Opponents of a large dairy proposed for Adams County are seeking a slow down in the permitting process. The DNR has approved permits for high-capacity wells for Richfield Dairy, which as proposed would have 4,300 cows. “Our concern all along has been that this would be substantially increased once the operation got going,” said Bob Clarke worried with the group Friends of the Central Sands. “Our fears unfortunately are a little justified in that this recent approval of the diary, the DNR did not put any restrictions on the number of animal units.”
AUDIO: Bob Clarke interview (6:40)
Kaukauna-based Milk Source is the applicant for the dairy. Milk Source partner Jim Ostrom noted that the process for approval of Richfield Dairy has included more than a dozen permits and approvals. “Our permit application has received an extraordinary amount of scrutiny and review. We know we have met and exceeded all the standards to have a dairy that will be one of the most environmentally friendly dairies not only in Wisconsin but in the country,” Ostrom said in a statement.
“This is not a family farm question. This is really a factory,” Clark claimed. Clarke’s group has filed a lawsuit in Dane County Court, along with a request for a Contested Case hearing, claiming the dairy and its associated wells could have a serious negative impact on groundwater resources.