- [Announcer] Wheelan-Pressly Funeral Home and Crematory, a proud supporter of WQPT has been serving quad city families since 1889.

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- Why can't Illinois stop runoff pollution into our rivers and streams?

And students battling hunger, sometimes among themselves in The Cities.

(upbeat music) The 35th annual student hunger drive now in full swing, but we take a look at the root cause of the problem, and ask why the problem still remains.

But first, nutrient runoff, it sounds like something that doesn't really impact each one of us, but it does.

Throughout Iowa and Illinois, runoff from farm fields, parking lots, and your front lawn are all contributing to problems in our rivers, and at the end of the Mississippi river in what is becoming an ever-growing dead zone.

A new report on the Illinois efforts to cut down on runoff paints an inconsistent picture of the state's efforts.

We talked with Catie Gregg, from the Prairie Rivers Network about the state's new findings, and what it means after millions of dollars have been spent to address the problem.

Catie, the 2021 biannual report shows worsening conditions in the state of Illinois regarding nitrate and phosphorus levels in the water.

I mean, there's been so much attention to this.

Are you surprised that the levels are getting worse?

- Not really.

This is the third report in six years that is showing worsening conditions.

So we were hoping it would not be increasingly worse.

That's that's the thing that we're- - [Jim] Right, right.

You know, but it seems to be getting even worse than last year, not just that we're going in the wrong direction so.

- Well, but is a lot of the blame to be put on the extensive flooding that we saw?

- So like, I think you're talking about 2019.

I mean, that was a record-breaking flood, but that's not an outlier.

It's just, you know, part of the trend.

Every year we're seeing more and more high-intensity storms in the Spring and Fall, and interestingly, a dry period in the summer.

So, you know, it's more this appears to be what we can expect moving forward.

You know, when the goals were first set for these reductions, you know, we looked, researchers looked at the baseline period, and kind of made some predictions.

They did not anticipate that the conditions would be getting worse.

I mean, what this means is that our current farming practices are just less well-adapted to our environment than they used to be.

- I think that's very interesting because I mean, when you're looking at where the source of the problem is, how much of a percentage is it that it is farm runoff, as opposed to let's say urban runoff, you know, storm sewer systems, how much of it seems to be a rural contributor?

- So agriculture is the major source of nutrient pollution in Illinois.

And in most of the Midwest, it's 80% of the nitrate, and 50% of the phosphorus comes from farm runoff.

The second largest contributor is actually not stormwater, but wastewater.

And they've actually been making progress.

You know, I mean, it's a completely different system, and they've been seeing reductions.

So again, kind of frustrating to see.

When we look at the fact that we're going in the opposite direction, that includes the fact that we have basically erased the benefits that we are seeing by our wastewater treatment plants.

- Yeah that would be disheartening at best.

I was looking, because when I read the report, the bi-annual report, it comes out every two years as you pointed out, to kind of look at Illinois to try to get to, and we'll talk about it, the effort, the goal to reduce nitrogen and phosphorus by 45% by 2025.

- Um.

- Okay.

- Actually, so the end goal is 45%.

That is kind of not a specified time.

We have an interim goal that is 15% reduction of nitrate and 25% for phosphorus, and that's by 2025.

- Okay, and then it's just, it's incremental, as you said, it keeps stepping up.

- There is like, it's kind of like there's that one interim goal, and then there's kind of this vague, eventually we'd like to get to a 45% reduction.

- [Jim] Right.

- Yeah, but it hasn't really been specified.

I think that's a lot of what our, and I think many states are struggling with is these kind of open-ended goals really don't encourage states to make it the priority that it needs to be.

- Sure, sure.

But what is interesting, and I wanted to get to this in the report, and this is from the Illinois Fertilizer and Chemical Association, that said almost 90% of farmers, corn farmers in particular, were following the University of Illinois recommended application date, and the fall ammonia fertilizer applied with a nitrification inhibitor.

And about 74% of total nitrogen fertilizer rate was within the recommended range.

In other words, it seems like farmers are doing the best they can.

So where does the problem lie?

- Well, this is a common misconception actually the Illinois Fertilizer and Chemical Association, you know, knows this, and probably appreciates me saying this that, you know, it's not just about over-application.

That is one of the issues, but it's like maybe 10% of the problem.

The biggest part of the problem is a lot more complicated.

And it's about the biology.

We are creating systems that are leaking, and it has to do with multiple practices that are used.

And that means that it's not just fertilizer.

You know, you put in some fertilizer, and some of it doesn't get held in the soil, it runs off.

But also that nitrogen and phosphorus that has been stored in the soil is being released.

So, I mean, that's.

- So it's not necessarily new application.

It can be, as you said.

- It's part of the problem, it definitely is.

But if we just like, you know, said, okay, "Everyone's gonna apply this amount of fertilizer."

You know, we would, we would see some reductions, but we wouldn't solve this whole problem.

- And, and why should anyone care?

I mean, I think the key thing here is, is that you've got to remember that these chemicals generally start to choke out the oxygen in the water supply, is that not it?

And then you create these algae plumes, and as we're gonna point out, the dead zone at the Gulf of Mexico at the terminus of the Mississippi river.

- Yeah, so I mean, it's not only a contribution.

Well, the cause actually of the dead zone in the Mississippi, gosh, the Gulf of Mexico at the bottom of the Mississippi river, but it also causes algal blooms locally.

And oftentimes these are something that's labeled harmful algal blooms, which, when they die off, they don't just use up the oxygen.

You described it very well when they're decomposing, but they can also release toxins that are in their cells that can have neurotoxins, cause liver damage.

And these are dangerous to people, their pets, who maybe, you know, more likely jump into that slimy water than people will, and also wildlife.

And then on top of that, like a whole separate issue is the fact that nitrate is a drinking water contaminant, and one that is rising in our public water, and from what we know also in our private wells.

- And so, yeah, I mean, so I think that we have to underline that is that it does impact all of us.

- Yes, and Illinois's impacted.

You know, it's not just about downstream, which matters, but we are seeing an impact locally.

And I think that's really something that should get more attention.

- How important is it?

And I know that the Prairie Rivers Network is part of the formulation of these biannual reports.

How important are these reports?

I mean, is it a report card, or is it more to it than that?

- You know, I feel like it was meant to be more than it has become, you know, it was meant to be a strategy, and a strategy is, how are we gonna get this done?

And what it's often come out as is, you know, we track our progress, which is important, because if we weren't tracking our progress, if we didn't have these super gauges monitoring what's coming out of our rivers, if we didn't have, you know, at least some tracking of how many practices are on the ground, you know, we wouldn't know that we're going in the wrong direction.

So, I mean, it has a lot of value in that sense, but it really was meant to be a strategy, and a strategy is forward-looking, it is, you know, setting goals.

And often, you know, we have this interim goal, but we kind of need interim goals to the interim goal.

I mean, either annual or bi-annual where we say, "Okay, what can we achieve in this period?"

And it might not be everything we'd like to see, but if we're not reaching, we're never gonna get there.

- Well, and that's really a good point, if we're not reaching, and not only not reaching the goals, but not reaching the people, and repeatedly in the report it did point out that there were summits, there've been educational sessions.

There have been meetings that have drawn thousands of people.

So I would assume just getting all the stakeholders to talk about the problem, you know, the farming community, or as we were saying, the chemical community, the environmentalist, not getting them all together and talking about it and raising awareness, I think, would be a bad problem if it wasn't occurring.

And that seems to be occurring, and doesn't Illinois get credit for that?

- I mean, it's an essential part of this.

It's very important, but we cannot measure success based on people showing up, and how much people know about the problem.

If we're not seeing progress in reducing the problem, you know, I mean, eventually it has to be concrete measures of reductions.

- So talk is cheap, and you can talk the talk, but do you walk, the walk?

Is basically what you're saying.

- Yeah.

- So how do you get to that second point?

How do you actually implement the real changes that are needed?

- Well, I mean, for one, we have really spent a large portion of these last six years simply defending programs that we already had.

I mean, with the budgeting pass it kind of, we started off on a really bad foot.

Where we were, you know, trying to keep our soil and water conservation districts funded, trying not to leave federal dollars on the table.

And so, I mean, that's, I think to explain a lot of what's been going on, but now that we've finally been, you know, in the last couple years we've had our first new funding from the state for programs like the Fall Covers for Spring Savings Program.

But even still, we are working with hundreds of thousands of acres of conservation practices on the ground.

And we need to be working on millions.

Like that's, what's in all the scenarios in the strategy is millions.

And in the next four years, we need to be getting millions additional acres every year.

And like I said, that's just an order of magnitude greater than what we're doing right now.

And so those are the kinds of conversations I don't see as much in the strategy.

I see conversations about what we have done looking backwards.

And if we just keep on looking backwards, we're gonna keep on at the same pace as we've been doing.

And we might eventually see some reductions, but they're gonna be so slow, and they're not gonna hit our goals in the timeline that's been set by a long shot.

- Catie Gregg, from the Prairie Rivers Network.

And in a moment, students fighting hunger.

But first, Laura Adams is marking the first full week of October by falling into some great events for you to experience if you go out and about.

(electronic music) - [Laura] This is Out and About for October 8th through 14th.

Check out the Pearl City Vintage Market in Muscatine, the 9th from 10 to three, or the Cambridge United Methodist 31st annual Fall review, an indoor craft show from eight to two on the 9th.

Plus Mercado on 5th features great food and music in an outdoor event from five to 10 every Friday on 5th avenue in Moline.

On stage, Disenchanted the musical at Circa '21 continues.

Company, the musical comedy with music by Stephen Sondheim, opens at the black box theater in downtown Moline, and runs through October 16th.

Miss Nelson is Missing, the musical based on the well-loved children's books onstage at the Brunner theater, the ninth and 10th.

And you still have time to catch six dance lessons in six weeks at Playcrafters Barn Theatere.

Up close with Ballet Quad cities, A Soldier's Tale with musicians from the Quad City symphony orchestra perform at Galvin Fine Arts, the ninth at 7:30.

While Tomfoolery on Tremont at Renwick Mansion features comedy by Brent Ernst, the 10th.

There's plenty of Halloween fun with Holey Stumpkins!

At the Black Hawk State Park, the ninth, starting at five, or find thrills at the Factory of Fear Haunted House in Moline.

Terror at Skellington Manor, haunted house in Rock Island.

The QCCA Expo Center presents the QC Shock House, and Haunted Houses and Forests in Port Byron.

For more information, visit wqpt.org.

(music fading) - Thank you, Laura.

Jason Carl is a proud front man of the group, Jason Carl and the Whole Damn Band, but we caught up with him as he played some original work on the stage of Moline's Black Hawks Theater.

Here's Jason Carl with "Yazoo River."

(calm country music) ♪ I'm going down to Mississippi ♪ ♪ And up the Yazoo River in my dreams ♪ ♪ I'm going down the Mississippi ♪ ♪ And up the Yazoo River in my dreams ♪ ♪ Tomorrow I hope to make it down to New Orleans ♪ ♪ I met a girl ♪ ♪ She said he name was Penny ♪ ♪ I said you look more like a million bucks ♪ ♪ She took me to her ranch ♪ ♪ And I met her maid named Dot ♪ ♪ She said I hope you know I think you're crazy ♪ ♪ But good luck ♪ ♪ I'm going down the Mississippi ♪ ♪ And up the Yazoo River in my dreams ♪ ♪ I'm going down the Mississippi ♪ ♪ And up the Yazoo River in my dreams ♪ ♪ Tomorrow I hope to make it down to New Orleans ♪ ♪ I met a man named Tony ♪ ♪ He served me drinks.

♪ ♪ He said you know down here a dollar goes a long way ♪ ♪ And so I gave him all my dollar bills ♪ ♪ He appreciated them more than I did anyway ♪ ♪ And I saw the flashing lights ♪ ♪ And I heard a song that I'd forgotten ♪ ♪ And then I harvested the vegetables ♪ ♪ That the ignorant man thought were rotten ♪ ♪ I'm going down the Mississippi ♪ ♪ And up the Yazoo River in my dreams ♪ ♪ I'm going down the Mississippi ♪ ♪ And up the Yazoo River in my dreams ♪ ♪ Tomorrow I hope to make it down to New Orleans ♪ (curious country music) ♪ Tomorrow I hope to make it down to New Orleans ♪ (guitar strumming) - Jason Carl, "Yazoo River."

A song he first featured in 2013 on his album with the group Jason Carl and the Whole Damn Band.

Students from 16 area high schools who more often than not our opponents in sports, are coming together to collect food for the 23 counties served by the River Bend food bank.

There is competition between the schools, but together they've helped collect 15 million meals since 1986.

We talked with Mike Miller, Executive Director of the River Bend food bank.

What do you expect from this year's drive?

More than last year?

- You know, well, there's a couple things that are gonna make it, you know, unique this year.

First off is just getting back right after the enthusiasm.

So typically, you know, after doing it year after year, after year, there's kind of a handoff.

If you will, from the seniors to the juniors, cause this is a student-led activity.

The teachers don't lead it.

The food bank doesn't lead it.

The student leaders do it, and we missed a year.

And so we just had the student leadership training earlier this week.

And, you know, we had a lot.

There were a lot of new faces in the room.

And so that's gonna get us some kind of renewed enthusiasm.

And we're excited about that in terms of seeing what these kids come up with.

The second piece of it, because we know there might be some reluctance to have close contact that people who may want to support the student hunger drive, but haven't before, we've created some virtual options.

So that's not been the case before.

If somebody doesn't want to have direct contact with the student, but still wants to support the school.

There's a way online to get on, make a donation, and put that toward the school you want to support.

- Let's talk about hunger right now because it's one in eight children in Iowa and Illinois, one in 10 adults still are in need.

Why is that still the case?

Cause it's 2021, we have food banks that are open.

We have schools that are feeding kids.

Why is this still such a problem today?

- Well, it's a couple of things, Jim.

I mean, first off, as you and I've talked about before, there's enough food to feed everyone.

We're just throwing it away.

This country throws away one third of the food we produce.

And that would be enough to feed everyone.

We just have to commit to not throwing away food.

That could still be eaten by someone in need.

But then there's some systemic issues, right?

I mean, as we've had kind of the growth of the economy, and some people doing great, there's other people who don't have anything to stock market.

So what's, you know, so the stock market doesn't help them.

And there's some kind of systemic issues that the people that we get food to have to deal with, and we're trying to help them with those as well.

- Cause one of the issues is that it seems like America has enough food, but when you're looking at these statistics, it's whether or not people have access to food, what does that mean?

- Right, so yes, you've seen River Bend food bank.

You've seen the 300 food pantries that the partner agencies that we support in getting food to.

But there are folks who can't get to one, or there are folks out in rural areas that don't have one anywhere nearby.

There's all kinds of reasons that even though, you know, anybody calls us, we've got a place they can get food.

And if folks are out there and need it, please come get it, cause that's why we're here, who just have trouble getting there.

- And so often it's falling on children too.

- Well, that's the, you know, that's where we can all agree, right?

I mean, in kind of, given the political vitriol of the day, we might get an argument about what should one do with the hungry adult?

I would be one to say, "Look, we're throwing away enough food to feed them.

So let's situate, get that to them."

But nobody argues about feeding the children.

I mean, imagine a child sitting in school right now who doesn't know where dinner's coming from.

Those kids have such a harder time, you know, succeeding.

What do they care about?

Conjugating verbs or solving for X if they don't know when they're gonna eat next.

And that's not this kid's fault, and we ought to get them fed.

- Well, and you really underlined another issue is that it's not just a urban problem.

It is a rural problem as well, which is somewhat a slap in the face because our rural area's so well-known for farming.

- That's right.

I mean, this is a real conundrum, right?

In the rural areas that do so much to help feed America is where there is so much need to also help get those folks fed.

- And we'd see time and time again, that it's also a minority issue.

I mean, the number of minority people that are in need of food or access to food tends to be the largest share of the public that you're trying to serve.

- Yeah, that's a great point, Jim.

People of color are two and a half times less likely to have enough food than white folks are.

And I get that's again another issue where kind of people line up on different places, but whatever it is in our society that makes that true, it's mission central for us to do something about, because there's nothing about the color of someone's skin that should affect whether or not they have enough food.

- How well are your storage right now?

I mean, cause you feed how many counties?

I want to say, 21.

- 23 now, we added one recently, it did go up to 23.

- So 23 counties that you serve, 20 food shelters, and you're the food bank that distributes it.

How are your supplies right now?

And are they getting to these shelters?

- So we're doing okay.

You know, we kind of, we weathered the storm of COVID, the need jumped 50% in COVID, there was a legitimate concern that we would run out of food.

And we did a good job, our team, of staying ahead of that and really thankful, the vast majority of those 300 food pantries stayed open.

And in some now we changed how we do things, right?

So we might've been doing like drive-through distributions rather than having people come in.

And you know, we kept the food moving.

You know, supplies are okay right now.

They're not, they're better than they were during the height of the pandemic when we were worried about running out of food, but we don't carry a lot of excess stock.

We carry about a month's worth of inventory because food on our shelves doesn't feed anybody.

So we're emptying those shelves every month, and then just, you know, dependent upon the community to help refill them.

- Student hunger drive is your biggest drive for food.

Tell me what the impact is at the end of those six weeks.

- Yeah, so it's multifold, Jim, it really.

So first off is the amount of food they collect.

They're gonna, you know, the students are gonna collect hundreds of thousands of meals over the next six weeks.

It'll be, you know, it'll be somewhere between a quarter million and a half million meals that they're able to put together.

And that's wonderful.

The second thing is that it's a great variety of food.

A lot of times the donations that we get, you know, we might have a cereal plant send us a whole truckload of cereal, or a cannery send us a whole truckload of vegetables, but you know, the students collect a whole variety of food.

And so as we're, we'll stretch that out over quite a few months of kind of mixing this variety of food that they give us with kind of like that whole truckload of cereal so that the food we distribute out to pantries is a nice variety.

But then the last thing that is unique to our community is because this has been going on for 35 years, we have an entire generation of Quad citizens who have an orientation toward the hunger issue because of their experience in the student hunger drive.

And now they're sending their children to have that experience.

And there's not another community in the country that has that kind of legacy, like we do with the student hunter drive.

- Mike Miller, Executive Director of the River Bend Food Bank.

On the air, on the radio, on the web, on your mobile device, and streaming on your computer.

Thanks for taking some time to join us as we talk about the issues on The Cities.

(calm music) - [Announcer] Wheelan-Pressly Funeral Home and Crematory, a proud supporter of WQPT has been serving quad city families since 1889.

They now have livestream capabilities for viewing your loved one's funeral or memorial service.

- [Announcer] At IHMVCU, we've always been here for you.

You are, and always will be our top priority.

We care about your financial and physical health.

And we are here.

IHMVCU is a proud supporter of WQPT.