DNR plans for General Permits for CAFOs
We need your help. Please email the DNR about this issue regarding CAFO oversight and permitting. You may use the sample email below. Please send your email immediately. We will want a large attendance at the public hearing as well.
Sample email to send:
Dear Mr. Bauman,
The DNR is proposing changing the WPDES permits, the clean water discharge permits for CAFOs. The proposal is to change to a general permit, thus offering a streamlined process for CAFOs. Our experience in rural Wisconsin is that each CAFO is in a unique local area that has special local environmental concerns, such as karst geology, location of waterways, ground water volume issues, soil differences, and topography. Thus there should be no “general” permits.
In addition, I request that you slow the process down and allow a greater time for public comment after you publish your proposal. This is a very important issue and deserves serious public scrutiny.
The DNR justification of this action is to have more resources to monitor and enforce laws and rules. The way to have more resources is to charge for CAFO permits based on the amount of their discharge and more in line with municipal permit fees. For example, Janesville is charged about $60,000 per year for their discharge permit. Every CAFO pays only $250 per year. This unfair imbalance must be corrected so the funds are available to give each permit the scrutiny it needs to keep Wisconsin’s ground and surface water clean.
Thank you for considering my request. Please send me information on all meetings and public hearings on this issue. I will be sending this to my state legislators and Gov Doyle as well.
Email Tom Bauman, of the DNR.Thomas.bauman@wisconsin.gov
Send this same email to our legislators, sen.kapanke@legis.wisconsin.gov and
rep.nerison@legis.wisconsin.gov
as well as Governor Doyle at governor@wisconsin.gov
Also send by "bcc" to us so that we have a copy.csp.county@gmail.com