Two Farm Advocacy Group File Lawsuit Regarding State Regulators Imposing Environmental Regulations on Factory Farms

Tuesday, August 8th, 2023 -- 8:01 AM

(Wisconsin Ag Connection) Wisconsin regulators can’t legally impose environmental regulations on factory farms before they become operational, two farm advocacy groups allege in a lawsuit that could dramatically loosen protections against manure pollution in state waters.

According to the Wisconsin Ag Connection, Wisconsin Manufacturers and Commerce, the state’s largest business group, quietly filed the action in Calumet County Circuit Court in May on behalf of the Wisconsin Dairy Alliance, which advocates for factory farms, and the Venture Dairy Cooperative, which lobbies for farmers.

Peg Sheaffer, a spokesperson for environmental law firm Midwest Environmental Advocates, called the lawsuit “a reckless attempt to dismantle water quality protections in Wisconsin.” “As (factory farms) continue to proliferate and expand, the amount of manure they produce, and the potential for spills, will only increase,” Sheaffer said in a statement July 13.

“If this lawsuit is successful, it could virtually eliminate any oversight of how (factory farms) dispose of the massive amount of manure they generate. That would be a disaster for rural communities throughout Wisconsin.”

Wisconsin Manufacturers and Commerce attorneys Scott Rosenow and Nathan Kane didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment. The farming industry and environmentalists have been locked in a fierce back-and-forth over the regulation of factory farms, defined as farms with at least 1,000 animal units.

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