Governor Walker has announced the Kewaunee County area will have a biodigester to help protect the clean water supply.
Walker requested the Public Service Commission (PSC), Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection (DATCP) and the Department of Natural Resources (DNR) to coordinate resources to align digester technology to all sizes of dairy farms in environmentally sensitive areas of Wisconsin.
The goal of this effort is to alleviate water quality concerns in these areas. Well water in parts of Kewaunee County has tested positive for Salmonella, Rotavirus, and E. coli.
Biodigesters take manure and recycle it, while also producing biogas, which is similar to natural gas.
"Water quality is a top priority for us," Governor Walker said. "This joint effort is important progress and we will continue working toward a sustainable solution to ensure our natural resources remain viable for generations to come.
The state is already addressing recommendations made by the Kewaunee Groundwater Collaboration Workgroup.
A press release from Governor Walker's office explains that "when properly scaled and applied, digesters can reduce agricultural runoff and groundwater issues, spur economic development in rural communities, and create a renewable source of energy production in the form of biogas."
The PSC, DATCP and DNR will work together to make recommendations by December 1, 2016 that propose a tangible private sector response linking the application of digester technology to environmentally-sensitive areas of Wisconsin.
According to the Governor's office, a request for proposal should be ready to release publicly in January.
