FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: February 12, 2010

Mr. Robert Rohland of the Wisconsin DNR has announced that the public hearing for the Roth Feeder Pig operation in southern Crawford County near Wauzeka will be held on March 18 at 1:00 in Wauzeka at the Wauzeka Town Hall. This public hearing will cover the clean water permit required by the DNR for livestock operations over 1000 animal units in size. It is the public's opportunity to voice opinions and concerns on the permit before it is issued.

According to Crawford Stewardship Project (CSP) Coordinator Edie Ehlert, "We need to make our comments and concerns heard. This operation has about 1/10 of the land that a CAFO of this size normally uses for spreading manure."

"Despite DNR assurances that this operation will not cause pollution to ground or surface waters, the presence of steep, fractured limestone topography, high load of phosphorus already present on some fields, and the risk of run-off to adjacent Boydtown Creek and Wisconsin River are of grave concern to us," according to Ellen Brooks, Crawford Stewardship Project Board Chair.

Fred Hausler, a neighbor of 43 years of the Roth operation remains concerned, "Our air quality is sometimes so bad that we can’t even stand to work outdoors. How can that be considered acceptable?"

According to Kathy J. Martin, a licensed engineer in Oklahoma who reviewed the Roth plan, "Considering the fact that construction occurred prior to obtaining DNR approval, the ability of the agency to affect the design and specifications has been completely eliminated from the process."

Citizens may bring their comments to the public hearing or send them to: Mr. Robert Rohland, DNR, Black River Service Center,
910 Hwy 54 East,
Black River Falls, WI 54615, Robert.rohland@wisconsin.gov to download permit information go to: http://dnr.wi.gov/org/water/wm/ww/drafts/pubnot.htm

"More information on environmental and neighborhood concerns is available on our website,www.crawfordstewardshipproject.org,"offers Ms. Ehlert.

Edie Ehlert,
Crawford Stewardship Project Coordinator
Gays Mills, WI


"While CAFOs clearly are profitable, they 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.