Wisconsin Ag Connection - Hearings Begin Over DNR's Kinnard Farm Permit

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Hearings Begin Over DNR's Kinnard Farm Permit
Wisconsin Ag Connection - 02/13/2014

A four-day hearing began this week in Green Bay where five neighbors of Kinnard Farms in Kewaunee County are suing the Department of Natural Resources for approving expansion permits without assuring the farm's manure management plan would meet state water quality standards. The dairy wants to expand from 4,000 cows to 6,000, which would make it the fifth largest concentrated animal feeding operation in Wisconsin. They applied for permit in 2012.

The case is being made before the state Division of Hearings and Appeals, where the Midwest Environmental Advocates of Madison--which is representing the neighbors--claims the DNR permitted the expansion without adequately protecting surface and groundwater from the farm's 70 million gallons of liquid manure it would generate annually.

"The petitioners are not trying to get rid of of CAFOs, they they're not trying to stop this industrial dairy from expanding, what they want is a permit that protects their water and health," said Sarah Williams, an attorney for Midwest Environmental Advocates. "This is about protecting water and public health.

According to reports, the neighbors filed a petition for the DNR to review the water pollution permit because there were concerned that an expansion would produce too much waste to manage potential runoff. They also want to see surface and groundwater monitored, since most of the homes in the area have private wells.

Meanwhile, the state is defending its approval of the permit, saying the Kinnard design is among the most protective designs of any CAFO in the state.

Many around the state are watching the case because its outcome could potentially set a precedent on future farm expansion decisions.

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