Take Action Against the Biggest Threat to Wisconsin's Water Quality

The biggest threat to Wisconsin's water quality is polluted run-off. There are many farms that comply with Wisconsin's rules and regulations, but there are some farmers who are irresponsible with their waste, violate laws, and pollute our waters. Right now, Clean Wisconsin is working to stop one of these irresponsible farms, in a potentially precedent-setting case.

We need your help. Right now, the DNR is considering issuing a water permit to Borkeld Dairy in Lafayette County. Borkeld Dairy is a factory farm with a history of irresponsible, illegal actions that pollute our waterways, and their application for a water pollution permit indicates that they have no intention of preventing more pollution from their farm getting into the local streams.

We need to tell the DNR to not issue this flawed permit, and to require Borkeld Dairy to submit a legal permit application that will protect water quality. Specifically, Borkeld Dairy must have a nutrient management plan that shows how they plan to legally spread their manure, and better monitoring of the waterways that run through the farm to indicate if the farm is letting manure enter waterways.

Borkeld Dairy was prosecuted in 2005 (the case was settled in May 2008) for violating their water permit, therefore causing a significant amount of water pollution from doing things like spreading manure in the spring. In fact this year, they spread manure on frozen fields in both February and March.

The best way to let the DNR know that you want them to prevent Borkeld Dairy from further damaging our water quality is by calling. If you are more comfortable, you can email. Below are the contact info for the permit drafter and talking points you can use.

Mark Cain, Permit Drafter
(608) 275-3252, mark.cain@wisconsin.gov

Talking Points:

• Wisconsin's waters are in peril. Swimmers have been getting sick, rivers are suffocating, and invasive species are flourishing while pushing out our native species. [you can add a story about your personal observation of your favorite waterway]
• One of the biggest culprits of water pollution is the agriculture industry. We can all agree that lots of farmers are great stewards of the land, but there are bad apples, too. Experts estimate that about 20% of producers are 80% of the problem. When farmers irresponsibly dispose of their manure, it creates major problems in local waterways.
• Unfortunately, the DNR is about to give a water pollution permit to one of these bad apples, Borkeld Dairy. Moreover, this permit is incomplete, doesn't meet legal standards, and doesn't do a good job of monitoring the farm to make sure they are complying with the law.
• Our state should be doing a better job of encouraging responsible farming, and creating policies to change the actions of the bad actors who are causing such immense harm to our waters.
  Reject Borkeld Dairy's water pollution permit application, and let them reapply when they can show that they won't pollute our waters.