The three-year effort to protect western Wisconsin’s water, small farms, and rural communities from Ridge Breeze’s expansion to 6,500 cows entered an Eau Claire courtroom on March 3. More than 100 residents attended the contested case hearing in person and on Zoom. Nineteen spoke in opposition to the expansion. 

Prior to the hearing, Grassroots Organizing Western Wisconsin (GROWW) hosted a press conference in Eau Claire in which area residents shared their stories and desire to protect their homes from this expansion and corporate overreach into their communities.

Phil Verges, lifelong farmer and town chairman of Gilman, spoke to the need for greater protections from large factory farms statewide.

“We’re sick and tired of our elected officials telling us there’s nothing they can do about it… We want a government that works for all of us and not just corporate interests. We want a voice in the decisions that impact us so deeply. That’s what we want and that’s what the people of Wisconsin deserve,” Verges said.

Since Ridge Breeze’s expansion was proposed three years ago, residents across the region have packed town board meetings and organized for greater protections from factory farms like Ridge Breeze. So far, the towns of Maiden Rock, Isabelle, Gilman, and Stockholm have passed ordinances to require factory farms operating in their towns to submit plans on how they will run their operations.

Mary Anne Wise, a town of Maiden Rock resident and longtime small business owner, chaired a study group in her town that uncovered massive risks and gaps in state law for factory farms. “We see examples of tragic horror stories related to these industrial farms all the time. In 2019, a hog fire in Mondovi killed 4,000 hogs. Those carcasses sat for nearly a week before being loaded onto trucks and brought to Eau Claire to be landfilled, leaking leachate and bodily fluids from decomposing carcasses the entire route. What assurances do we have in Pierce County that something like that can’t happen again?” 

Wise pointed to the fact that no comprehensive mass mortality plan is required for Ridge Breeze or other massive factory farms across the state. “The regulatory process is a void that places neighbors, emergency responders, and our shared natural resources at risk. This void is a reminder that our safety is being left to chance.”

During the hearing, residents were able to testify about the expansion. Nineteen people spoke in opposition. None spoke in favor.

Following public testimony, licensed hydrogeologist John Jansen, Ph.D., testified about the need for greater protections for groundwater in the permit, such as groundwater monitoring. Dr. Jansen pointed to the karst geology of Pierce County and surrounding areas, which makes it susceptible to nitrate contamination from manure spreading.

Dr. Jansen was followed by representatives from the DNR and Ridge Breeze. Without groundwater monitoring, the DNR does not have a definitive way to measure whether Ridge Breeze will contaminate groundwater and private wells.

Midwest Environmental Advocates (MEA) filed the challenge last year on behalf of GROWW and five Pierce County residents. A ruling is expected in the summer on whether Ridge Breeze must include additional protections for groundwater, such as groundwater monitoring.

Danny Akenson, an organizer with GROWW, spoke to the need for continued organizing. “Whether it’s a data center coming into your community or a massive factory farm like Ridge Breeze, everyday people need to continue to stand together, organize, and create greater change that will protect and put the power back into the hands of regular people. That’s what GROWW is here to do and that’s what we’ll continue to do.”

Submitted by GROWW, a grassroots organization based in western Wisconsin. Together, we work toward a future where we all make ends meet, live with dignity, and have a voice in shaping the decisions that impact us. To get connected or learn more about GROWW, visit us at GRO-WW.org, on Instagram at @GrowWisconsin, or on Facebook at Facebook.com/GROWWisconsin