Wisconsin Citizens Win Major Battle Against Massive CAFO, Fight Continues

Citizens groups in Wood County Wisconsin and
surrounding region oppose CAFOs and aerial
liquid manure spraying. 
Photo by Martha Karris of
Rome and Saratoga-Friendly
in Wisconsin (Faceboook)

In a major legal victory for citizens opposing a proposed massive factory farm in central Wisconsin, a state appellate court ruled that over 6,000 acres of land may not used as a massive cow manure dumping ground by the Wysocki Family of Companies, a known polluter of rural Wisconsin communities.

The ruling is a defeat for State Rep. Scott Krug, (R-Nekoosa), and other political supporters of the planned operation that would produce over 50 million gallons of liquid waste per year to be spread on fields near homes and communities, imperiling the region's economy and forcing many household to move out of multi-generational homes.

The case is 2015AP001258, Golden Sands Dairy LLC v. Town of Saratoga, (Wisconsin Court System).

The 15-page opinion was issued by appellate Judges Lundsten, Higginbotham and Blanchard.

Writes Karen Madden in Wisconsin Rapids Daily Tribune:

Under the new ruling, the company will have the right to proceed with construction on 10 buildings for the cows, feed and other dairy operations, said Paul Kent, town of Saratoga attorney. The court decision blocks Wysocki from planting crops or spreading manure on the land. The potential impact on water from manure spreading from approximately 4,000 cows and watering more than 6,000 acres of crops is the town's primary concern.

Rhonda Carrell, a Saratoga resident and member of Protect Wood County and its Neighbors, the grassroots group that has fought against the dairy, said she was awake most of Wednesday night in anticipation of the decision being released Thursday morning. She said the decision puts Saratoga in a much stronger position to fight the proposed dairy and protect the community's water.

'What wonderful news,' Carrell said. 'We always had hoped for a good outcome in the courts.'

Central Wisconsin residents and communities are walking a fine line as they promote the region for tourism and recreation, and at the same time fight what would be a heavily polluting Wysocki CAFO proposed in 2012.

Today's legal victory marks nearly the fifth year citizens have stopped the operation of the Wysocki CAFO.