Conflict between neighbors highlights limits of pollution regulation

Mequon — On Jan. 31, Ben Arnold watched a river of tainted, melting snow from a neighboring farm meander across his property and flow into one of his ponds.

The invading water — some of it dark as coffee — contained animal waste that the farmer had been spreading on a hillside.

"The manure runoff has started," Arnold wrote in the first of a flurry of emails he sent to state, county and local officials asking for help. "This will really get bad over the next few days."

Arnold's problem underscores the often contentious and protracted process of managing and regulating manure in Wisconsin. With the onset of spring, authorities say, the potential for such troubles can grow....

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Ken Notes: We have to work WITH farmers to prevent this!