Wisconsin Ag Connection - Environmental Group Concerned About Proposed 8,000 Head Dairy

Wisconsin Ag News Headlines

Environmental Group Concerned About Proposed 8,000 Head Dairy
Wisconsin Ag Connection - 11/03/2008

The Midwest Environmental Advocates and a local group of citizens are asking the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources to prepare an Environmental Impact Statement that analyzes the full impact of a proposed 8,000 dairy operation in eastern Wisconsin. In a public statement last week, the two organizations said they felt the Rosendale Dairy will cause 'significant and permanent impacts to the environment,' with its storage and land application of over 75 million gallons of manure and wastewater per year. They also claim the operation would be the third largest unit in Wisconsin in terms of biological waste production.

In written comments submitted to the DNR last week, the groups pointed out that the DNR's Air Dispersion Analysis shows the livestock operation will emit high levels of toxic gasses such as ammonia. They also stated that the DNR analysis failed to conduct a thorough review of the possible cumulative impacts of the operation and the various alternatives available to the DNR and the dairy, both of which are required by the Wisconsin Environmental Policy Act.

"The DNR has taken several positive steps in this process, including withholding plan approval until the environmental review is complete and analyzing the potential emissions of hazardous air pollutants from the dairy," says Jamie Saul, Staff Attorney with Midwest Environmental Advocates. "But the law requires a more extensive environmental review than the DNR has provided. We hope the DNR will fully examine the known and anticipated impacts that this facility will have on the community's environment and natural resources."

However, Wisconsin Ag Connection reported in September that the DNR has made a preliminary determination that an environmental impact statement for the first phase of the Rosendale Dairy operation will not be required. The farm's first expansion phase will include 4,000 dairy cows and 150 beef steers for a total of 5,750 animal units. The farm is proposed to be developed in two phases that will ultimately call for 11,500 animal units by the fall of 2010.

DNR officials said the first phase of the operation is not anticipated to result in significant adverse environmental effects. Rosendale Dairy has requested approval from the DNR for a Wisconsin Pollutant Discharge Elimination System permit earlier this year.

The farm will be located on 100 acres formerly used for row crops and forage production. The facility will require roughly 3,850 acres of cropland for land-spreading manure.