This week, Midwest Environmental Advocates joined more than 80 organizations nationwide in calling on federal agencies to take stronger action to address nitrate pollution and protect public health. In a letter submitted to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, MEA urged federal regulators to investigate regulatory failures and respond to growing evidence linking nitrate contamination to an increased risk of cancer, adverse birth outcomes, and other severe health effects.
MEA’s participation in the coalition builds on years of advocating alongside Wisconsinites who are dealing with the impacts of groundwater that has been contaminated by nitrates and other agricultural pollutants.
In Pierce County, MEA continues to represent Grassroots Organizing Western Wisconsin (GROWW) and a group of Pierce County residents who are challenging the expansion of Ridge Breeze Dairy, a concentrated animal feeding operation (CAFO) near the village of Maiden Rock. Ridge Breeze spreads large amounts of manure on surrounding farmland, a practice that can lead to groundwater and surface water contamination.
At a multi-day legal hearing in March, community members and MEA attorneys demanded that stronger water quality protections, including the installation of groundwater monitoring wells, be required under the farm’s permit.
Similar community-led efforts to protect water resources are taking place in southeastern Wisconsin. With representation from MEA, Milwaukee Riverkeeper and a group of Washington County residents filed a petition for a contested case hearing after the DNR issued a permit allowing Rob-n-Cin Farms to expand its herd to roughly 2,000 dairy cows.
Rob-n-Cin’s operations will likely impact nearby Cedar Creek and dozens of streams that drain to the Milwaukee River, as well as the Cedarburg Bog—one of the region’s largest and most ecologically intact wetlands. We argue that the DNR must require the farm to collect water quality data to ensure it doesn’t pollute local water resources.
The efforts of clean water advocates in these two communities reflect a growing recognition that clean water cannot be taken for granted. By insisting on stronger safeguards, they are not only protecting their own water; they are setting a higher standard of accountability for Wisconsin and for the nation.
