MADISON, Wis.– The Wisconsin Department of Justice announced that a Nekoosa dairy farm will pay a $245,000 settlement after allegedly violating manure discharge state laws.
The DOJ announced the settlement with Central Sands Dairy, LLC on Friday, Oct. 16.
Central Sands is a large concentrated animal feeding operation in Nekoosa that used manure to fertilize fields in Juneau County under the Wisconsin Pollutant Discharge Elimination System permit.
According to the DOJ, the farm allegedly violated the state’s groundwater quality standards while discharging the manure. Specifically alleging that Central Sands failed to control the manure at the production area.
Additionally, the company is accused of improperly discharging manure on the fields, failing to upgrade a manure storage facility as required by the WPDES permit and failing to submit a required plan to the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources.
As part of the settlement, Central Sands is ordered to abandon its Juneau County waste storage facility by July 1, 2027. The DOJ estimates the cost of the abandonment is around $315,000.
The company was also billed for $245,000 due to forfeitures, surcharges and attorney fees.
“Compliance with Wisconsin’s wastewater discharge laws helps keep groundwater clean,” said Attorney General Josh Kaul. “Thank you to those at DOJ and DNR whose work helped to obtain this resolution.”
