Target: Katrina Kessler, Commissioner of the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency
Goal: Hold dairy company accountable for allegedly underreporting greenhouse gas emissions and failing to conduct necessary environmental reviews.
Residents and environmental organizations are raising serious concerns regarding Riverview LLP’s aggressive expansion into large-scale dairy farming across the Upper Midwest. Riverview, the second-largest milk producer in the U.S., is constructing facilities that would house thousands of dairy cows, potentially compromising local air quality and contaminating water resources with excessive manure production. Reports indicate that the dairy mega-facilities produce a staggering amount of effluent, contributing to environmental dangers and threatening both community health and the sustainability of small farms.
While Riverview claims to comply with regulations, advocacy groups contend that these claims are misleading. It has been reported that the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency failed to require Riverview to submit a comprehensive air emissions plan, necessary for a facility of such magnitude, and that Riverview’s permits do not enforce concrete requirements for reducing greenhouse gas emissions. This has raised alarms among residents, lawyers, and environmentalists, who argue that the risks posed to air and water quality are not just possible but likely, creating a public health crisis that could jeopardize future generations.
The urgent action demanded in this petition seeks regulatory accountability that reflects the grave implications of Riverview’s operations on the environment and local communities. It is essential to ensure that rigorous environmental reviews are conducted and that any permit issued truly addresses the required mitigation measures for greenhouse gas emissions. Without direct accountability, the community’s and state’s ambitious climate goals will fall short, significantly impacting public health and the environment.
PETITION LETTER:
Dear Commissioner Kessler,
This petition draws attention to the immediate need for action regarding the environmental risks posed by Riverview LLP’s operations in Minnesota. Riverview is undertaking massive expansions, creating facilities that will accommodate nearly 19,000 dairy cows. Such enormous operations reportedly generate at least 66,000 additional tons of greenhouse gas emissions and threaten local water supplies through substantial manure production, jeopardizing both air quality and public health.
The Minnesota Pollution Control Agency’s recent decisions regarding Riverview’s feedlot permit have raised concerns that emissions assessments were significantly underestimated or overlooked entirely. Advocacy groups have alleged that the agency has failed to mandate a thorough air emissions plan, necessary for addressing the greenhouse gas emissions that undeniably stem from such large-scale operations. This lack of regulation not only undermines community health, but also afflicts the broader climate targets of Minnesota as a whole.
Given these alarming situations and their potential implications for both the environment and rural economies, we urge you to reconsider the permits issued to Riverview. Demand an enforceable emissions plan that meets regulatory expectations, and take meaningful steps to ensure that both local communities and the environment are protected from the adverse effects of this unchecked industrial expansion.
Sincerely,
[Your Name Here]
Photo Credit: Pixabay
