On December 11, 48 groups submitted a letter to the DNR urging them to approve the request for an Environmental Impact Statement for the Roth Feeder Pig II Concentrated Animal Feeding Operation (CAFO).
The request was submitted by Crawford Stewardship Project and Midwest Environmental Advocates on behalf of over 200 Crawford County residents who are concerned about their water, air, health, and safety. The groups supporting this request include the state and all local chapters of Wisconsin Farmers Union, the local chapters of Trout Unlimited, and a broad coalition of other organizations focused on good governance, agriculture, watersheds, fishing, and the environment. The proposed CAFO, in combination with the existing facility a few miles away, would be the largest hog CAFO in the state of Wisconsin. The existing facility is already the only CAFO and largest farm in the county, and the new expansion alone would be the fourth largest hog CAFO in the state. The proposed expansion would produce and spread nearly 10 million gallons of liquid manure on steep slopes and over fractured karst bedrock, with the facility perched on a narrow ridge above the Kickapoo River. The sheer size of the operation is unprecedented in Crawford County, and the DNR has already recognized that the existing regulations and “best management practices” do not protect groundwater in karst areas, though the Driftless has yet to be formally recognized as the sensitive area it is. If you support this action, please let the DNR know that this is needed to restore science-based decision making to the agency, and to protect the rights of neighbors to clean air and water. Please call Chris Clayton at (608) 267-7656 or email him at christopherr.clayton@wisconsin.gov and ask for a full Environmental Impact Statement for Roth Feeder Pig II. Forest Jahnke Program Coordinator for Crawford Stewardship Project Rolling Ground, Wisconsin
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