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WI manure irrigation report does little to settle conflict

April 19, 2016, Green Bay, WI – Manure irrigation is not a new practice, but the boom in CAFOs around Wisconsin and development of new spraying practices have spurred several local governments to enact moratoriums or altogether ban the practice.

The University of Wisconsin Extension-led Wisconsin Manure Irrigation Workgroup of academics, state regulators, county-level health officials, farmers and ag industry representatives spent the last three years assembling a 122-page report that seeks to pull together empirical data about the effects of manure irrigation and recommend best practices for conducting spraying and minimizing its consequences. The group’s 18 members don’t agree on everything — one even asked to have his name taken off the report — and critics are already saying it doesn’t dig far enough into the potential problems. READ MORE