By Gregg Hoffmann
WisBusiness.com
Viroqua – Vernon County could become at least the third county in the state to pass a large-scale farm livestock ordinance that is stricter than state regulations.
Vernon County Conservationist Kelly Jacobs recently said the county’s Land and Water Conservation Committee is considering two options to govern large-scale farming operations — a moratorium on them and/or a livestock siting ordinance.
Consideration of such measures is underway because a Ferryville couple, Jeff and Bonnie Parr, have received a building permit in the Town of Sterling to construct a facility that will house 2,400 hogs, which will allow them to operate without complying with state Confined Animal Feed Operation (CAFO) regulations.
The operation will have to meet manure storage and manure spreading standards administered by the National Conservation Resources Service, but that does not include regular groundwater testing monitored by the state.
County officials and environmentalists are concerned that large scale farming could lead to pollution because of the hilly terrain of the area and the fact that the karst geology, made up of fractured limestone, allows pollution to spread rather quickly.
Vernon County has a history of nitrate pollution in wells. The Liberty Pole school southwest of Viroqua, the last rural school in the Viroqua district, had students drink bottled water because the school’s well had been polluted by nitrates. The school closed in 2005.
It’s believed that up to eight more large-scale livestock operations could follow an approval of the Parrs’ operation.
Two other counties in the state, Manitowoc and Calumet, have, or are in the process of, instituting regulations that are stricter than the state’s CAFO regulations. La Crosse County also has some restrictions in its zoning ordinances.
State statutes say farm operations with more than 1,000 animal units need to meet CAFO regulations, which includes submitting groundwater tests and other information regarding the operation to the state at regular intervals. According to the Department of Natural Resources, 1,000 animal units is the equivalent of 700 milking cows, 1,000 beef cattle, 2,500 pigs or 55,000 turkeys.
The Vernon County land and water conservation committee could take up a siting ordinance at its July 13 meeting. If it passes such an ordinance, a public hearing could be held by the end of July.
Before the committee meets in public session on July 13, it has included a closed session. The State Statute allows the closed session to discuss litigation in which the county could become involved. Some speculate the Parrs could sue the county if their hog operation is prohibited.
The proposed moratorium or livestock siting ordinance could be ready for consideration by the county board at its Aug. 7 meeting. Any moratorium also would likely include a formal study of potential pollution.
