For now, Wisconsin will avoid costly requirements to meet air quality standards for ozone pollution in parts of southeastern Wisconsin under a recent federal appeals court order.

The post Wisconsin, businesses get reprieve from strict smog regulations under court order appeared first on WPR.

The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources and Department of Health Services issued the new consumption advisories Thursday that take effect immediately.

The post DNR: Limit eating ducks, fish caught in parts of Wisconsin due to PFAS contamination appeared first on WPR.

A Wisconsin man is among employees fired by the Environmental Protection Agency in recent days after signing a letter opposing the Trump administration’s policies.

The post Wisconsin biologist is among those fired by EPA after signing dissent letter appeared first on WPR.

Great Lakes states should take steps to protect water resources from increasing demand from data centers and other industries, according to a new report.

The post Report says growing demand from data centers, industry could stress Great Lakes water appeared first on WPR.

As people head to the water this Labor Day weekend, Wisconsin environmental and health regulators are urging them to avoid swimming in scummy or smelly water.

The post While down slightly this year, blue-green algae blooms still trending upward appeared first on WPR.

While they may look like something out of a horror flick, disease experts say the virus causing the wart-like growths isn’t a sign of the end times.

The post Rabbits with hornlike growths spotted in northern Wisconsin appeared first on WPR.

An audit has confirmed the state’s fish and wildlife account is seeing a shortfall in revenues without budgetary transfers to make the account whole.

The post State audit confirms shortfall in revenues in fish and wildlife account in Wisconsin appeared first on WPR.

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State environmental regulators can require large livestock farms to obtain permits that seek to prevent manure spills and protect state waters, a state appeals court has ruled. 

Last year, a Calumet County judge ruled in favor of the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources in a case challenging the agency’s authority to require permits for concentrated animal feeding operations or CAFOs. Those farms have at least 1,000 animal units or the equivalent of 700 milking cows.

In 2023, the WMC Litigation Center sued the DNR on behalf of the Wisconsin Dairy Alliance and Venture Dairy Cooperative. They argued that agency rules that require CAFO permits and regulate stormwater runoff from farms can’t be legally enforced because they’re inconsistent with state and federal law.

In a decision Wednesday, a three-judge panel upheld the lower court’s decision.

“Because we conclude the two challenged rules do not conflict with state statutes and do not exceed the DNR’s statutory authority, we affirm the circuit court’s order granting summary judgment in favor of the DNR,” the panel wrote.

A DNR spokesperson said it’s reviewing the decision and unable to comment further at this time.

An attorney for farm groups had argued the DNR can’t go beyond federal requirements under state law, adding that state and federal laws exempt farms from regulation of their stormwater runoff.

Federal appeals court rulings in 2005 and 2011 found the Clean Water Act doesn’t allow the Environmental Protection Agency to require CAFOs to get wastewater discharge permits until they actually release waste into waterways. The three-judge panel noted state permitting programs may impose more stringent requirements than the EPA’s permitting program.

In a joint statement, Wisconsin Dairy Alliance and Venture Dairy Cooperative said the decision is disappointing for Wisconsin’s ag community.

“We believe that there is no place for bad actors and that polluters should face penalties, but this case had nothing to do with weakening environmental laws. Our sole mission in challenging the DNR’s authority was to ensure that Wisconsin farmers are held to standards consistent with federal law,” the groups wrote.

“We continue to believe that a ‘presumption of guilt’ runs contrary to the very fundamentals of the American justice system. We are disappointed with today’s outcome and will continue to fight for Wisconsin farmers regardless of the size of their farm,” the groups continued.

The ruling affects the state’s 344 CAFOs. Under permits, large farms must take steps to prevent manure spills and runoff that include developing response plans, nutrient management plans and restricting manure spreading when there’s high risk of runoff from storms.

Midwest Environmental Advocates is among environmental groups that intervened in the case. They said the legal challenge could have severely limited the DNR’s ability to protect state waters from manure pollution, noting CAFOs can house thousands of cows that produce more waste than small cities.

Adam Voskuil, an MEA attorney, said the ruling affirms environmental regulations.

“We’re continuing to protect water resources in the state, and (it’s) a prevention of rolling back really important, necessary regulations,” Voskuil said.

Without them, Voskuil said the DNR would be responsible for proving whether each individual CAFO has discharged pollutants to surface water or groundwater. He said it’s likely the agency wouldn’t have the resources to do that work, meaning many farms wouldn’t be permitted or taking required steps to prevent pollution.

Darin Von Ruden, president of the Wisconsin Farmers Union, said there has to be oversight of any industry.

“There needs to be some kind of authority that can call out the bad actors and make sure our water supply is safe,” Von Ruden said.

The Wisconsin Department of Justice has been defending DNR in the case. Wisconsin Attorney General Josh Kaul has previously said the state should be strengthening protections for state waterways, not weakening them.

Manure has been linked to nitrate contamination of private wells. Nitrate contamination can lead to blue-baby syndrome, thyroid disease and colon cancer. Around 90 percent of nitrate in groundwater can be traced back to agriculture.

The lawsuit is not the first to challenge DNR’s authority to require permits for CAFOs. In 2017, the Dairy Business Association sued the agency in part over its permit requirements, dropping that claim as part of a settlement with the DNR. Large farms have also challenged the agency’s authority to impose permit conditions on their operations. In 2021, the Wisconsin Supreme Court ruled the DNR had authority to impose permit requirements on large farms to protect water quality.

This story was originally published by WPR.

Wisconsin DNR can require CAFO permits to protect water, appeals court rules is a post from Wisconsin Watch, a non-profit investigative news site covering Wisconsin since 2009. Please consider making a contribution to support our journalism.

A Wisconsin appeals court has ruled that state environmental regulators can require large livestock farms to obtain permits that seek to prevent manure spills and protect state waters. 

The post DNR can require CAFO permits to protect water, appeals court rules appeared first on WPR.

Wisconsin Democratic lawmakers are introducing a bill to reauthorize the state’s land purchase program at $72 million annually over the next six years and create a board to oversee spending on conservation projects.

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Some federal offices in Wisconsin remain open after the Department of Government Efficiency targeted them for termination earlier this year.

The post Targeted by DOGE for termination, some federal offices remain open in Wisconsin appeared first on WPR.

A group of 15 young people in Wisconsin is challenging state laws that they say worsen the climate crisis and violate their constitutional rights following a landmark climate ruling in Montana.

The post Wisconsin youth sue state to strike down laws they say worsen climate crisis, violate rights appeared first on WPR.

A Bayfield County man who faced almost 60 charges for keeping horses in “atrocious” conditions will spend 30 days in jail and receive one year of probation.

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An advocate for industrial ratepayers said American Transmission Company’s rates that cover the cost of building and maintaining transmission lines are rising faster than inflation.

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Exploration for metallic mines is fairly rare. But, in Taylor County, mining company Green Light Wisconsin is drilling for copper and gold. Such metals haven’t been mined in Wisconsin for almost 30 years, but that could change. As drilling is ongoing, Wisconsin tribes and environmentalists are worried about potential harm to water, wetlands and cultural sites.

The post A mining company is drilling for metals in Wisconsin. Opponents are on edge. appeared first on WPR.

The head of the policymaking board for the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources said the agency has been facing a “slow, insidious loss of resources” that’s resulted in the loss of hundreds of positions over more than two decades.

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As ATV/UTV crashes are on the rise, the policy-making board for the state Department of Natural Resources on Wednesday discussed loopholes in the law that are affecting safety.

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The Bad River tribe and environmental groups are urging an administrative law judge to overturn key permits for Canadian energy firm Enbridge as it seeks to reroute an oil and gas pipeline around the tribe’s reservation.

The post Hearing begins on challenge to key permits for Enbridge’s project to reroute Line 5 appeared first on WPR.

A group of residents want a judge to require a Portage County farm to conduct more protective groundwater monitoring, saying a settlement reached between the farm and state regulators weakened oversight.

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A federal judge has ruled in favor of more than 50 homeowners and the town of Lac du Flambeau in a longstanding dispute with the Lac du Flambeau tribe about access to roads crossing tribal lands.

The post Federal judge rules in favor of homeowners, town of Lac du Flambeau in roads dispute appeared first on WPR.