He says Ottertail County is an especially sensitive area. The underground aquifers are close to the surface and sandy soil allows water laden with fertilizer and chemicals to quickly reach the groundwater. Some researchers say there is little danger because most farm chemicals break down quickly, before they can get to the groundwater. John Hines says it's true most break down in a few hours to a few days, but they don't just disappear. A lot of the compounds break down where the breakdown compounds are different from the parent compound and you can't monitor for the breakdown compound, yet that's the one of concern.
Several agencies are responsible for regulating irrigated farmland.
The Department of Natural Resources grants permits for the irrigation water, the Agriculture Department oversees farm chemicals and monitors possible pollution. The state Health Department tests public water supplies for many contaminants, including some farm chemicals. But responsibility for broad pesticide monitoring lies with the Agriculture Department, and the department says there isn't money for a widespread monitoring program. Willard Munger says farmers should pay for monitoring. He suggests some kind of tax on the billions of gallons of water used to irrigate crops.