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Illinois: Progress Made in Case against Mega Dairy in Jo Daviess County!

Dairy cows on factory farms endure lives of intensive confinement and relentless production marked by continual impregnation and birth. Aside from the massive animal cruelty they generate, dairy factory farms pollute our air and water, endanger our health and drive out small, family farmers.

Dairy cows are typically injected with hormones, fed antibiotics and produce tens of thousands of gallons of waste a year, which is stored in giant manure lagoons that can be as big as football fields. People living near these factory dairy operations often report a multitude of health problems, including respiratory difficulties, as they are forced to breathe air contaminated with ammonia and hydrogen sulfide. And all of this may soon be coming to a town near you.

In Jo Daviess County, citizens are working tirelessly to stop a mega dairy farm proposed by out-of-state businessman A.J. Bos. The Jo Daviess County Board rejected the application for the mega dairy, but the Illinois Department of Agriculture chose to override this vote and approve the facility, granting A.J. Bos a permit for a 5,464-head dairy farm in May 2008. In response, the nonprofit organization Helping Others Maintain Environmental Standards (HOMES) and several individuals living near the proposed site filed and won a preliminary injunction, restraining the operation of the mega dairy, and stating that A.J. Bos could not operate with more than 199 cows. The court case is ongoing as environmental and animal advocates work to get a permanent injunction against the mega dairy.

The proposed, mega factory farm for Jo Daviess County, Ill., would be the largest factory farm in the state. It would create a massive manure lagoon located just upstream of the Apple River State Park-a situation that would imperil the county's water supply. The tremendous amount of waste generated by such a facility would risk seriously damaging the aquifer and generally ruin the pristine nature of this entire area of Illinois.

You Can Help:
For the animals, people and the environment, please take a moment to speak out against this proposed mega dairy. Let the decision-makers know that a factory dairy farm is not welcome in Jo Daviess County or anywhere else in Illinois.

1. E-mail new Illinois Governor Pat Quinn and thank him for supporting citizen efforts to prevent the mega dairy. Kindly ask him to take whatever further action he can to prevent the proposed A.J. Bos mega dairy farm in Jo Daviess County.
2. Write a Letter to the Editor of your local paper and let your neighbors know that you do not want any factory farms in Illinois — in particular the mega dairy farm proposed by out-of-state investor A.J. Bos.

Thank you for taking action today!

Talking Points:

• Members of the Jo Daviess County board voted to deny the application for the proposed dairy, and their decision should be upheld since the negative consequences of this factory farm directly impacts their community.
• The mega dairy farm proposed for Jo Daviess County will generate a massive amount of waste which can damage the aquifer and pollute surrounding rivers and streams.
• People living near factory dairy operations have reported a multitude of health problems, including respiratory difficulties, as they are forced to breathe air contaminated with ammonia and hydrogen sulfide emissions from the manure lagoons.
• The noxious odors from the proposed dairy factory farm will drive away tourists and decrease property values, while the company profits will go to California.
• Manure "lagoon" breaches and leaks and runoff from sprayfields have killed fish, depleted oxygen in water, contaminated drinking water, and threatened aquatic life.
• Animals on factory farms suffer from a deplorable state of continual confinement and relentless production. In a healthy environment, cows would live in excess of 20 years, but on modern dairies, cows are considered useless after just three to four years when the demands of maximum milk production take a toll on their bodies.
• In California, where dairies are the number one point source of environmental pollution, a spill from the Heritage Dairy in 2003 spewed 1.3 million gallons of manure into the Sacramento River, tainting waterways up and down the state.
• After a pipe burst from a manure lagoon of a factory dairy farm in Walkersville, Maryland in January 2008, an estimated half million gallons of liquid manure seeped into the town's water supply. The town's water became so contaminated with harmful bacteria that residents were forced to boil their water and buy bottled water.

Background and latest news about the proposed mega dairy can be found at the following links:

Stop the Mega Dairy

Rockford Register Star
Megadairy case moves to Rockford – March 9, 2009

Rockford Register Star
Jo Daviess mega-farm plan still faces court battle – June 2008