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Bayfield County, Wisconsin DNR Argue Case Over CAFO Ordinance

Ordinance Places Restrictions On CAFOs That Go Beyond State Standards

By
pig, hog
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Attorneys for Bayfield County and the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources presented arguments In Bayfield County Circuit Court on Monday over a county ordinance that goes beyond state standards for large farms known as concentrated animal feeding operations (CAFOs).

The ordinance would require CAFOs with at least 1,000 animal units or more that locate near the South Fish Creek watershed to provide a minimum of 540 days of manure storage, as well as no winter spreading and lower phosphorous indexes. Iowa-based Reicks View Farms has proposed building a farm upstream for about 26,000 hogs that is expected to produce around 10 million gallons of manure each year.

Bayfield County administrator Mark Abeles-Allison said the county wants to avoid damaging water quality through farm runoff.

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“Water quality is critical to the county. Our economic development, our quality of life is, I think, wrapped into that,” he said. “I think Bayfield County has really tried to work cooperatively with both the state, as well as the municipalities within our county to help create an environment that is consistent with our community and protects our groundwater (and) our surface water.”

In the last several years, researchers discovered phosphorous levels for South Fish Creek were greater than maximum limits allowed under state standards.

Abeles-Allison said no ruling was made at Monday’s hearing. Both parties will file additional briefs on the matter, and a ruling on the ordinance is expected within the next several months. A spokesman with the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources declined to comment on the proceedings.

Gene Noem, spokesman for Reicks View Farms, said no work has been completed on additional information the Wisconsin DNR requested with regards to its Badgerwood CAFO application in the county.

“At this time, we are not sure if that court case will have any bearing on Badgerwood’s application or plans,” wrote Noem in an email.

The Wisconsin DNR has requested more information on land contracts for manure injection, as well as wetlands related to Reicks’ proposal. A spokesman for the DNR said the agency hasn’t had contact with Reicks View Farms on the Badgerwood application for more than a year.