PHOTO: Kewaunee CARES
Advocacy groups say the hazardous, uncontrolled growth of industrial dairy pollution is running rampant in Kewaunee County. That’s the finding of a new 140-page report by local, state and national organizations led by the Socially Responsible Agricultural Project, or SRAP.
SRAP teamed up with organizations Family Farm Defenders and Kewaunee CARES to research, publish and provide recommendations for the report, which cites multiple violations, hundreds of manure management failures and a host of operational problems at the 16 large industrial dairy concentrated animal feeding operations, or CAFOs.
“We came to Kewaunee County because industrial dairies are out of control and the Wisconsin DNR is out of touch,” according to SRAP Regional Coordinator Scott Dye. “The ongoing contamination of Kewaunee County’s land, water and air and people right under the nose of the state agency meant to protect them is indefensible, has created a public health emergency and requires immediate action.”
Lynn Utesch, who’s a grass-fed beef farmer in Kewaunee County, help start the community group Kewaunee CARES.
“Wisconsin DNR has failed to carry out its most basic mission: to protect the health of Wisconsinites and the Walker Administration needs to read this report, admit its shortcomings, and change policy now,” said Utesch.
WTAQ