June 10, 2002

Democracy in Action
MEA represented the Town of Lincoln in their efforts to reduce potential water pollution from the proposed Dairy Dreams livestock factory expansion in Kewaunee County. For more information, see the Dairy Dreams case in our Advocacy Archive.

The photo (below) shows community members gathered at the Town of Lincoln Town Hall to testify at the DNR hearing in May 2002.

Defending our Right to a Clean Environment
As livestock factories multiply across Wisconsin, there are increasing land use conflicts with rural neighbors who find themselves living next to factories that operate 24 hours a day, seven days a week, causing excessive manure odors, dust, flies, and truck traffic. There are numerous families across Wisconsin who have experienced a decline in their quality of life due to the proximity of their homes to livestock factories. (To listen to the stories, visit our Family Farming Campaign page.)

These livestock factories are treated as farms under Wisconsin’s Right to Farm law and may be exempt from liability for causing these private nuisances. MEA is challenging the constitutionality of the Right to Farm law.

Protecting Sacred Sites
MEA is representing the Prairie Band Potawatomi Nation in their efforts to obtain permanent protections for Skunk Hill, a sacred site in Wood County that contains important cultural, burial and ecological features.

MEA met with local Prairie Band Potawatomi and Ho Chunk members, conservationists and environmentalists to draft a Community Plan for the site. The Prairie Band Potawatomi have passed a formal resolution in support of the plan. We are working with Wood County to obtain County Board approval of the plan. For more information, see the Skunk Hill case in our Advocacy Archive.

The photo (below) shows the original signatories to the Community Plan in May 2002.

For more information, contact Melissa K. Scanlan at mscanlan@midwestadvocates.org.

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