Star Tribune investigation makes it clear: Ag pollution contaminating drinking water

The Star Tribune article features rural community members like Arlene Nelson (above), who owns an organic dairy farm near Whitewater State Park and has had to dig a deeper well to try and find clean drinking water for her family and their cows.

Photo: Brian Peterson, Star Tribune

Minnesotas 8 million acres of corn are regularly injected with nitrogen fertilizer — chemicals that contaminate surface and groundwater and have been linked to cancer and other serious illnesses. A recent Star Tribune investigative article, Poison on tap, by Josephine Marcotty highlights the impact of nitrate poisoning on families and communities in agricultural areas.

In the article, FMR Executive Director Whitney Clark points out the inadequacy of our nearly 40-year-old system of voluntary farm pollution reduction. "There are no mechanisms to curtail the huge loading of pollution, nutrients and sediment from agricultural runoff," said Clark. "We have to find a new way to do that."

The article also exemplifies industrial agricultural representatives continued effort to deny the scope and cause of the problem. While the Minnesota Agricultural Water Resources Coalition continues to call for additional studies and place blame elsewhere, Poison on tap makes it clear agricultural runoff is at fault and neither additional study nor delay are warranted.

Says Clark Minnesotans clearly want to see solutions to our pollution problems put in place without delay. FMR will continue to advocate for much-needed runoff reforms.