Ag Protests Fee Impositions, Supports Management Effort
(Continued from Paga Ai) Opposition to the SRBCpropos- River were to drop to a flow of proposed regulations. That was line, those farms which would
al focused on several points: 1,250 million-gallons per day (the done because the commission can exceed the 20,000 gallons per day
• That agricultural land contri- lowest drought on record), 43 per- act on a resolution anytime without threshhold would be those who
butes more water to the surface cent of the water flowing in the having to go through the proce- spray irrigate six acres or more at a
flows of the Susquehanna River Susquehanna would never make it dures associated with a change in rate of 1-inch per week; livestock
Basin than it uses compared to to the Chesapeake Bay because it regulations. operations with 2,000 or more
other water users targeted for would be taken out and consumed Consumptive Use feeder hogs, or 600 sows in a far
inclusion in a fee structure. by people, animals, plants and “Consumptive” water use is that row to finish operation; poultry
• That the SRBC doesn’t have industry. use which transforms water into a operations with more than 260,000
sound justification for holding that The projection is that, by the form that can not be returned to the layers, more than 590,000 broilers;
irrigated land is a 100-percent con- year 2010,61 percent of the flow- flows of the basin. and dairy operations with more
sumptive use of water. ing water during a severe drought Fees collected in lieu of some than 500 milk cows.
• That the value of the end pro- would never get to the other water conservation measures Some earlier reports of esti
duct from agricultural consump- Chesapeake. to make up the difference in water mates ranged.
live water uses (food) is very high. In other words, growth in the needed during low flow periods Paul Swartz, SRBC executive
compared to most other uses, such basin has increased to the point are to be used for the purchase of director, said that according to the
as watering lawns. that single entities drawing out and stored water in reserviors located data they’ve been able to review,
• That more information and consuming large amounts of water within the basin. the total number of agricultural
education on the proposal should are posing threats to the availabili- If an entity registered to with- operations which would be
be made available and that more ty of water during drought and drawal water from the basin for affected by the consumptive use
time should be allowed for the actually making it more difficult to consumptive use could not create proposal would be from 500 to
public to understand the complex!- maintain flows during low flows an emergency backup water stor- 600, out of the 30,000 or so farms
ty of the issue and form opinions, normally expected every 10 years, age system for use during drought, estimated to be within the basin.
• That the economic impact to The negative implications of an or find a way to reduce water con- Furthermore, he said these are
the agricultural community would extremely low flow are many, but sumption below 20,000 gallons the larger more modem farms,
be greater than to other businesses the actual experience is one the per day, on a 30-day average, then implying that they carry a higher
because the costs of production SRBC is attempting to avert. they would have to pay a make-up negative impact on the environ
farming can not be passed on to Nevertheless, increased human fee of 14 cents per 1,000 gallons ment, rather than the historic fami
consumcrs. growth in the basin can be used on a year-around basis. ly farming operation that the gen
• That farming is a low profit- expected to make water availabili- In the proposal, agricultural eral public, by voter referendum,
margin business by nature and ty increasingly tighter. consumers would only have to has supported through farmland
additional costs in the form of The proposal by the SRBC makeup half of what they used, or preservation efforts,
registration fees, monitoring fees, would bring together for the first pay half the rate on a year-around It was then argued that size of an
or consumptive use fees would add time a series of regulations that it basis. operation doesn’t convey an abili
to a very narrow ability for farmer has created since its inception. That consumptive fee structure ly to pay.
survival. The proposal consists of three also would essentially be a cap on In response to questions about
• That any fees collected by the major parts the review and the size to which an agricultural the accuracy of the SRBC’s pro-
SRBC to purchase stored water approval of water withdrawal pro- operation could grow without hav- jeetions for water use, Swartz said
would not benefit those paying the jects; special regulations and stan- ing to make compensation for its the commission staff will “consult
fees. dards; and hearing and enforce- water use. with land grant universities in the
• That water storage alternatives ment actions. In a public hearing handout member states” to get a second
suggested by the SRBC are not But the proposal would elimi- compiled by John McSparran, opinion.
practical, or just don’t make sense, nate a suspension for agriculture SRBC chief engineer, the con- Application And
The attempt of SRBC regula- from compliance with a 1976 fee sumptive use regulation would Monitoring Fees
lions is to ensure that water structure associated with its reg- require agricultural operations The other part of the proposal
demand doesn’t exceed water ulations for consumptive water which consume more than 20,000 includes a one-time application fee
availability. use. gallons per day to make some form and then annual monitoring fees.
According to the SRBC, as it The fee structure is contained in of compensation for the water. Funds collected from those fees
stands now, if the Susquehanna a resolution separate from the As an SRBC-provided guide- (Turn to Pag* A2B)
enacted in 1976.
Previously, water companies
were held exempt from the regula
tions, while the regulations were
held suspended for agriculture.
The actual commission mem
bers are the three respective heads
of each stale’s natural resources
agency and the U.S. secretary of
interior, who is currently Bruce
Babbit. The secretary of interior is
the chairman.
The commission members are to
receive copies of the transcripts
from the public hearings. The
commission meets next 10 a.m.,
July 14, at the Tidewater Inn, in
Gaston Md.
Following the meeting, at 1:30
p.m., in the same building, the
SRBC is to hold its last scheduled
public hearing on the proposal.
The first hearings were held in
New York last week and other
hearings are scheduled to be held
Wednesday in Maryland. (See the
Lancaster Farming Calendar of
Events.)
According to Richard Cairo,
secretary and general counsel to
the commission, comments made
during the early hearings were
similar to those received Tuesday
during two hearings in
Harrisburg one held in the
morning at the Pa. Game Commis
sion headquarters, and the other in
the evening at the SRBC headquar
ters on the east bank of the
Susquehanna.
The morning session was held in
an auditorium and about ISO peo
ple attended. The evening meeting
saw fewer attend. However, space
at the SRBC headquarters is lim
ited. Some who attended the morn
ing session also were at the even
ing hearing.
Roller/Blower Mills
ike blower mills are built (or courts cracking high
isturs shsll corn and blowing It Into vortical silos,
•war mills are equipped with Henke’s 7 Inch diameter
isl rolls and 60 inch blowers. Blower mills are
(liable with 36 Inch or 45 Inch roll lengths.
HENKE
HutsJfW*-
1 -800-228-1 405
THE NEW WHITE LINE FROM
HENKE
KwikKrusher
Tht Hanka KwlkKurahar la built to procaaa aithar dry or high
molatura aar com. Tha KwlkKruahar la aqulppad with 7 Inch diamatar
ataal rolla manufaeturad In our own plant. Tha KwlkKurahar la
avallabla In 24 Inch and 36 Inch modala with aithar an alavator
dlaeharga or with a blowar dlaeharga for filling vortical alloa
Henke Machine, Inc.
Call For Dealer Nearest To You
3330 E. 23rd St. Columbus, NE 68602
Lancaster Farming, Saturday, July 2,1994-A27
min. ;
i i up. r
>• '
Kwikgrinder 600
Th# Hank* Kwikgrlndar la a portabla heavy duty, hi
capacity grindar daalgnad to quickly procaaa lai
volumaa of animal faada and othar agriculti
commodltlaa. A hydraulic motor, with poaltlva chi
drive around tha tub baaa, rotate* th* tub
dalivara material* Into th* path of th* high apt
hammer*. Th* Kwlf Indar la daalgnad to grind bal
atovar, small grain, cottonsssd hulls, strl
bark and bsddlng matarlals with manura.
HENKE
1 -800-228-1 405
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