LEGAL VICTORY! State regulators must strengthen environmental oversight of Pierce County livestock operation
MEA clients in Pierce County have won a major victory in a three-year fight to protect their community from the impacts of a major expansion at Ridge Breeze Dairy. On August 24, an administrative law judge ruled that a DNR permit allowing the farm to expand its herd to more than 6,000 cows failed to ensure compliance with Wisconsin’s groundwater quality standards.
Protecting Paradise: How residents of the Rush River Valley are taking action to defend the place they love
MEA client Kay Kashian and her husband Phil own Milkhouse Cottage and Gardens, a small rural retreat in Pierce County. Visitors come for the clean water, quiet beauty, and sense of place that defines the Rush River Valley—qualities Kay and Phil have worked hard to preserve and share. Plans for a massive expansion at nearby Ridge Breeze Dairy now put all of that at risk. With representation from MEA, Kay and other local residents are challenging a key permit for the project and demanding that state regulators do more to protect local groundwater and surface water.
MEA Joins Call for Stronger Action on Nitrate Pollution
This week, MEA joined more than 80 organizations nationwide in calling on federal agencies to take stronger action to address nitrate pollution and protect public health. We are urging federal regulators to investigate regulatory failures and respond to growing evidence linking nitrate contamination to serious health risks.
Pierce County Residents Speak Up for Clean Water at Ridge Breeze Hearing
At a multi-day legal hearing in March, community members and MEA attorneys highlighted concerns about the proposed expansion of Ridge Breeze Dairy and made the case for requiring stronger water quality protections, including the installation of groundwater monitoring wells.
Pierce County Residents Take Legal Action to Block Factory Farm Expansion
MEA is taking legal action on behalf of a group of local residents who oppose the expansion of Ridge Breeze Dairy. A permit issued by the DNR would allow the facility to nearly quadruple in size and become one of the state’s largest factory farms.