At issue are 55 turkey farms owned by Jennie-O and its parent, Hormel.  The permit was granted to all 55 farms without final approval by the DNR of a manure handling plan.  The draft plan submitted by Jennie-O proposes winter spreading of manure on frozen ground, a practice that has recently led to huge manure spills elsewhere in Wisconsin.

"The DNR," says attorney Andrew Hanson, "should require Jennie-O to produce, and make publicly available, a final manure management plan that meets the requirements of the proposed permit prior to approving the permit."

Nutrient runoff from agricultural operations in western Wisconsin has helped spawn green blooms on state waters.  Tainter Lake and its downstream cousin, Lake Menomin in Menomonie, frequently suffer excessive algal growth during the summer months.  The Red Cedar River feeds both lakes and runs through the heart of turkey growing country.

Another concern raised by Northern Thunder and MEA is the proposed headland stacking of manure.  Headland stacking is defined in the permit as “the temporary storage of manure for up to a year on or near the cropped field where the manure is landspread” for up to 12 months. The DNR permit allows stacking to take place for more than one year if Jennie-O moves the stack someplace else, where it could sit yet again for twelve (12) months.

The DNR has agreed to help Jennie-O study headland stacking so as to study the ground and surface water impacts of the process and is providing $10,000 in public funding to the cost of the $50,000 study.  Jennie-O is a subsidiary of a parent company, Hormel, Inc. which had more than $4 billion in sales last year.

Hanson calls the arrangement "outrageous."  Adds Hanson:  "It is unacceptable for the DNR, which is currently considering whether to eliminate its animal waste regulatory program, to give away public funds to private corporations."

The comments submitted to the DNR request that no public money be spent on the manure handling study.

To see the full text of the comments, click here.