Legal action
Preserving Environmental Oversight of Large Livestock Facilities
Case Status: Legal Victory!
In January 2024, a Calumet County Circuit Court rejected a reckless attempt by Wisconsin Manufacturers & Commerce and factory farm groups to eliminate environmental oversight of factory farms in Wisconsin. Midwest Environmental Advocates represented Wisconsin Farmers Union to win a circuit court decision, which affirms the DNR’s ability to protect water resources from agricultural pollution. After the decision was appealed, we successfully defended our victory at the appellate court level.
Case Timeline
In May 2023, Wisconsin Manufacturers and Commerce (WMC) and two factory farm groups, Wisconsin Dairy Alliance and Venture Dairy Cooperative, filed a lawsuit against the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources. The groups argued the DNR had no authority to require concentrated animal feeding operations (CAFOs) to apply for water pollution permits, a change that would have eliminated the main source of environmental oversight of factory farms in Wisconsin.
Circuit Court Victory
MEA quickly intervened in the lawsuit on behalf of Wisconsin Farmers Union, and together with Clean Wisconsin, we participated in the case to protect water resources and the health and wellbeing of rural communities. In January 2024, a Calumet County Circuit Court issued an oral ruling rejecting WMC’s reckless attempt to eliminate environmental oversight of the state’s largest livestock facilities. The ruling affirms the state’s authority to continue doing what it has been doing for decades—requiring large livestock facilities to apply for permits under Wisconsin’s water pollution permitting program.
Appeals Court Victory
When WMC and its clients appealed the circuit court’s decision, MEA and Clean Wisconsin filed a legal brief with the Wisconsin Court of Appeals. On August 27, 2025, the Wisconsin Court of Appeals for District II ruled that the circuit court was correct in affirming DNR’s authority to protect Wisconsin’s water resources from agricultural pollution. The decision preserves environmental oversight of Wisconsin’s largest livestock operations.
Darin Von Ruden
Wisconsin Farmers Union
News Related to this Case
Legal Victory! Appeals Court Affirms State’s Role in Safeguarding Water from Agricultural Pollution
Today, the Wisconsin Court of Appeals for District II issued a decision affirming the authority of the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources to require CAFOs to apply for permits under the state’s water pollution permitting program. The decision preserves environmental oversight of Wisconsin’s largest livestock operations.
Circuit Court Rejects Industry Attempt to Eliminate Environmental Oversight of Large Livestock Operations
A Calumet County Circuit Court rejected a reckless attempt by Wisconsin Manufacturers & Commerce and factory farm groups to eliminate environmental oversight of the state’s largest livestock facilities. The court’s decision affirms the DNR’s ability to protect water resources from agricultural pollution.
MEA Files Motion to Intervene in a Lawsuit that Threatens to Eliminate Environmental Oversight of CAFOs
MEA is seeking to intervene in a reckless lawsuit that could eliminate the DNR’s authority to require Wisconsin’s largest livestock facilities to apply for and obtain water pollution discharge permits.
Reckless Factory Farm Lawsuit Threatens to Eliminate Environmental Oversight of Wisconsin’s Largest Livestock Operations
Two factory farm groups have filed a lawsuit over the DNR’s authority to require CAFOs to apply for permits under Wisconsin’s water pollution permitting program. The lawsuit threatens to eliminate critical environmental oversight of Wisconsin’s largest livestock operations.