Correspondent
Albany
More than 125 interested dairy farmers and industry businesspeople forewent a beautiful sunny day on March 5, to travel to Albany for a Department of Natural Resources hearing centering on a Wisconsin Pollution Discharge Elimination System (WPDES) permit for Larson Acres dairy at Evansville.
The hearing was conducted by Robert Hansis, watershed basin supervisor and Mark Cain, wastewater engineer with the DNR, both based in Fitchburg. They explained that comments for and against the proposed permit could be made at this hearing and by contacting the DNR directly through March 12; a decision would be rendered within 30 days thereafter.
Mike Larson of Larson Acres presented an overview of the planned expansion that includes a cross ventilated freestall barn for 1,800 cows – 1,100 milking – and milking parlor; nursery; heifer barn; solids stacking slab; feed storage; silage leachate containment and treatment system; and a new sand separator.
The Larson family currently has some 1,500 milking and dry cows with feed storage, barns and other infrastructure need to operate the dairy farm.
Mike Larson explained, and showed via PowerPoint, the many steps the family has followed in order to comply with the building, environmental, manure and public requirements over the planning period.
Cain explained that Larson Acres was operating under a DNR permit granted in 2000 and that a new permit would begin on April 2010 and expire at the end of March 2015.
He explained that the proposed permit process has required many meetings, much work and many reviews and has received preliminary approval.
Eight people made formal statements favoring the granting of the WPDES permit to the Larson family. The statements included glowing praise for the management ability of the family and the hard work and huge expense the family has expended to complete the environmental requirements for the permit.
Among those testifying for the granting of the permit were: Mike North, of First Capitol Ag, Platteville, who said that the Larsons and the DNR have gone far beyond the ordinances and rules to ensure the environmental safety of the expansion; Doug Rebout, Janesville dairy producer, who said that he and the Rock County Farm Bureau back the granting of the permit; Don Niles, dairy producer from Kewaunee County, who said we don’t drive 1968 cars – dairying must continue to modernize; and Tim Griswold, Black Earth, who suggested that Wisconsin’s environmental rules are among the strictest anywhere.
Speaking against the granting of the permit were Peter McKeever, a Madison attorney representing several area residents. He said the Rosendale Dairy had been subjected to the strictest series of environmental requirements in Wisconsin and asked why Larson Acres did not have to meet these. Tony Ends, a local resident who also opposes the permit suggested that “we, too, are Wisconsin residents who work hard and deserve something for our taxes.”
The hearing ended with few questions and little debate but with considerable after-meeting conversation among the Larson family and their many friends who attended the hearing.
