Here & Now

FREDERICA FREYBERG:

NOW TO ENVIRONMENTAL NEWS. TO PROTECT WATER QUALITY, WISCONSIN LAW ALLOWS LOCAL GOVERNMENTS TO APPLY FOR STRONGER REGULATIONS ON FARM RUNOFF POLLUTION THAN THE STATE STANDARDS. IN ANTICIPATION OF AN IOWA-BASED PORK PRODUCER MOVING 26,000 HOGS NEARBY THE SOUTH FISH CREEK WATERSHED, THAT’S EXACTLY WHAT THE BAYFIELD COUNTY BOARD OF SUPERVISORS DID. AND THE DNR REJECTED THE ORDINANCE PROPOSAL. DRINKING WATER FOR 8,000 PEOPLE IS IN THE CROSS-HAIRS OF ALL THAT MANURE, SAYS OUR NEXT GUEST, BAYFIELD RESIDENT MARY DOUGHERTY REPRESENTS FARMS NOT FACTORIES. SHE’S IN ASHLAND. THANKS VERY MUCH FOR BEING HERE.

MARY DOUGHERTY:

THANK YOU. LOOKING FORWARD TO IT.

FREDERICA FREYBERG:

WHY DID YOU AND OTHERS WANT THIS ORDINANCE?

MARY DOUGHERTY:

BECAUSE 10,000 — OR, EXCUSE ME, 26,000 HOGS AND 10 MILLION GALLONS OF MANURE IS GOING TO FIND ITS WAY INTO THE CHEQUAMEGON BAY, WHICH IS WHERE 8.000 PEOPLE IN ASHLAND, WISCONSIN GET THEIR DRINKING WATER. WE THOUGHT IF THE STATE COULD ALLOW BAYFIELD COUNTY TO ADEQUATELY AND ROBUSTLY MANAGE ALL THAT MANURE, THAT WE WOULD DO EVERYTHING WE COULD TO MAKE SURE LAND USE IN BAYFIELD COUNTY DOESN’T NEGATIVELY IMPACT THE DRINKING WATER OF 8,000 PEOPLE IN ASHLAND COUNTY.

FREDERICA FREYBERG:

YOU DON’T THINK THE STATE STANDARDS OBVIOUSLY WERE STRONG ENOUGH TO PROTECT THAT WATERSHED?

MARY DOUGHERTY:

WHEN YOU LOOK AT THE RECENT LEGISLATIVE AUDIT BUREAU REPORT THAT SHOWS THAT THE DNR OVER A PERIOD OF I THINK ABOUT TEN YEARS ONLY ISSUED NOTICES OF VIOLATION FOR LESS THAN 6% OF THE NOTICES OF VIOLATIONS THAT SHOULD HAVE BEEN ISSUED, I FEEL LIKE WE ARE VERY — OUR CONCERNS ARE VERY WELL-FOUNDED.

FREDERICA FREYBERG:

SO WHAT WAS YOUR REACTION WHEN THE DNR REJECTED THAT ORDINANCE THAT HAD KIND OF STRICTER REGULATIONS?

MARY DOUGHERTY:

WELL, YOU KNOW, I WAS — I KIND OF EXPECTED IT, TO BE HONEST WITH YOU. WHEN YOU LOOK AT — WHEN YOU TAKE A STEP BACK AND LOOK AT WHAT OUR WISCONSIN DNR — THEIR MANTRA OF OPEN FOR BUSINESS. OPEN FOR BUSINESS DOESN’T MEAN THAT THEY’RE OPEN TO BE, YOU KNOW, THE GATEKEEPERS OF THE PUBLIC TRUST DOCTRINE. OPEN FOR BUSINESS DOESN’T MEAN THAT THEY’RE THERE TO HELP PRESERVE DRINKING WATER FOR 8,000 PEOPLE. IT MEANS THEY’RE OPEN FOR BUSINESS. AND SO IN A WAY I KIND OF EXPECTED IT. ON THE OTHER HAND, I THINK THAT THE COMPLEXITY THAT WE’RE IN NOW WITH THE SITUATION OF THE DNR — WE — CITIZENS DID EVERYTHING THAT WE WERE TOLD WE COULD DO. THE DNR SAID NO. THAT THERE’S MORE THINGS WE HAVE TO DO. AND SO I THINK WE’RE GETTING TO SOME PRETTY INTERESTING TERRITORY, FIGURING OUT WHO DOES THE DNR WORK FOR AND WHAT ARE THEY PROTECTING.

FREDERICA FREYBERG:

OF COURSE, WE DID INVITE THE DNR TO JOIN US WITH THIS DISCUSSION. THEY DECLINED OUR INVITATION TO PARTICIPATE. HOWEVER, NANCY LARSON, DNR’S WATERSHED SUPERVISOR BASED IN ASHLAND SAID THE PROPOSED ORDINANCE DOESN’T ADDRESS CURRENT THREATS, WHICH IS REQUIRED BY THE DEPARTMENT. SHE SAYS, QUOTE, THE BAYFIELD ORDINANCE ADDRESSES A POTENTIAL OR PROSPECTIVE CONDITION AND DOESN’T ADDRESS EXISTING CONDITIONS CONTRIBUTING TO WATER QUALITY ISSUES. THE NEWLY-ADOPTED BAYFIELD COUNTY ORDINANCE WOULD ONLY AFFECT LARGE FARMS KNOWN AS CAFOS IN THE SOUTH FISH CREEK WATERSHED. A LARGE HOG CAFO HAS BEEN PROPOSED, BUT THERE ARE CURRENTLY NO CAFOS IN THE WATERSHED. SO THAT’S THE DNR’S RESPONSE TO THIS. WILL THE APPEAL OF THE DNR’S DECISION REJECTING THIS ORDINANCE THAT I UNDERSTAND IS UNDERWAY ADDRESS THE ISSUES THAT PROMPTED THE DNR TO DENY IT?

MARY DOUGHERTY:

I CAN’T ANSWER THAT IN ANY SUBSTANTIVE MANNER. I KNOW THAT THE COUNTY BOARD SUPERVISORS ARE IN THE PROCESS OF WORKING WITH THE DNR TO ADDRESS THEIR CONCERNS AND PERHAPS CRAFT AN ORDINANCE THAT IS MORE ACCEPTABLE. MY CONCERN COMES DOWN TO, IN RESPONSE TO MISS LARSON’S, YOU KNOW, DESCRIPTION OF WHY THE DNR DIDN’T APPROVE IT IS THAT THE DNR’S OWN DATA FROM 2003, THEY DID A SOURCE WATER ASSESSMENT FOR THE CITY OF ASHLAND, AND THE SOURCE WATER ASSESSMENT PROCESS IS SOMETHING THAT IS PUT INTO PLACE BY THE SAFE DRINKING WATER ACT. THE DNR’S OWN WORDS SAY THAT THE CITY OF ASHLAND’S DRINKING WATER IS VERY — IS HIGHLY SUSCEPTIBLE TO RUNOFF AND CONTAMINATION BECAUSE IT’S A SURFACE WATER SYSTEM. SO WE HAVE THAT INFORMATION OVER HERE. AND 13 YEARS AGO THE DNR SAID, CITY OF ASHLAND, YOU GUYS HAVE TO BE CAREFUL BECAUSE YOUR WATER CAN BE AFFECTED BY RUNOFF, AMONG OTHER THINGS. AND THEN IN 2016, MARIANNE LOUDES SENT A LETTER TO MAYOR LEWIS SAYING-VERY CLEARLY, YOU MUST UNDERSTAND IF THE APPLICANT MEETS ALL THE STATUTORY AND LEGISLATIVE OR — YOU KNOW — BASICALLY IF HE FILLS OUT HIS PAPERWORK CORRECTLY, DALE REICKS FROM IOWA GETS TO HAVE HIS HOG FARM IN THE CHEQUAMEGON BAY. SO I FEEL IT’S SOMEWHAT DISINGENUOUS FOR HER TO SAY BECAUSE IT’S A POTENTIAL LAND USE ISSUE. THE DNR SAID THEY’RE GOING TO PERMIT IT IF HE FILLS OUT HIS PAPERWORK.

FREDERICA FREYBERG:

AND THAT PERMITTING IS STILL IN PROCESS. MARY DOUGHERTY, THANKS VERY MUCH FOR YOUR THOUGHTS ON THIS.

MARY DOUGHERTY:

THANK YOU.