MONTEVIDEO, Minn. — The Land Stewardship Project (LSP) today sharply criticized the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency’s decision to allow Riverview LLP’s massive West River Dairy expansion to move forward without requiring a full Environmental Impact Statement (EIS). If approved, the project would expand the operation from 7,855 cows to 18,855 cows, making it the largest dairy facility and largest Confined Animal Feeding Operation (CAFO) in Minnesota.
“We are disappointed that state regulators are allowing a project of this unprecedented size to move forward without the full environmental review that rural residents, family farmers, and community members have been calling for,” said Sean Carroll, Policy Director for LSP. “An Environmental Impact Statement is exactly the tool needed to answer the serious questions people have raised about water use, manure management, groundwater protection, public health, and the future of family-scale dairy farming in western Minnesota.”
The MPCA’s decision follows a public comment period on the Environmental Assessment Worksheet and draft feedlot permit for the proposed expansion. LSP and community members have repeatedly urged the agency to require a full EIS because of the scale of the proposal and its potential impacts on water resources, nearby communities, and independent livestock producers.
Public concern about the proposal has been overwhelming. More than 1,400 people submitted official public comments to the MPCA, and 1,140 people signed LSP’s petition calling for a full EIS. In recent weeks, media outlets across the state and region have raised questions about the project’s potential environmental, economic, and community impacts.
Riverview LLP is seeking to expand West River Dairy in Stevens County to a total capacity of 18,855 cows. According to MPCA project materials, the proposal will use 319 million gallons of water per year and require 250 million gallons of liquid manure storage. LSP has warned that a facility of this size warrants the most thorough review available under Minnesota law.
“The public has asked clear, reasonable questions that should be answered before any permits are issued,” said Sean Carroll. “The MPCA’s decision does not make those questions go away. It simply means the responsibility now falls even more squarely on local elected officials to stand up for the people and resources of Stevens County.”
Although the MPCA declined to order an EIS, the Stevens County Board still has the authority to require one. A decision is expected to come before the Board in the coming months. LSP will continue working with members and local residents to ensure community voices are heard and that county officials require the full environmental review this project demands.
“For decades, rural communities have relied on local decision-makers to protect their land, water, and way of life when state regulators fall short,” said Carroll “LSP members have been part of more than 40 successful local campaigns to stop factory farms, and we know that people organizing together at the local level can make a difference.”