Brownback continues push on long-term plan for state’s water supply By Donna Sullivan, Editor Cabinet that will include “The keys to success are evident to maintain credibil- To an audience of more representation from the based on the foundation of a ity with the public,” Brown- than 650 attendees with a va- Kansas Water Office, Kansas shared understanding of back said. “Serious, mean- riety of water interests, Gov. Department of Agriculture water resource needs and ingful goals must be in Sam Brownback and the and Kansas Department of agreement among the major- place, local leadership must Water Vision Team present- Health and Environment. ity of stakeholders on the have shown their commit- ed the second draft of the Brownback will also estab- goals Kansas and its citizens ment to taking necessary ac- Long Term Vision for the lish a Blue Ribbon Task are trying to achieve,” tions to guarantee a long- Future of Water Supply in Force to develop adequate Brownback stated. “While term water supply, Phase 1 Kansas that was developed funding for resource man- goals are important, the ap- items should be at least 75% throughout the past year in agement and protection, propriate tools need to be complete and significant de- response to the Governor’s which will include both pub- readily available, stakehold- velopment of additional challenge at last year’s water lic funds and private partner- ers need to have the freedom LEMAs should be under conference. The Governor’s ships. and flexibility to meet the way. Stream bank stabiliza- Water Conference was held He charged legislators in goals and use the tools.” He tion projects should be con- November 12 and 13 in the room to provide the lead- added that a rigorous review structed and dredging proj- Manhattan. ership needed to bring forth and evaluation of progress ects should be under way.” “As I look out at the fu- more bills that would give towards achieving the vision “I believe in the resilience ture of Kansas, one of the greater flexibility to the would also take place. and commitment of Kan- big things that we’ve got to Local Enhanced Manage- The Water Vision draft is sans,” he concluded. “I be- resolve is our issue of water. ment Areas (LEMAs). “The divided into four themes: lieve that local control is We need a 50-year vision, whole idea of a LEMA real- Water Conservation, Water best. We have a responsibili- we need a plan,” Brownback ly, is that local individuals Management, Technologies ty to future generations, to said. “We need to do this the over the groundwater they’re and Crop Varieties, and Ad- make sure we take necessary Kansas way, which is where in can work to control their ditional Sources of Supply. actions to maintain a reliable you get everybody together own destiny,” the governor Under each theme are phases water supply for their use and say, ‘WE’VE got a prob- explained. “That they can of action items with time and for our state’s growth. I lem. What are WE going to conserve and extend the life lines ranging from highest believe in you and your lead- do about it?’ And you work of the aquifer in their area.” priority that will be initiated ership to make these efforts things out.” Dredging of some of the if not completed within the effective. If we fail, if The silting in of eastern Following 250 meetings in the past year that included reservoirs in eastern Kansas first year, items that will be progress does not occur in Kansas reservoirs that sup- more than 12,000 Kansans, the second draft of the 50- is part of the plan, but stream initiated within five years, implementation and goals ply water to a number of Year Vision for Water in Kansas was presented at the bank stabilization projects and longer terms items that are not being met, future downstream communities, as Governor’s Water Conference November 12 and 13 in will also be utilized to keep may require additional re- generations will ask us why. well as the areas they’re lo- Manhattan. Above Gov. Brownback emphasizes his the silt from getting into the search, development and So let’s make this work. This cated in, along with the de- commitment to dealing with water issues in the state. reservoir to begin with. stakeholder coordination be- is the Kansas way of doing pletion of the Ogallala While emphasizing his prove coordination on water- The plan will look at each fore they can be initiated. things, addressing difficult aquifer in western Kansas belief in finding local solu- related issues among the water basin in the state and The draft can be viewed at challenges together and are the most pressing items tions to regional problems, state’s agencies. The first set goals for each one based www.kwo.org. leaving this world and our to be addressed, according to Brownback also announced will be to create a Gover- on their particular chal- “At this conference a year state better than we found Brownback. two actions designed to im- nor’s Water Resources Sub- lenges. from now, progress must be it.” Hospitals learn from K-State training partnership By Lucas Shivers improve plant, animal and gards to the Ebola outbreak In respect to current glob- human health. The 113,000- in West Africa and as an ef- al health concerns and dis- square-feet lab and educa- fort to prepare ourselves if a ease outbreaks, a partnership tion space is dedicated to the case happened to present it- between the Kansas State protection of crops, live- self here in Manhattan.” University Biosecurity Re- stock, food and people from One part of the training search Institute (BRI) and biological threats. focused on donning and local hospitals and county “We have an agricultural doffing personal protective health departments led to slant with our research,” said equipment (PPE) like gloves training events. Julie Johnson, assistant vice and gowns. Properly putting BRI, housed in Pat president for research com- on and removing full-body Roberts Hall at Kansas State pliance and BRI biosafety protective equipment pre- University, is a research and officer. “For example, we vents the spread of disease education facility focused on work to develop vaccines for through direct contact of “farm-to-fork” infectious animal diseases; better diag- blood or body fluids of a per- disease research. BRI seeks nosis for animal and plant son who is contaminated to learn more about how to diseases; and food process- with a virus. ing safety as well.” “Doing good effective As subject-matter experts training for donning and for biological safety and doffing PPE is hands-on and compliance, the BRI team really intensive because you helps to translate the techni- have to observe very close- cal details into effective ly,” Lamer said. “It is skill learning so researchers can that requires practice to be- apply and understand what come proficient in the safest they learn on a daily basis. Professionals from K-State's Biosecurity Research Institute (BRI) train medical staff ways to not cross-contami- “Our team is responsible at Mercy Regional Health Center in Manhattan on the use of personal protective nate others. You can’t just do for making sure all of the in- equipment. it once.” fectious disease research is ter in Manhattan. series of exercises. biosafety and education and Webster said that often, done safely,” Johnson said. “We make sure people are “It was great to go into training staff members personal protective equip- “We provide training to all safe, research is safe and the Mercy and share the essen- worked with about a dozen ment is used to help keep pa- researchers and support staff environment is safe,” John tials of biosafety,” said Mercy staff in a train-the- tients free from infection, with both classroom time Webster, education officer, Bethany Lamer, BRI instruc- trainer model. but when dealing with high- and hands-on experiences.” said. “Human safety is our tional designer. “The essen- “We here at Mercy Re- consequence infectious dis- Since 2008, BRI has top priority both inside and tial messages of safety are gional Health Center have ease it plays a major role in worked with not only in- out.” the same, even though it is a had a great opportunity to also keeping staff and their house researchers and sup- Mercy Project very different environment partner with K-State’s BRI environment safe. port staff but also members Due to the increased between our research facility staff over the past several “We wanted to train our of the education and health awareness of some high-pro- at BRI and the hospital.” weeks,” said Jana Bowman, hospital staff on the proper care community across file diseases, the team is For the first safety and public relations director for use of PPE, and since we Kansas, specifically with a partnering with Mercy to risk management training in Mercy. “The partnership de- know that the BRI staff uses recent off-site program at complete a train-the-trainer late October, five BRI veloped specifically in re- PPE on a daily basis, we Mercy Regional Health Cen- Continued on page 3 Page 2 Grass & Grain, November 18, 2014 I imagine before this through the years, I’ve Shop wisely column is over, I may have seen him demonstrate By John Schlageck, checkout counter. managed to offend a good what I consider the quali- Kansas Farm Bureau First, smart shoppers number of my readers. For ties of a good statesman, While many shoppers are should know what they are that, I apologize in ad- even if it took a toll on him feeling the pinch of price in- buying.