Crawford Stewardship Project

Crawford County CAFOs

Citizen Group brings Concerns on the Wauzeka Hog Operation to the DNR

February 15, 2012

A Notice of Non-compliance (NON) order was issued by the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (DNR) to the Roth Feeder Pig operation in Wauzeka Township in Crawford County on February 3, 2012. According to the NON, the Roth operation has failed to submit a completed Annual Report due January 31, 2012. The NON reflects some of the concerns brought to the DNR by Christa Westerberg, lawyer with McGillivray, Westerberg, & Bender, LLC, on behalf of Crawford Stewardship Project (CSP) in a letter sent January 17, 2012. This is the second time Mr. Roth has been issued an NON, the first was in March 2011, after CSP brought a series of concerns to the DNR. Since the February 3, 2012 NON was issued, Mr. Roth has sent documents to the DNR that likely address some of the requirements listed in the NON. Other issues addressed by the DNR in the Feb 2012 NON include:

Wauzeka Area CAFO Update August 2011

In November 2010, CSP brought forward concerns to the DNR on issues of the abandonment of the old buildings and lagoon, updates to the Nutrient Management Plan, Engineering reports on the present buildings, and Annual Report for the Wauzeka area Feeder Pig CAFO.

In March the DNR issued a Notice of Non Compliance to the CAFO owner. According to the DNR letter dated May 9, 2011, the CAFO is now in compliance with their WPDES discharge permit.

Read more......

A Dozen CAFO Talking Points

As of May 1, 2010, the Roth feeder pig CAFO was granted their water discharge permit (WPDES) from the DNR. This is the first and only CAFO in Crawford County. Concerns continue that this operation has too little land for too much manure, along the Wisconsin River with neighbors close by who have a reduced quality of life. Air is sometimes so foul as to make them gag and concerns about well water contamination and run-off are ever present.

The facility was built before they had any licenses and permits. The County approved the facility in November of 2007. As stated in an article by Ron Seely of the Wisconsin State Journal, "(Ron) Leys, chairman of the county board, discovered the siting law afforded little protection. Instead, it appeared, the rules - which had been written by the state Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection - largely block challenges by local communities to factory farms. 'These guys have put the handcuffs on us so tightly that we can't move,' he (Leys) said." (From March 2, 2010, "Who Decides Where Farms Go" by Ron Seely, Wisconsin State Journal)

Twenty-eight neighbors challenged the County approved License in April 2008 and the state Livestock Siting Review Board reversed the County decision-for just 3 weeks. The political and industry pressure that brought on that reversal are not clear. This CAFO operated over a two year period without their WPDES permit and the DNR "stepped enforcement" included just two letters of non-compliance.

Presently, water quality monitoring is being done by citizen volunteers in the watershed of the CAFO.

Letter to the Editor, May 10, 2010

Response to DNR Issuance of water discharge Permit to Roth Feeder Pig Operation

Despite heavy opposition and serious health concerns, the DNR issued a water discharge permit to the Roth Feeder Pig Operation on May 1, 2010. Since rules and policies of the DNR largely include self-monitoring, it is the citizens who are primarily watching and documenting the potential pollution from the spreading of 6,000 (six thousand) animals worth of manure on just 180 acres of land.

Speaker after speaker of the 100 people attending the public hearing on March 18 in Wauzeka addressed health and economic concerns from the community; too little land, too much manure, well pollution concerns, run-off potential into Boydtown Creek and the Wisconsin River, karst geology, and air sometimes too foul to breathe.

The DNR stated in their issuance of this permit, “The comments received from the public, in conjunction with information compiled by the Department before and subsequent to the public hearing indicate that the possibility of negative environmental impacts exists. If the Department had sufficient information to conclude that this facility is negatively affecting groundwater or surface-water quality, it could initiate an enforcement action.“

The message is clear to us. The responsibility for frequent and ongoing water quality monitoring and documentation of manure spreading rests with the citizens. Neighbors and area citizens will continue active water monitoring using DNR protocol.

Respectfully Submitted,

Edie Ehlert
Crawford Stewardship Project Coordinator

			Crawford Stewardship Project works to protect the environment of Crawford County from threats such as those posed by concentrated animal feeding operations (CAFOs) and to promote sustainable land use, local control of natural resources, and environmental justice. Crawford Stewardship Project is a nonprofit organization. Donations are tax deductible. Support CSP Send a check to: Crawford Stewardship Project P.O. Box 284 Gays Mills, WI 54631 csp.county@gmail.com
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	Ongoing Projects Sand Mining Crawford County CAFOs Water Quality and CAFO Monitoring Karst Geology Sustain Rural Wisconsin Network-SRWN Livestock Siting Law & State CAFO Permitting Crawford Stewardship Project is grateful for the generous support of the Wisconsin Community Fund. Order your Driftless Wisconsin poster today! "CAFOs are only profitable because so much of the cost and damage is externalized onto the environment, neighbors and wildlife. The monitoring, supervision, clean-up, restitution, fines are not happening, thus the true cost of CAFOs never find the way onto the balance books." Talking point from the CAFO Conference.	Crawford County CAFOs Citizen Group brings Concerns on the Wauzeka Hog Operation to the DNR February 15, 2012 A Notice of Non-compliance (NON) order was issued by the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (DNR) to the Roth Feeder Pig operation in Wauzeka Township in Crawford County on February 3, 2012. According to the NON, the Roth operation has failed to submit a completed Annual Report due January 31, 2012. The NON reflects some of the concerns brought to the DNR by Christa Westerberg, lawyer with McGillivray, Westerberg, & Bender, LLC, on behalf of Crawford Stewardship Project (CSP) in a letter sent January 17, 2012. This is the second time Mr. Roth has been issued an NON, the first was in March 2011, after CSP brought a series of concerns to the DNR. Since the February 3, 2012 NON was issued, Mr. Roth has sent documents to the DNR that likely address some of the requirements listed in the NON. Other issues addressed by the DNR in the Feb 2012 NON include: Read more...... Wauzeka Area CAFO Update August 2011 In November 2010, CSP brought forward concerns to the DNR on issues of the abandonment of the old buildings and lagoon, updates to the Nutrient Management Plan, Engineering reports on the present buildings, and Annual Report for the Wauzeka area Feeder Pig CAFO. In March the DNR issued a Notice of Non Compliance to the CAFO owner. According to the DNR letter dated May 9, 2011, the CAFO is now in compliance with their WPDES discharge permit. Read more...... A Dozen CAFO Talking Points As of May 1, 2010, the Roth feeder pig CAFO was granted their water discharge permit (WPDES) from the DNR. This is the first and only CAFO in Crawford County. Concerns continue that this operation has too little land for too much manure, along the Wisconsin River with neighbors close by who have a reduced quality of life. Air is sometimes so foul as to make them gag and concerns about well water contamination and run-off are ever present. The facility was built before they had any licenses and permits. The County approved the facility in November of 2007. As stated in an article by Ron Seely of the Wisconsin State Journal, "(Ron) Leys, chairman of the county board, discovered the siting law afforded little protection. Instead, it appeared, the rules - which had been written by the state Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection - largely block challenges by local communities to factory farms. 'These guys have put the handcuffs on us so tightly that we can't move,' he (Leys) said." (From March 2, 2010, "Who Decides Where Farms Go" by Ron Seely, Wisconsin State Journal) Twenty-eight neighbors challenged the County approved License in April 2008 and the state Livestock Siting Review Board reversed the County decision-for just 3 weeks. The political and industry pressure that brought on that reversal are not clear. This CAFO operated over a two year period without their WPDES permit and the DNR "stepped enforcement" included just two letters of non-compliance. Presently, water quality monitoring is being done by citizen volunteers in the watershed of the CAFO. Letter to the Editor, May 10, 2010 Response to DNR Issuance of water discharge Permit to Roth Feeder Pig Operation Despite heavy opposition and serious health concerns, the DNR issued a water discharge permit to the Roth Feeder Pig Operation on May 1, 2010. Since rules and policies of the DNR largely include self-monitoring, it is the citizens who are primarily watching and documenting the potential pollution from the spreading of 6,000 (six thousand) animals worth of manure on just 180 acres of land. Speaker after speaker of the 100 people attending the public hearing on March 18 in Wauzeka addressed health and economic concerns from the community; too little land, too much manure, well pollution concerns, run-off potential into Boydtown Creek and the Wisconsin River, karst geology, and air sometimes too foul to breathe. The DNR stated in their issuance of this permit, “The comments received from the public, in conjunction with information compiled by the Department before and subsequent to the public hearing indicate that the possibility of negative environmental impacts exists. If the Department had sufficient information to conclude that this facility is negatively affecting groundwater or surface-water quality, it could initiate an enforcement action.“ The message is clear to us. The responsibility for frequent and ongoing water quality monitoring and documentation of manure spreading rests with the citizens. Neighbors and area citizens will continue active water monitoring using DNR protocol. Respectfully Submitted, Edie Ehlert Crawford Stewardship Project Coordinator		February 15, 2012 Citizen Group brings Concerns on the Wauzeka Hog Operation Non Compliance to the DNR August 2011 Update on Roth CAFO Non Compliance March 24, 2010 Final Comments on Roth Feeder Pig WPDES permit March 18, 2010 Public Hearing on Roth CAFO Permit - add subtitle - What's wrong with the CAFO February 21, 2010 Folks can spout off about stinky issues, article by Joe Orso in the La Crosse Tribune February 18, 2010 Livestock Siting Law Rule Review July1, 2009 CSP request to DNR for Environmental Impact Statement on Roth CAFO July 12, 2009 Dr. Byron Shaw request to DNR for Environmental Impact Statement on Roth CAFO May 14, 2009 Board members get earful from those opposing CAFOs, article by Jan Shepel in Wisconsin State Farmer