Kewaunee Families File Legal Action against DNR

Families near the Town of Lincoln in Kewaunee County are fighting a WI-DNR decision to allow the expansion of an industrial livestock operation, with the capacity to produce 72 million gallons of liquid manure each year. The animal waste will be spread across the landscape in an area where many wells are already contaminated. Public health risks are significant, yet the DNR approved the permit before the technical specifications of the animal confinement building and a 76 million gallon, elevated manure lagoon were made available to them.

“My wife and I don’t want to be driven out, we’ve built our life here, but we can’t risk the health of our three children,” said Dan Routhieaux who resides 160 feet from where the expanded facility is to be built.

Midwest Environmental Advocates, an environmental law center in Madison, recently filed a legal action on behalf of families living near Kinnard Farms, challenging the DNR decision to issue their permit. The proposed expansion nearly doubles the current size of the Kinnard dairy facility.

“Water sampling by trained volunteers continually finds animal manure in area waters. The costs and burdens of protecting clean water and public health have been shifted to the people most at risk,” said Kimberlee Wright, Executive Director of Midwest Environmental Advocates. Liquid animal manure often contains hormones, antibiotics, industrial cleansers and many pathogens with the potential to harm human health.