Wisconsin approved legal settlements in these 6 environmental lawsuits. What to know about the cases
MADISON - The state's budget committee has approved settlements in several environmental lawsuits, covering issues from manure spills to telemarketing.
In all, the committee quickly signed off on nearly $1.5 million in environmental settlements, money which will likely be deposited into the state's general fund.
Here's what you know about the agreements.
Didion Milling and Didion Ethanol
In a case regarding air pollution and pollution discharge violations, the state alleged multiple allegations, including emissions control violations, failure to inspect pumps in volatile organic compound service to detect leaks, inspection and record-keeping violations, control device monitoring violations, next-day reporting violations and emissions inventory violations.
The settlement included a monetary penalty of $940,000. Didion Milling operates in Cambria, in central Wisconsin.
Ellsworth Cooperative Creamery
Ellsworth Cooperative Creamery, located in the northwest Wisconsin community of Ellsworth, was accused of violating the state's pollution discharge elimination system permit, including exceeding effluent limitations. The company's penalty is $250,000, including $90,000 for the Department of Natural Resources to replace fish in impacted waters.
In addition, the company must also install a wastewater cooler, to cool water before it's released into a nearby creek, a filter to remove cheese particles from the facility's whey stream and a diversion of wastewater with a high concentration of the five-day biochemical oxygen demand to an emergency spill tank.
North Side Genetics
North Side Genetics, a concentrated animal feeding organization located in Fennimore, in western Wisconsin, allegedly violated its state permit by failing to complete construction of a feed runoff control system by a set date.
The CAFO's penalty is $17,500 plus a requirement to complete the construction of the feed runoff control system at the factory farm.
More: Kewaunee County dairy farmer, 2 others charged with over-spreading manure, falsifying documents
Hartman Well Drilling & Pump
Hartman Well Drilling and Pump, located in Conover in northern Wisconsin, allegedly committed well drilling violations, including false well water samples. The company also failed to submit numerous reports associated with drilling, sampling and sealing wells.
The penalty is $15,000.
Wisconsin v. Burns
In two related cases in Marathon County, prosecutions were made against Larry Burns, Jason Burns and Musson Bros. Inc., regarding violations of wetland protection and stormwater pollution prevention laws.
In the first case, the state alleged that the parties discharged dredged material into a wetland without a permit. In the second, the parties failed to obtain a stormwater permit and to prepare and submit a stormwater pollution prevention plan to DNR prior to conducting non-metallic mining activities.
The total penalty was $80,000 and required to purchase $30,000 in wetland mitigation credits from one of two mitigation banks in Marathon County.
More: Lawmakers approve a settlement with large-scale Kewaunee County factory farm over manure pollution
Stahl Brothers Dairy
Stahl Brothers, a CAFO located in Luxemburg in northeastern Wisconsin, allegedly violated terms of its state permit, including exceeding the margin of safety in a waste storage facility, failing to report those exceeded storage margins, manure discharged to state waters, manure running off fields on more than one occasion, manure ponded on fields several times, and storing manure in unapproved locations, in addition to others.
The farm's penalty is $228,000.
In a statement, owner Tom Stahl said the farm settled with the state out of its best interests.
"As farmers, we work every day to protect our precious land and water resources," he said "Though we did not agree with all of the allegations made by the State of Wisconsin in this case, we determined that resolving this matter was in the best interest of our family farm."
Laura Schulte can be reached at leschulte@jrn.com and on X at @SchulteLaura.
This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Wisconsin approved legal settlements in these 6 environmental lawsuits
