Dairy farm pollution oversight said lax
BURLINGTON, Vt. --A new report says the state of Vermont isn't doing enough to stem water pollution coming from dairy farms. But state officials say they're acting "aggressively" on the problem.
In a 17-page report, the Conservation Law Foundation said its review of records on file with the state Agency of Agriculture found that several large and medium farms have illegally discharged waste. On a number of farms, inspectors found manure or other pollutants running into streams, and the records show there was inadequate follow-up on the problems, according to the report.
The Conservation Law Foundation says the state Agency of Natural Resources should become the agency responsible for oversight of water pollution issues on farms, and that the state needs to spend more money to help farmers install pollution control measures.
George Crombie, secretary of the Agency of Natural Resources, says the state does joint farm inspections by ANR and the Agriculture Agency.
"We went to all of them," he said. "We are on it, we are managing it, we are working with these farmers," he said.
State Agency of Agriculture Secretary Roger Allbee blasted the report as misleading and an attack on Vermont dairy farmers.
"Once again, the Conservation Law Foundation has gotten it wrong. First, they blamed wastewater treatment facilities and now they're going after farmers," he said.
Phosphorus runoff from all sources is the problem, according to Allbee, who said the report would make it more difficult for farmers to make a living and hamper Vermont's efforts to keep a working landscape.
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Information from: The Burlington Free Press, http://www.burlingtonfreepress.com 