DBA says DNR Unfairly Applies Discharge Rules

April 11, 2007 — 

Two weeks ago the Dairy Business Association of Wisconsin, (DBA) sent out a press release commenting on the news that a sewer pipe at Miller Park in Milwaukee, Wis., may have misconnected during construction, allowing disease laden human waste to flow into the Menomonee River for possibly as long as six years and asks why the double standard for agriculture?

This week, DBS again commented on the situation following comments made April 3 by Bill Graffin, a spokesman for Milwaukee Metropolitan Sewerage District (MMSD). Graffin said rainfall was responsible for the city dumping millions of gallons of untreated or partially treated human waste into Lake Michigan. According to DBS, Milwaukee was not the only one to pollute Wisconsin's waters during this rainstorm.

These discharges are approved statewide by the DNR as a temporary solution for deficiencies in required storage capacity. To avoid damage to the sewage treatment plant and to prevent sewage from backing up into homes, the DNR's rules, which are in violation of federal EPA regulations, allow any municipality in the state to dump sewage first and then notify the DNR within 24 hours that they exceeded capacity.

Federal Courts and the EPA clearly state the lack of storage is an unacceptable excuse and is a crime, said DBA. The dairy association questioned why farmers in Wisconsin are being held to a completely different standard. "When much safer cow manure spread legally on the land washes off in a rainstorm, different rules apply. The DNR sees this as a more significant event than billions of gallons of bacteria and virus laden human sewerage flowing into our lakes and streams. In simple terms it's just not fair," said DBA.

Source: Feedstuffs Daily Update, April 10, 2007