WISCONSIN - At their October meeting, the State of Wisconsin Natural Resources Board voted to send the proposed scope statement for the rule making process Governor Evers has directed DATCP, DNR and DHS to undertake to address nitrate contamination of well water around the state to public hearings. That process, if approved to move forward, will develop ‘Sensitive Area’ rules for areas of the state with vul-nerable hydro-geologies. Examples of areas that could be included would be counties in western Wiscon-sin with an underlying frac-tured karst geology overlain by shallow soils, areas in central Wisconsin with sandy soils and shallow aquifers, and more.

The statement of scope may be reviewed at and comments made at https;//docs.legis.wisconsin.gov/code/scope_statements/comment . Comments must be received by November 8, at 11:59 p.m. Oral and writ-ten comments can also be provided at the public hear-ings. The agency contact person regarding the hear-ings is Emma Esch, DNRAdministrativeR-ules@wisconsin.gov, 608-266-1959.

Public hearings on the proposed scope statement will be held at the Hancock Research Station, just south of Stevens Point, on No-vember 6, to 2:30 p.m.; Blackhawk Technical Col-lege in Janesville on No-vember 6, 1 to 2:30 p.m.; and the Fond du Lac campus of UW-Oshkosh, on November 7, 1:30 to 3 p.m.