LEWISTON, Minn. — The Land Stewardship Project (LSP) filed a legal brief May 22 with the Minnesota Court of Appeals contesting Daley Farm’s appeal of the state District Court’s decision to deny the operation’s attempt to circumvent Winona County’s rules related to the size of large livestock operations. Daley Farm is seeking a variance so that it can add 3,000 cows, which would put the operation at 5,968 animal units, almost four times Winona County’s animal unit cap. The expanded facility would use 92 million gallons of the area’s groundwater and produce 46 million gallons of manure and wastewater in an area dominated by karst geology.
It is troubling that Daley Farm is attempting to concentrate the manure of approximately 4,500 dairy cows in a region where drinking water is already plagued by such high nitrate levels that the Environmental Protection Agency has directed state agencies to take action to protect the health of residents.
This latest legal action comes at a time when LSP, working with our allies, was successful in getting various proposals passed during the recently concluded session of the Minnesota Legislature that will help residents in southeastern Minnesota grapple with their region’s nitrate pollution crisis. Lawmakers approved $495,000 for the Soil Health Financial Assistance Program, directed toward southeastern Minnesota farmers who are using practices that build soil and protect water quality. And feedlots under 1,000 animal units will now be eligible to apply for $850,000 in grants to implement manure management practices that improve water quality or reduce greenhouse gas emissions. In addition, $2.8 million will be directed to help private well owners alleviate the cost of installing water treatment systems and $2.79 million will be available via the Clean Water Fund to inventory, test, and provide education and outreach related to water quality in southeastern Minnesota’s private wells. The Clean Water Fund will also provide $3 million to monitor and evaluate nitrate levels as a result of legislative action pushed by LSP and its allies.
LSP applauds the Minnesota Legislature for recognizing and taking action on the nitrate pollution problem in southeastern Minnesota. However, the fact remains that using public dollars to, for example, pay for reverse osmosis water filtration systems should not be necessary. We should be focused on promoting the kind of diverse, soil-friendly farming practices that prevent water pollution in the first place while supporting small and medium-sized farms. Allowing a large livestock operation to disregard a county’s size restrictions and concentrating more manure in a fragile ecosystem is the wrong approach.
Local units of government and community members, along with the courts, have repeatedly rejected Daley Farm’s attempts to circumvent Winona County’s animal unit cap. It’s time the operation’s owners stopped wasting public resources and accepted the truth: the people have spoken for the land and their community and will not be silenced by legal intimidation.
To view the legal brief filed on May 22, click here.
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