Rosendale Dairy EIS availability and hearing, WPDES permit and hearing
News Release Published: December 23, 2008 by the Central Office
Contact(s): Todd Ambs, Water Division Administrator, (608) 264-6278
MADISON – The Department of Natural Resources has produced an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) on the proposed wastewater discharge (WPDES) permit for the Rosendale Dairy facility in Fond du Lac County. The public is invited to comment on the EIS and Draft Permit in writing or at a public information hearing January 22 at 5 p.m. at the Royal Ridges in Ripon. Comments are due by Feb. 4, 2009.
Rosendale Dairy is proposing to construct a large dairy facility capable of housing and milking up to 4000 dairy cows and 150 beef cattle (combined 5,750 Animal Units or AUs). There is a possible Phase II of similar size in the future. The facility will include: freestall barns, a milking parlor, manure handling, storage equipment, feed storage, leachate collection and stormwater basins.
The project will be located at N8997 County Highway M, Pickett, WI 54964, in Section 9, Town of Rosendale, Fond du Lac County.
For Phase I, Rosendale Dairy annually will produce approximately 46 million gallons of liquid waste, consisting primarily of liquid manure, that will be stored on site in the waste storage facilities and land applied every year. The operation has submitted a nutrient management plan that would use 5,631 acres of cropland for land application activities.
Environmental Impact Statement
Prior to completion of the EIS the department conducted an issue identification process, released an environmental assessment on September 16, 2008, and received public comments through October 14, 2008. On November 18, 2008, the department notified interested agencies and parties of its determination to complete an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) process and provided a timeline for public scoping comments to help identify the scope and the significant issues to be analyzed in depth in the analysis.
The EIS is available on the Department Web site. Copies are available for public review upon request to James Pardee at (608) 266-0426 or by e-mail at james.pardee@wisconsin.gov. Copies of the EIS will also be available at the following area libraries: Fond du Lac Public Library, 32 Sheboygan St., Fond du Lac, WI 54935; Oshkosh Public Library, 106 Washington Ave., Oshkosh, WI 54901; and Ripon Public Library, 120 Jefferson St., Ripon, WI 54971.
Any member of the public may submit written comments on the EIS by hand-delivery or U.S. mail to James Pardee at WDNR SS/7, PO Box 7921, 101 S. Webster Street, Madison, WI 53707 or by e-mail to james.pardee@wisconsin.gov. Comments on the EIS shall be postmarked or hand-delivered no later than Feb. 4, 2006.
If you would like to comment on the proposed permit action or would like information on file for the WPDES permit action, including the permit application, draft permit, and fact sheet, may be inspected and copied at the DNR Oshkosh Service Center, Monday through Friday (except holidays), between 9 a.m. and 3:30 p.m. Please call Liz Spaeth-Werner at WDNR Oshkosh Service Center, 625 E. County Road Y, Oshkosh, WI, 54901, (920) 303-5426 or by e-mail to elizabeth.spaethwerner@wisconsin.gov for directions to the office location, if necessary. Reasonable costs (usually 20 cents per page) will be charged for copies of information in the file other than the public notice and fact sheet. Permit information is also available for downloading from the DNR Web site. Pursuant to the Americans with Disabilities Act, reasonable accommodation, including the provision of informational material in an alternative format, will be made to qualified individuals upon request.
Public Informational Hearing/Submitting Comments
DNR will hold a public informational hearing on January 22, 2009 at 5 p.m. at the Royal Ridges, 1 Westgate Drive (just off W. Fond du Lac St. which is also known as Hwy 23/49), Ripon, WI 54971. An informational open house will also be held from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. at the same location. The hearing on the EIS and WPDES permit will begin at 5 p.m.
The purpose of the open house is to allow members of the public to ask questions of department staff regarding the EIS and proposed WPDES permit. The open house is informational only and verbal comments and questions made at the open house will not be considered part of the record. However, written comments on the EIS or proposed WPDES permit may be submitted at the open house and will be considered part of the record.
For the first part of the hearing, the department will accept comments on the EIS. The second part of the hearing, the department will take comments on the proposed WPDES permit. Verbal comments on the EIS and WPDES permit must be made at the January 22 hearing to be considered part of the record of the EIS or WPDES permit. Any written comments on the EIS or WPDES permit must be submitted to the Department by February 4, 2009 to be considered part of the record.
Any questions regarding the procedures of the informational hearing for the EIS or proposed permit should be directed to Attorneys Marney Hoefer at (608) 266-7588 or Robin Nyffeler at 608/266-0024, Department of Natural Resources, LS/8, P.O. Box 7921, Madison, Wisconsin 53707- 7921.
