Four environmental advocacy groups including the locally based Clean Water Action Council of Northeast Wisconsin are celebrating its win in court Friday in a case involving the Department of Natural Resources and the Dairy Business Association. The groups, represented by Midwest Environmental Advocates, charged the DBA and the DNR with violating the state law when the two reached an agreement regarding recent rule changes in the fall of 2017 without going through the official process. Earlier that year, the DBA claimed the DNR had overstepped its authority when it came to rule changes concerning calf hutch areas, rainwater management near feed storage, and pollution permitting. CWAC Executive Director Dean Hoegger says the decision is a win for open government and water protection.
Agricultural Run-off agency spokesperson Russ Rasmussen could not be reached for comment Friday afternoon while the DBA chose to not make a comment until the full ruling has been released. You can see a statement from the MEA online with this story.