SPRINGFIELD — An assessment has been established on Illinois fertilizer sales to fund nutrient research at state universities and improve water quality.

The assessment was authorized in legislation (HB 5539) signed into law last August that had the support of both agricultural and environmental interests. The bill created the Nutrient Research and Education Council (NREC), a 14-member group comprised of representatives from farm, fertilizer, university and environmental organizations as well as the directors of the Illinois Department of Agriculture (IDOA) and the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency to provide leadership for the program.

The council has set the assessment at 75 cents per ton. Fertilizer dealers must remit payments on a semi-annual basis to NREC as a condition of their license to sell fertilizer in Illinois.