Wisconsin Attorney General Josh Kaul has reached a $242,000 settlement with a factory farm and a manure applicator to resolve pollution violations stemming from manure spills several years ago.
Kaul announced the settlements with K&D Manure Handling Inc., its owner, Kevin Hintz, and Wild Rose Dairy LLC in a news release. He brokered the deals earlier this month.
The settlements resolve state Justice Department allegations that Wild Rose and K&D caused manure spills in Otter Creek in Vernon County in 2017 and 2019, resulting in significant fish kills each time. The agency also alleged that K&D and Hintz caused a spill in Bostwick Creek in La Crosse County in 2019.
Republican lawmakers passed a lame-duck law in 2018 that requires Kaul to get permission from the Legislature’s GOP-controlled budget committee before he can enter into settlements.
Kaul got around that requirement by brokering the deals without filing a lawsuit.
Topics Agribusiness Pollution
Was this article valuable?
Here are more articles you may enjoy.
‘Unusual’ Isaias Brings Winds, Downed Trees But Fewer Claims Than Expected 
Banking Watchdogs Ramp Up AI Scrutiny as Stability Fears Mount, Sources Say 
Uninsurable Future: Managing the Climate-Change-Fueled Home Insurance Crisis 
AI’s Water Strain Includes Surging Demand From Electricity Use 
