Benefit meal to protect water set January 18 in Madison

A benefit to defend a landmark court ruling protecting Wisconsin’s water will be held Monday, Jan. 18, at the Dardanelles Restaurant in Madison.

Rural citizens who’ve been working for 9 years to obtain surface and drinking water protections are holding the benefit. Several farmers are donating food, including lamb from pastured livestock, for the meal, which runs from 6 to 9 p.m. at 1851 W. Monroe Street in Madison.

A donation of $40 or more is being requested for the meal. Proceeds will help cover legal expenses of attorneys Christa Westerberg and Peter McKeever, who’ve supported environmental protections for citizens across Wisconsin.

Tickets can be obtained by sending checks to Green Rock Audubon Society, which has also supported the local group 5 times in court. Checks should note that donation is for the clean water legal defense.

“Our wells were polluted,” said Tony Ends, who’s been helping lead the Green Rock Citizens for Clean Water in their long court fight 30 miles south of Madison.” Our creek – a state designated Exceptional Water Resource. – was polluted to levels 20 times higher than what EPA deems unsafe.

“Livestock facility siting rules rushed into state law in 2004 stripped away local ordinances that protected us,” Ends said. “This 2008 court ruling established an important precedent for towns, cities and counties in Wisconsin, forbidden by that law from imposing conditions on huge confined animal feeding operation permits. This ruling provides a tool local jurisdictions can use to protect a natural resource without which no one in this state can live – clean water.”

In the first case of its kind, Rock County Circuit Court Judge James E. Welker upheld the decision of the Town of Magnolia to impose conditions on a permit requested by Larson Acres, Inc., for a 1,500 animal unit dry cow feeding operation. The Town’s conditions were to protect water quality by restricting land-spreading of manure, requiring specified crop planting and rotations, annual testing and other measures.

The Judge’s ruling vacated a lower decision by the new State Livestock Facilities Siting Review Board to strip the Town-issued permit of the conditions. The Judge found that the Siting Review Board had acted “beyond its powers,” and that the conditions imposed by the Town were consistent with state statutes.

Larson Acres Inc. is waging a legal appeal against the court ruling. Green Rock Citizens for Clean water has been holding bake sales, chili suppers, even a barn dance to cover legal expenses the past 9 years. “Protections our rural neighbors won now stand to benefit everyone in Wisconsin,” Ends said. “We’re appealing for financial assistance to maintain these protections.”

Donations for a silent auction to be held with the benefit meal can be dropped off at The Dardanelles Restaurant during their regular business hours, Monday through Saturday. For additional information, email tony@scotchhillfarm.com or call him at 608 897-4288.