Melissa Scanlan
Midwest Environmental Advocates, 608-251-5047

A coalition of statewide groups, Family Farm Defenders, Wisconsin Rural Development Center, Sierra Club – John Muir Chapter, WISPIRG, Wisconsin's Environmental Decade, River Alliance of Wisconsin, and Wisconsin Citizen Action, maintain that the WDNR approved permits for large factory farms (for dairy, these are facilities with 700 or more milking cows) without adequately examining and controlling the detrimental impact the farms will have on an area's water supply.

"The agency issued a discharge permit for a facility in Shawano County that clearly violates federal and state law," according to Melissa Scanlan, Legal Director of Midwest Environmental Advocates.  "The permit allows the facility to discharge pollutants into our groundwater, rivers, and streams for well over a year before they are required to correct any manure runoff and seepage problems."

On January 11, 2000, Midwest Environmental Advocates, Sierra Club-John Muir Chapter, Wisconsin's Environmental Decade, and WISPIRG met with WDNR officials to discuss the state agency's violation of state water regulations.

"When these state agencies fail to require larger operations to abide by the law, that state agency fails the family farmer and they fail the interests of the all Wisconsin citizens." - Skip Stone, Platteville farmer.

"At the meeting, WDNR representatives admitted that they had not been following the regulations when issuing permits for large factory farms.  The DNR officials made a commitment at that meeting to not issue any more permits in violation of the water regulations," said Scanlan.

But two weeks later, on January 27, 2000, the WDNR once again issued a permit for a factory farm in Shawano County, despite documentation that the facility's manure storage pit has had excessive leakage problems since the late 1970s. In violation of state water laws, the facility in question failed to produce a manure management plan prior to receiving a permit.  This means the WDNR issued a permit without knowing the potential impact on water quality in the area.

"DNR is not following their own procedures.  I obey the speed limits and stop at stop signs.  Why can't the DNR obey the laws they helped write?" stated Caryl Terrell of the Sierra Club.  "This permit could be hurting the drinking water on a neighboring farm.  That's not right.  That's not legal."

"DNR's failure to require nutrient management plans for factory farms is not only a violation of law, it is a violation of common sense," said David Zaber, Director of Water Quality Programs at Wisconsin's Environmental Decade.  "A proper waste management plan provides critical information on potential pollution of lakes, rivers and groundwater resources.  Without a plan, the DNR and the public have no way of judging the potential for pollution and thus, cannot make an informed decision on issuance of a permit.  DNR should never have issued this permit."

Skip Stone, a farmer near Platteville thinks the DNR is failing family farms.  "Family Farmers are still the backbone of our state's agricultural economy.  For us to stay in business, we must rely on our state agencies -- particularly the DNR & DATCP -- to protect our interests.  When these state agencies fail to require larger operations to abide by the law, that state agency fails the family farmer and they fail the interests of the all Wisconsin citizens," said Stone.

In addition to the legal issues raised by the WDNR's neglect of water laws, family farm and environmental groups maintain that factory farms threaten water quality and public health when they are not adequately regulated.

According to Kerry Schumann, WISPIRG Director, "We are very concerned about the DNR's willingness to hand out permits like candy. Some serious environmental and public health problems need to be addressed in the
permitting process, and the DNR is not addressing those adequately.  Livestock waste in large quantities is contaminating our drinking water and our air, causing fish kills in waterways, and making lakes and rivers
unsafe for fishing or swimming."

There are approximately 94 factory farms in Wisconsin.  Thirty-one of these factory farms are currently awaiting approval of their water discharge permits.

"DNR is not following their own procedures.  I obey the speed limits and stop at stop signs.  Why can't the DNR obey the laws they helped write?" - Caryl Terrell, Sierra Club

But the WDNR employs just five people to issue permits, investigate complaints and monitor the farms' compliance with water regulations.  The office is under pressure from Governor Thompson and industry groups to expedite the permit process.

"Poll after poll shows that Wisconsin families highly value the clean water they use in their homes, their businesses, agriculture and for recreation," said Dave Newman, a spokesperson for Wisconsin Citizen Action in Green Bay.  "The state has a proud history of passing laws protecting its water and I think the people want those laws upheld by the DNR and not ignored for the benefit of just a few large operations."

John Kinsman, President of the Family Farm Defenders said, "By spring, many Wisconsin dairy farmers will probably be out of business.  Rather than save these small environmentally-friendly farms, the Thompson administration promotes large pollution-producing dairy factories.  It is an obscenity and politics as usual."

Because of these pressures the WDNR has issued a permit for a facility that may be polluting groundwater and will have untold impacts on surface water.  With 31 factory farms still awaiting water discharge permits, the cumulative effect of the WDNR's actions could jeopardize water quality throughout the state.