MONTPELIER, Vt. (AP) - Farmers in Vermont say they are being unfairly blamed for phosphorus runoff that is causing aggressive algae growth in Lake Carmi.
A group of farmers located near the Franklin lake filled the Statehouse on Thursday during a joint hearing on how to clean up the waterway.
They came with University of Vermont Agronomist Heather Darby, who said farmers are not over-applying phosphorus. She says new data shows farmers are using nutrient management practices on their land.
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Farmer Denna Benjamin told lawmakers “farmers are not the problem - we are part of the solution.”
A representative with the Agency of Agriculture says algae blooms have appeared in the lake since 1860. She says it’s going to take a “significant number of years” to reverse the damage of phosphorus pollution.
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