Pierce County Nonprofit, Residents Challenge Dairy CAFO Permit

Pierce County residents and GrassRoots Organizing Western Wisconsin are challenging a DNR permit approval for Ridge Breeze Dairy’s expansion.

The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources signed off on a modified permit for the expansion earlier this year. The permit would allow Ridge Breeze Dairy to nearly quadruple in size, adding nearly 5,000 cows to their current operation of about 1,700 cows. The farm is already classified as a CAFO, or concentrated animal feeding operation.

A number of Pierce County residents expressed strong opposition to the permit approval. They expressed concerns over manure spread and groundwater contamination, claiming the permit does not require the farming operation to monitor the groundwater.

Those residents expressed further concerns over a perceived lack of transparency on the amount of farmland Ridge Breeze Dairy has access to for manure spread. According to a Western Wisconsin News report, they claim thousands of acres of land in the area have incorrect tillage listed under the Nutrient Management Plan. 500 acres of land would be removed from the Nutrient Management Plan under the permit.

Department of Natural Resources officials previously responded to those concerns, saying the area is less vulnerable to groundwater contamination because there is about 200 feet between the surface and water table.

Last week, a group of Pierce County residents and the nonprofit GrassRoots Organizing Western Wisconsin filed a petition for a contested case hearing over the permit. The Department of Natural Resources will decide whether to grant or deny the petition. If granted, an administrative law judge would oversee the hearing in a manner similar to a typical court trial.