Stricter CAFO Guidelines Proposed for Polk County Comprehensive Land Use Ordinance

The Polk County Environmental Services Committee hosted public comments concerning their new Proposed Polk County CAFO Land Use Ordinance for Swine Operations– at their July 8, 2020 meeting. 

Nearly all of the 170 submitted comments called for more strict guidelines to be put in place; above and beyond what the state already requires for CAFOs. 

WDA believes that even though the proposed ordinance is directed specifically towards swine, it is only a matter of time before dairy and other livestock will be included.

Wisconsin Dairy Alliance President, Cindy Leitner, said, “While WDA supports Polk County’s efforts to engage in reasonable regulation of livestock operations, we believe it must be done in accordance with state law. As it is currently written, wherever the proposed revisions of the ordinance exceed the state’s uniform laws regulating livestock operations, those revisions are illegal and unenforceable.”

Examples of items in the proposed revisions that exceed current state livestock regulations include:

• The requirement to have CUP (Conditional Use Permit) applicants provide “air quality testing/studies”;

• The requirement that the applicant’s owner or operator live within five miles of the farm;

Ignoring the requirement for alignment with state law, others at the meeting suggested copying ordinances other counties and towns in Wisconsin have implemented. WDA believes these ordinances are illegally written in their current form. 

There is a moratorium against building or expanding CAFO operations in Polk County that is set to expire in October, but that does not mean our fight is over.    

WDA will keep a close eye on any new actions Polk County takes and will keep you updated on developments. 

CLICK HERE to read WDA’s written comments on the proposed revisions.