DelMarvaNow - Congressman Harris Wants Md. Phosphorus Regulations to Come Out Right

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By Jennifer Shutt

Eastern Shore Congressman Andy Harris said Friday that if the state's implementation of the phosphorus management tool does not come out right for farmers, he'll take action at the federal level.

During the Eastern Shore delegation's weekly meeting in Annapolis, Harris said he would seek to change the allotment of federal money flowing to the state if the change doesn't go well for farmers.

"Federal funds flow into the state, and if the state comes up with farmer-unfriendly policies that can harm the economy on the Eastern Shore, I may ask the federal departments to consider withholding money from the state of Maryland," said Harris, R-1st-Md.

The phosphorus management tool would change when and how much high-phosphorus chicken manure Maryland farmers could apply to their fields. It would impact Lower Shore farmers more than farmers in other sections of the state because of the higher phosphorus content of the soil.

Many of the farmers on the Eastern Shore also grow chickens. The waste byproduct is often used as free, natural manure.

The Maryland Department of Agriculture introduced and withdrew the regulations three times during 2013. The most recent effort has been withdrawn, but Secretary of Agriculture Buddy Hance has said the regulation will be implemented before Gov. Martin O'Malley leaves office next January.­

The tool itself will likely be phased in through a number of years to allow farmers time to change their business models.

He said the regulations coming out in the "right" way would mean farmers can still apply as much fertilizer as crops can absorb.

"They can't deny a farmer the ability to put down enough fertilizer to match the fertilizer that their crop will take up," Harris said. "To me, that's common sense."

Harris said regulations on the poultry industry are one of three main areas he's watching in the 1st Congressional District. The others are the relicensing and amount of sediment that gets through the Conowingo Dam near the top of the Chesapeake Bay and the cost of energy for Shore residents.

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