Currently, more than 175,000 Minnesotans live in communities with elevated nitrate levels (>3mg/L) in their drinking water. This problem is particularly bad in southeastern Minnesota. Consuming too much nitrate can affect how blood carries oxygen and studies suggest that nitrate exposure increases the risk of cancer, as well as increases heart rate, nausea, headaches, abdominal cramps, and more. Nitrate is also a serious risk to wildlife populations, particularly fish, and may affect local economies dependent on fishing and water recreation. According to the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA), more than 70% of nitrate pollution in Minnesota — 89% in southeastern Minnesota alone — is caused by commercial fertilizer and manure application. In the fall of 2023, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) called on Minnesota state agencies to take increased action in addressing chronic nitrate contamination of southeastern Minnesota’s groundwater.

We know that corporate, industrial-scale agriculture is a major source of this contamination. The current manure management program in our state does not hold Minnesota’s largest livestock operations accountable for their impact on our water and soil. By passing the costs of pollution on to the public, these enormous operations are allowed to become even more economically dominant in the markets, pushing more and more of our small and mid-sized farmers off the land.

By better stewarding our manure resources, we keep small and mid-sized farmers on the land and ensure clean drinking water for generations to come.

LSP’s Solution

LSP’s proposed manure management reform legislation (HF4630/SF4581), which is currently passing through the Minnesota Legislature, will:

• Lower the threshold for required manure management plans from 1,000 animal units to 500 animal units.
• Install testing wells in application fields identified in, or affected by, a manure management plan for baseline nutrient load levels as a part of approving a manure management plan.
• Require mapping of manure management plans to identify overlapping manure management plans and areas of potential over-application.
• Create a tiered fine system for failing to remedy a violation of approved manure management plans based on farm size and severity of the violation. Fines would be used to improve water quality in the fined feedlot’s watershed. (Bill to be amended to reflect that fines are not imposed unless the violation is not remedied.)
• Increase setbacks for manure application when it comes to municipal and private wells, hospitals, sinkholes, bodies of water, or wetlands.
• Increase county feedlot inspection rates from 7% of feedlots in the county annually to 20%.
• Increase MPCA feedlot inspection rates to once-per-year.
• Authorize the MPCA to accordingly amend feedlot rules, which have not been amended since the year 2000.

Join us in demonstrating the demand for manure management reform and clean water in Minnesota by signing onto our manure management reform petition.

—To Sign the Petition, Click Here—

Looking for Other Ways to Get Involved in Our Animal Agriculture Policy Work?

1) Join us for our “Animal Ag Day-at-the-Capitol” on April 17, from 11 a.m.- 4 p.m. in St. Paul. Click here to register.

2) Join our Campaign Action Meeting on April 23, from 7 p.m.-8 p.m., over Zoom. Click here to register.