Cost-share program offered in Lake Erie watershedFarmers living in the Lake Erie watershed region may apply for cost-share assistance to construct new secondary containers around bulk fertilizer and pesticide storage tanks, helping them comply with the law and protect the environment. According to Ohio Farm Bureau Vice President for Government Affairs Keith Stimpert, "Farmers have been planning how they are going to address this impending fertilizer regulation for existing storage, and this type of cost share program can be very helpful to many." The Ohio Department of Agriculture (ODA), in cooperation with local Soil and Water Conservation Districts (SWCD) and the Natural Resources Conservation Service, was recently awarded a $100,000 grant from the Ohio Lake Erie Commission. The funds will be distributed to farmers through a cost-share program, which will pay up to 70 percent of the construction cost, with a maximum amount of $2,500 per person. Eligible counties are Allen, Ashtabula, Auglaize, Crawford, Cuyahoga, Defiance, Erie, Fulton, Geauga, Hancock, Hardin, Henry, Huron, Lake, Lorain, Lucas, Medina, Mercer, Ottawa, Paulding, Portage, Putnam, Sandusky, Seneca, Summit, Trumbull, Van Wert, Williams, Wood, Wyandot and parts of Ashland, Marion, Richland, Shelby and Stark. Farmers in an eligible county can submit an application to their local SWCD until Dec. 31. Applications are available through ODA or SWCD. Recipients will be based on factors including the distance to the waters of the state and total amount of fertilizer and pesticide to be stored within the containment facility. All construction must be completed by Sept. 1, 2004. The Ohio Department of Agriculture inspects on-farm storage facilities for design, location and installation. Under Ohio law, all existing on-farm fertilizer storage more than 5,000 gallons must have a secondary containment facility in place by Jan. 1, 2007. All newly constructed on-farm fertilizer storage of the same size must have a secondary containment facility in place immediately. For more information, contact the department's Feed and Fertilizer Section at 614-728-9817. | |