First of all, thank you for your response(s) to my last Diary here on Daily Kos. Honestly, most of the comments helped. Thanks to others of you who may have read it but were too busy to write a comment--I understand.
I am having much consternation about CAFOs in Wisconsin. (NOTE: Even a good friend of mine who grew up on a farm asked me, what the heck is a CAFO?) In our state it stands for Concentrated Animal Feedlot Operation. It means 700 mature dairy cows, 2,500 pigs, or 55,000 birds/poultry and suchlike fed in one place; usually not pastured.
For me, the CAFO-Rosendale has been the "tipping point;" mostly due to its size and because our Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (WDNR) went to great lengths to write an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) relative to this CAFO. When I read the 197 page EIS in December 2008, I really got concerned. This report made this CAFO seem like a huge blight on our environment; and because WDNR scientists [and Protectors of Our Environment] wrote this in the EIS.
So now there are about 15 days before "FORMAL COMMENTS" will close on giving a Permit for this CAFO. I finally made contact with the WDNR person-in-charge (telephone tag) and she told me I "can be rest assured that all the regulatory paperwork is in order and the WDNR feels confident that this CAFO meets the requirements to be given their Wisconsin Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (WPDES) Permit for Phase 2 of their large Dairy."
That's right, a CAFO--11,500 Animal Units, that will land-spread an estimated 92 million gallons of cow manure per year (WDNR figures) on 12,180 acres, across 4 watersheds in NE Wisconsin will be approved! (NOTE: In the original EIS a year ago, CAFO-RD reported 5,631 acres to be land-spread but it has now more than doubled, hmmm, how did that happen? Are neighbors leaving because of the traffic, dust, smell? Is there a land-grab happening? Are they making this stuff up?)
Why don’t I feel better about this? I was told I can view the Nutrient Management Plan (NMP) which is on DVD at the main Madison office if I want to read it (at 20 cents per sheet.) Here is the draft permit: http://dnr.wi.gov/... which will be approved December 18th, 2009. It’s only 33 pages, but interesting reading if you’re interested in what protection to the environment is being requested of the CAFO. Or, if you want, you could make a comment too!
Do you think this permit would be difficult to enforce? Until Feb. 2014? (Permits are granted for 5 years.) Much of it seems to ask for "self-enforcement." Hence the comment above that all the regulatory paperwork is in order. So that shouldn’t ruffle any BigAg feathers, do you agree?
In the meanwhile, I’ve been tracking the millions of gallons of ground water that are used in CAFO Permits here in Wisconsin for about the last six months; it adds up to a lot of water. I guess it’s a good thing we have these endless aquifers to supply the water for these herds. For example, this particular WPDES says that CAFO-RD, Phase 2 only needs 52.5 million gallons PER DAY from the 2 high capacity wells that will be placed adjacent to the new feed pond. This is identical to the WPDES for Phase 1 (also two high-capacity wells) that was issued earlier this year. (March 2009)
I would like to find a geologist or water specialists who can tell me how much water there is in an aquifer.
Here’s another thing: I worked in a grocery store when I was in high school. Milk came in glass bottles then. I had to clean up a gallon of spilt milk once: the glass bottle broke. Do you realize how much milk is in one gallon? There was milk everywhere, on the floor, behind the refrigerated case, within the case. It was all over the place. Wow, there’s a lot of liquid in a gallon. Can you imagine 92 million gallons?
Now picture this: according to the WDNR there will be nearly 92 million gallons of manure from this CAFO every year. The WDNR figures (2007) each cow has the equivalent waste potential of 18 to 23 people. If you do the math: 11,500 animal units x 18 gallons of manure equals like the number of people moving to a rural area with NO sewage treatment facilities. The manure will be spread on the nearby cropland mostly. BigAg calls these "nutrients." Here's another equation for those of you keeping track: 92 Million Gallons of Manure spread on 12,180 acres equals how much manure per acre? And wouldn't you like to be chewing on those fine crops? I digress.
Of course, first the manure will be sent into holding pits, aka. Manure Lagoons or Cesspools, to fester until winter weather passes, aka. frozen ground, and thawing allows it to be spread on the ground. (I'm told they some times "knife" it into the ground, too. Does that make you feel better about this?)
Okay, I’m sorry to be so brief here. I’ve been thinking about this since the last WPDES Permit for Phase 1 was approved last March. Do you still think it’s worthy of formal comment, or because I know it’s "a done deal," just let go, forget about it? What would you do?