In its investigation of the state's oversight of factory farms,
the Wisconsin State Journal found:
INFREQUENT INSPECTIONS: Inspection of the
state's factory farms is infrequent because of a state Department
of Natural Resources inspection staff that has not grown along with
the number of the big farms. Many of the farms are inspected just
once every five years despite the millions of gallons of manure the
farms spread on fields every year and the threat to neighboring
wells.
STATE ACCEPTS ALL: No permit requests have been
turned down by the DNR, nor have any permits been pulled when farms
violate the terms of the permits. Even repeated violations have
gone unpunished. Wisconsin's permissive approach contrasts with
Illinois, where a quarter of all permit requests have been turned
down since 1996.
UNAPPROVED EXPANSION: Some farms have simply
expanded without first obtaining the necessary permits from the
state. A review of DNR data show 16 pending applicants were already
operating above the 700-cow limit, beyond which a permit is
required.
NO GROUNDWATER MONITORING: The DNR does not
require most farms to monitor groundwater beneath fields on which
they are spreading manure or near neighboring private wells. The
agency does recommend that homeowners near the farms get their own
water tested.
INDUSTRY INFLUENCE: The DNR's oversight of
factory farms is strongly influenced by the Dairy Business
Association, a powerful agri-business lobby that has worked closely
with the DNR to speed the permitting process and encouraged
approval of a more streamlined "general" permit that would make it
even easier for farms to gain approval. The lobbying group has been
heavily involved in writing factory farm rules at both the DNR and
the state Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer
Protection.
FAVORABLE SITING LAWS: A DATCP siting law
approved four years ago has made it easier to locate factory farms.
Local communities encouraged to adopt the siting law have found it
gives them little say in where or how a farm expands.
