Wisconsin manure politics

[Updated from 8/12] 

Add this context and documentation provided by the MAL Contends blog about the struggle against a mega-dairy in Wood County to the manure contamination issues in Kewaunee County to which the DNR is belatedly offering a tepid response.

I explained the Kewaunee/DNR matter in a Wednesday posting, below:

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I'd written this today:

Wisconsin DNR Secretary Cathy Stepp minimizes the elimination of the agency's crucial water division, rationalizes the elimination of science staff which she supported and overlooks already-weakened wetlands, shoreline, mining. manure control, parks' management, public land acquisition, pollution inspections and enforcement laws and procedures which Walker and the Legislature have systematically been easing.

Note the reference to "manure spreading," a frequent topic on this blog:

As our self-absorbed and wandering Governor heads for yet another California soiree with the Koch brothers, and has slashed the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources, here's a snapshot of the people and state he disregards: 

Northern Kewaunee County wells are polluted

Where is the official concern for these people - - Wisconsin citizens, taxpayers?

Later today, a DNR official acknowledged the manure spreading issue and called for self-regulation to address it:

A Department of Natural Resources official acknowledged Wednesday that the system of spreading manure in certain regions of Wisconsin isn't adequately protecting drinking water supplies and said the state will recommend new application methods in coming months...  

The agency for now isn't suggesting new regulations, which would mandate limits on how much manure could be applied on land where animal waste and other pollutants are polluting groundwater supplies, [Russ] Rasmussen said. 

Instead, he said, his agency, the state agriculture department and other groups are developing voluntary recommendations... especially in northeast Wisconsin, where water and manure are known to flow quickly through fractured bedrock and potentially taint the groundwater.

Interesting, yes. Awareness is good.

But people with manure-tainted wells have been frustrated with the DNR's go-slow approach, and the DNR, avoiding aggressive problem-solving, is years late to the manure runoff problem - - here's a 2013 posting by a citizens group in about one big dairy's ten-year record of runoff violations - - so I wouldn't put much stock in the voluntary approach which has pleased the ruling corporate party while leaving citizens with contaminated wells.

Note that Russ Rasmussen, the DNR official speaking today was not long ago touting the agency's new pro-business approach:

Wisconsin DNR trying to be more business-friendly

I am told that in actuality, Rasmussen no long has direct supervisory authority as water division administrator, having been shifted to the Secretary's office - - a more political environment.

And note also that the DNR has just shifted water and environmental staff and programs after a reorganization and big round of science layoffs into a new business support and external services division - - a bad, sad step, according to Todd Ambs, a former DNR water division administrator.

So - - voluntary solutions from the DNR to solve the manure runoff/drinking water problem?

I'm not seeing it.