New Mexico's dairy industry may soon have a revised set of rules that both farmers and environmental advocates can agree on.
The agreement reached between representatives for the dairy industry, environmental groups and state officials was presented at a public hearing in Roswell, New Mexico, on Monday. The hearing, which was scheduled to go on for five days, lasted less than six hours.
It happened very quickly. It was a little bit of a surprise to all of us, but we're very happy that we were able to reach an agreement.
Dal Moellenberg, G&K Shareholder Representing the Dairies
At issue is a set of rules enacted in 2011 that deal primarily with how dairies manage wastewater and monitor groundwater. The industry appealed the current set of rules calling them overly burdensome and costly. Environmental groups, such as the Sierra Club, contend the rules are in place to prevent groundwater contamination. Six years ago the state environment department found that more than 50 percent of dairies in New Mexico were leeching high levels of nitrates.
***
Click here to read the Fronteras article by reporter Monica Ortiz Uribe.