The WI Do Nothing Rangers will let this one through just like all the rest.

The Crawford Stewardship Project and Midwest Environmental Advocates sent a letter to the DNR last week voicing concerns about a new facility proposed by Roth Feeder Pig, Inc.

The farm already operates a CAFO in Crawford County and has applied for a permit from the DNR for a new facility.

The letter also includes a petitioned signed by more than 200 county residents asking for a full environmental impact statement (EIS) to be prepared as part of the state's review of Roth's permit application.

"This operation would be by far the largest in the county," Forest Jahnke, program coordinator of the Crawford Stewardship Project. "If taken in combination with the current facility — and they’re only about four miles away as the crow flies — this would be the largest hog CAFO in the state of Wisconsin on arguably one of the most ecologically and water-sensitive areas of the state."

https://www.wpr.org/crawford-county-residents-call-dnr-review-proposed-hog-cafo

Thanks for the info.

CAFOs are wrong in so many ways it's hard to keep track of them all.

JGF wrote on Dec 18^th, 2020 at 9:53am:


Why for.  Who mandates that the DNR HAS TO issue the permit?  The DNR might as well not even exist if that's the case. 

Especially when they can't even follow their own mission statement.

Wisconsin DNR Mission Statement:

To protect and enhance our natural resources: our air, land and water; our wildlife, fish and forests and the ecosystems that sustain all life. To provide a healthy, sustainable environment and a full range of outdoor opportunities.

Jizzy Pearl wrote on Dec 18^th, 2020 at 1:37pm:



Take it up with them...

It's not just the DNR but DATCP who approves the animal siting applications. There are basically two ways to have a CAFO not approved according to the laws as they are written.

1. Local ordinances and county or township boards can have regulations in place to prevent them or they can not permit things like building permits, etc. that make the factory farms possible. They're mostly run by farmers in rural counties so this doesn't happen very often.

Crawford County just removed their CAFO moratorium, not surprisingly this farm "popped up" the moment that the moratorium didn't get passed again. 

2. Human health - if it can be shown that a factory farm will have a substantial negative effect on human health, the permit can be denied. As the laws are written, they are all written to get these farms approved. Demonstrating negative effects on human health are the only way to have much of a shot at not having a CAFO approved.

Hell, we were told that Wild Rose Dairy's previous spills could not be used to justify not approving their most recent application. It sucks but those are the laws that the DNR is forced to follow - they don't write them.

Care about this issue, you need to work to get the laws changed to make the environmental review more meaningful. Not going to get political but it's going to be REALLY tough but it's worth the fight.

There seem to be 2 ways to get the laws changed - local ordinances / moratorium and at the state level - which is much more difficult but will have a greater impact.

Mark_Nash wrote on Dec 19^th, 2020 at 11:32pm:



I agree.  I am surprised it is still that way though.

Jizzy Pearl wrote on Dec 21^st, 2020 at 8:40am:


Sadly, pretty much. The administrative laws that the DNR and DATCP have to follow were certainly written for agricultural interests to win.

Was part of a meeting a few weeks back on the topic and came out of it pretty depressed. Administrative laws have to be changed for there to be changes on the ground. Everything is set up for livestock siting permits to be approved.

Well contamination is probably much more likely to derail a project due to the human health effects.

JGF wrote on Dec 21^st, 2020 at 9:35am:


Doesn't appear well contamination is having any effect on the process.

Study of SW WI Well Contamination

Mark_Nash wrote on Dec 19^th, 2020 at 11:32pm:


What about previous administrations that also let this happen?

CAFOs were started and growing long before Walker was around.