The state of Wisconsin resolves a lawsuit regarding the discharge of manure and wastewater with a major dairy farm.

A major dairy business in Wisconsin has made an agreement with environmental regulators in which they will cease the spreading of liquid manure in the future, in return for being exempt from the need to monitor groundwater.
Last year, Kinnard Farms filed a lawsuit against the state Department of Natural Resources, which has now been resolved by the agreement.
According to court records, the settlement will be implemented on Saturday.
Last month, officials from Kinnard Farms stated that they had come to an agreement.
The Kinnard enterprise comprises of 16 industrial farms that house approximately 8,000 cows.
For years, it has faced challenges with pollution in agriculture as pollutants have infiltrated private wells.
The soil in Kewaunee County is not very deep and is not effective in purifying water, which makes the region highly vulnerable to groundwater pollution.
A settlement of $215,000 has been reached between a factory farm and the Wisconsin Department of Justice due to manure pollution. The company had filed a lawsuit in April 2022 after the DNR made changes to their wastewater permit.
The changes required the operation to reduce its herd to 11,369 cows and start observing the groundwater in regions polluted with nitrate due to the spreading of manure.
The officials of Kinnard Farms claimed that their business would face negative consequences if they are unable to increase their herd size, and implementing groundwater monitoring would result in significant expenses amounting to tens of thousands of dollars.
If Kinnard Farms spreads untreated manure, the DNR will require groundwater monitoring after four years as part of the settlement.
Kinnard Farms has agreed to discontinue the spreading of liquid manure within a period of four years as part of the settlement.
In case Kinnard fails to fulfill the requirement, the DNR has the authority to enforce groundwater monitoring regulations on fields that are given liquid manure.
The agreement also specifies time limits for Kinnard to implement advanced technology for treating the manure in order to eliminate harmful microorganisms.
In case they do not meet the deadlines, the DNR has the authority to promptly enforce the need for groundwater monitoring.
Kinnard is required to provide progress reports twice a year regarding their endeavors.
The herd limitations are not covered by the settlement.
Kinnard has retracted its objection to the restriction, but the matter may resurface when Kinnard applies for a permit renewal.
The Wisconsin DNR Board has passed a resolution requesting additional funds from the legislature. Lee Kinnard, the owner of Kinnard Farms, acknowledged the DNR's efforts in recognizing the potential of technology, providing flexibility within regulations, and promoting collaboration in reaching a settlement.
Katie Grant, the spokesperson for DNR, did not provide a comment in response to an email inquiry right away.
A group of six individuals from Kewaunee County, who are being represented by the environmental law firm Midwest Environmental Advocates, have joined the legal case against Kinnard Farms.
According to Dan Gustafson, the senior lawyer of the company, the settlement will draw attention to the potential public health hazards that large dairy farms can cause in regions that are vulnerable to contamination of groundwater and surface water.
To obtain the FOX News application, click on the provided link. In March, Kinnard and the Justice Department of the state resolved a distinct lawsuit that involved accusations of the operation's inappropriate distribution of manure in Kewaunee and Door counties from 2018 to 2022.
Kinnard has consented to pay $215,000 to the state and enhance waste storage facilities in case a DNR assessment concludes that upgrades are necessary.