Huge Dairy Project Delayed in Wisconsin
US - Plans proposed to build what would be the largest dairy farm in Wisconsin, US, has been delayed due to environmental concerns.The owners of Rosendale Dairy in Fond du Lac County say the requirement by the state Department of Natural Resources for an analysis known as an environmental impact statement is unnecessary, reports JournalSentinelOnline. It would be the first time the agency has ever made such a requirement of a dairy farm.
JournalSentinelOnline says that the DNR concluded Friday that the dairy would need an environmental impact statement for the first phase of the project involving 4,000 cows. The DNR would use the analysis in deciding whether to issue a wastewater permit to the dairy farm.
As some farmers move to large-scale dairying of 1,000 cows or more, the practice has come under fire by environmentalists and some local residents because of worries about odor and potential pollution from manure.
An environmental impact statement generally requires more rigorous environmental analysis than an environmental assessment, which Rosendale Dairy had completed, and gives more opportunity for the public to comment on a project.
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