The Daily Standard's Nancy Allen reports that new manure and fertilizer rules are in the works. Highlights from the article include:
- Proposed legislation would create new statewide regulations for those who apply manure and manmade commercial fertilizers to farmland.
- Officials previously said the rules, expected to be introduced in the state legislature this year, would apply only to manmade fertilizers.
- The draft legislation says anyone who applies manure or manmade fertilizer for agricultural production would be required to obtain certification from the ODA; a person could apply nutrients without a certification as long as he or she is directly supervised by a person who is certified.
- The rules would affect anyone with 10 acres or more of agricultural production land. The certification would be required of applicators within three years of the legislation becoming law.
- Certification courses likely would be offered by OSU Extension, which would contract with the ODA to provide the service, Pitchford Hawkins said.
- The proposed legislation also would require anyone who manufactures or distributes manmade commercial fertilizer for agriculture production to get a license from the ODA, which will enable the state to track sales of commercial fertilizer.