To the editor,

Recently the WDNR approved a Wisconsin Pollution Discharge Permit (WPDES) for the Breeze Dairy Corporation’s expansion of its Pierce County facility from 1,700 to 6,500 cows, which would make it the single largest CAFO (Confined Animal Feeding Operation) in western Wisconsin. Cows will be housed in an 11.5-acre barn (larger than an Amazon warehouse) and produce more than 80 million gallons of untreated process water and manure every year to be trucked to farm fields in Pepin, Pierce and St. Croix counties. Over 300 citizens shared or listened to the concerns of their neighbors about water quality, road maintenance, fire & emergency response, air quality, biohazards and property values during the public comment period for this permit.

Pending a potentially contested case, this permit will be in effect until Dec. 31, 2026. In issuing its approval, WDNR CAFO Compliance & Enforcement Officer James Salscheider states “The WPDES permit is a water protection permit…everything in the permit is tailored toward that. Some of the concerns that we typically field are traffic concerns, odor concerns, noise concerns—those are things the permit doesn’t have authority to regulate.” You may ask yourself, “Surely, there are Laws in My Town, My County or My State that will address my concerns?” I’m afraid the answer is NO.

After 100+ citizens gathered in Lund one year ago to learn about this factory farm expansion and potential impacts, the Town Board of Maiden Rock formed a volunteer Study Committee to examine the issues and draft an Operations Ordinance applicable to any CAFO using Town roads and farmlands for manure hauling and disposal. Their ordinance, unanimously adopted in December, requires the CAFO to acquire a permit that includes plans for road damage, fire & emergency response, bio-hazard and animal depopulation, independent oversight reporting and surety bonding in the event of factory closure, to be paid for by the permit holder, not the town’s taxpayers.

Maiden Rock Township has a rich mixture of independent family farms, private residences, home-based businesses, woodlands and trout streams, all under threat from this corporate expansion. Our Ordinance is fact-based and well-documented: 100% of Town residents rely on private wells, 63% of residents support land use regulations to protect surface and groundwater, 74% of the Town’s groundwater is moderately or highly susceptible to contamination, 70% of the Town’s soils are considered limited in capacity to accept manure and food processing wastewater, and the Town has ONE mile of road capable of handling the weight of multiple, fully-loaded tanker trucks.

Following Maiden Rock’s lead, several neighboring townships working with GROWW (Grass Roots Organizing in Western Wisconsin) are setting up study committees and preparing similar ordinances, customizing rules to fit their own Town’s circumstances. Readers of this paper are encouraged to become informed of the impacts of factory farms in their neighborhoods and share your concerns and ideas with your local Town officials.

Judy Krohn

Resident & Study Committee Member

Town of Maiden Rock