Manure Pollution on large Dairy Farms in Wisconsin Settles.

The Kinnard operation includes 16 industrial farms with about 8,000 cows. It has struggled with agricultural pollution for years as contaminants seeped into private wells.

Kewaunee County has relatively shallow soil that does a poor job filtering water, making the area especially susceptible to groundwater contamination.

The operation filed a lawsuit in April 2022 after the DNR modified the company's wastewater permit. The revisions called for the operation to limit the size of its herd to 11,369 cows.

Kinnard Farms officials argued that the business would suffer if they can't expand their herd and groundwater monitoring would cost tens of thousands of dollars.

Under the settlement, stop spreading liquid Kinnard Farms plans tomanure within four years. If Kinnard can't meet that requirement, the DNR can impose groundwater monitoring requirements on fields that receive liquid manure.

In facilitating this settlement, the DNR deserves credit for recognizing the potential of the technology, the value of providing flexibility within a regulatory framework and the usefulness of collaboration," Kinnard Farms owner Lee Kinnard said in a statement.

Kinnard and the state Justice Department in March settled a separate case dealing with allegations that the operation improperly spread manure in Kewaunee and Door counties between 2018 ad 2022. Kinnard agreed to pay the state $215,000 and upgrade waste storage facilities