CAFO did not violate manure rules

GRANT - The company seeking to build a controversial large-scale dairy farm in Saratoga was cleared of violating environmental regulations after it spread manure near homes and a prized trout stream, the state said Friday.

Residents and an environmental attorney had filed a complaint with the state Department of Natural Resources questioning whether Central Sands Dairy broke DNR rules when it applied manure on two fields last month in the town of Grant near the border of Portage and Wood counties.

“We are highly concerned that applications on these fields have occurred above permissible rates, and that liquid manure applications were unauthorized to begin with,” wrote Madison lawyer Christa Westerberg in a letter to the DNR in May on behalf of people who live near the fields....

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Ken Notes: Ya think we should look at changing the rules. At 3,000 plus cows these farms are larger that most cities in the state, the "rules" were developed for much smaller farms. We need to change our perspective and treat these farms like the cities they are...