is dominated by karst terrain, meaning water easily moves between the surface and underground, carrying with it runoff from the many livestock operations and crop fields in the region.
A more rigorous regulatory regime will face a key political obstacle: The powerful farm lobby, which is influential in both parties and has effectively resisted stricter limits on fertilizer pollution.
The EPA may not give Minnesota much choice, however. The agency can take emergency or enforcement action if the state doesn’t hold polluters — in this case, farmers — accountable for the nitrates in Minnesota’s water."
Madison McVan reports for the Minnesota Reformer November 9, 2023.
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