Photo: Tom Fisk via Pexels
United Pride Dairy, the concentrated animal feeding operation (CAFO) spanning the towns of Worcester and Kennan, is seeking to renew its Wisconsin Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (WPDES) permit for another five years. The permit, if approved, would govern the farm’s operations from August 2026 through July 2031.
The public has until July 10, 2026 to submit comments or request a hearing.
United Pride Dairy houses roughly 2,608 milking and dry cows, 1,469 heifers, and 490 calves — approximately 5,365 animal units (the DNR’s own documents show a slight discrepancy, listing 5,368 in some tables). Notably, the DNR’s fact sheet indicates that during the next five-year permit term, the farm does not plan to expand its herd size. Those animals currently produce an estimated 39,092,792 gallons of liquid manure and roughly 6,000 tons of solid manure each year, all of which gets spread across 5,420 acres of land in the North Fork Jump River (Cranberry Lake) and Jump River watersheds.
That’s roughly 7,200 gallons of liquid manure per acre, annually, and it all drains toward the same river system that feeds Cranberry Lake and the Jump River within the Chippewa River Watershed.
The farm, located at W5993 Little Chicago Road in Phillips with a second site (the Wanish Site) at N5809 County Road J in Kennan, has held a CAFO permit continuously since September 2002. It’s operated by Jeremy Pesko, Bill Harper, and their families. The farm owns approximately 1,472 acres of cropland and rents or has manure spreading contracts with an additional 3,986 acres, for a total of 5,458 acres in its nutrient management plan.
New construction planned
The proposed permit includes a new manure storage pit, the Kennan Pit, a concrete-lined structure with a 2-million-gallon capacity, planned for construction in 2026. This would be the farm’s sixth manure storage facility, joining four existing pits at the Main Site (including an 11.7-million-gallon Stage 1 & 2 pit and a 5.8-million-gallon Stage 3 pit) and the 3.8-million-gallon Wanish Pit.
The permit also requires several engineering evaluations and construction deadlines:
- Wanish Site feed storage evaluation: Written description of the existing system due October 30, 2027; plans and specifications for corrections due April 30, 2028; construction completed by August 30, 2029.
- Wanish Pit engineering evaluation: Evaluation of the existing manure storage pit and transfer systems due November 30, 2029.
- North and South Feed Storage runoff controls: New runoff collection systems required under DNR-approved engineering plans (approved June 20, 2025), with construction deadlines in the permit term.
Past violations and compliance
According to the DNR’s fact sheet, United Pride Dairy was issued one Notice of Noncompliance during the previous permit term, on September 10, 2015, for not verifying the depth to the water table on W-soils before applying manure. The farm has since addressed that issue.
A 2025 production area site inspection found the farm in substantial compliance with its WPDES CAFO permit, according to a compliance determination by DNR Regional Watershed Supervisor Brad Johnson on May 1, 2026.
How to participate
The DNR has opened a 30-day public comment period. Here’s how residents can get involved:
Submit written comments to:
Ben Mrdutt, DNR
1300 W Clairemont Ave
Eau Claire, WI 54701
Email: [email protected]
Phone: (715) 495-9377 (direct line)
General inquiries: (715) 492-4465
Request a public informational hearing. If five or more persons request a hearing, the DNR is required to schedule one. Requests must include your name, address, interest in the permit, reasons for the request, and the issues you want considered.
Review the permit documents. The draft permit, fact sheet, and nutrient management plan are available at the DNR’s Eau Claire office (1300 W Clairemont Ave), Monday through Friday, 9:00 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Call ahead for directions. Copies cost 15 cents per page; scanning costs 7 cents per page.
The permit documents are also available online at dnr.wisconsin.gov/topic/Wastewater/PublicNotices.html.
Deadline: July 10, 2026. Comments must be received within 30 days of the June 10, 2026 publication date.
Why it matters for Price County
This isn’t an abstract regulatory exercise. United Pride Dairy’s nutrient management plan covers 5,458 acres across the towns of Worcester and Kennan, the same communities where residents have been fighting a proposed gravel pit and asphalt plant and pressing local government for transparency through public records requests.
The farm’s manure storage capacity totals approximately 233 days, well above the 180-day minimum the permit requires. But with 39 million gallons of liquid manure produced annually and a new 2-million-gallon storage pit on the way, the sheer volume of waste being land-applied in these watersheds deserves scrutiny.
The Jump River watershed is a recreational and ecological resource for Price County. Manure runoff carries nitrogen, phosphorus, and pathogens into surface water and groundwater. The new draft permit does lay out specific operational requirements—such as managing feed sources to ensure sufficient vegetative cover to prevent runoff and strictly prohibiting direct livestock access to surface waters without DNR approval—but those restrictions only work if they’re rigorously monitored and enforced.
According to the environmental advocacy group Clean Wisconsin, an estimated 80,000 private wells across the state have unsafe nitrate levels, with agriculture responsible for roughly 90% of nitrate pollution in groundwater. A Clean Wisconsin study estimates nitrate contamination costs Wisconsinites $80 million per year in healthcare and related expenses. Whether United Pride Dairy’s next five-year permit adequately protects the water that Worcester, Kennan, and downstream residents depend on is a question that the public comment period exists to answer.
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FAQ
What is a CAFO?
A Concentrated Animal Feeding Operation. Under Wisconsin law, any farm with 700 or more dairy cows (or equivalent animal units) that confines animals for at least 45 days per year and has no vegetation in the confinement area is classified as a CAFO. United Pride Dairy, with roughly 5,365 animal units, is a Large CAFO, the highest regulatory tier.
What is a WPDES permit?
The Wisconsin Pollutant Discharge Elimination System permit is required under the Clean Water Act for any facility that discharges pollutants into state waters. For CAFOs, it governs manure storage, land application, runoff controls, and monitoring. United Pride Dairy has held one continuously since September 2002.
What happens at a public informational hearing?
A DNR representative explains the draft permit, answers questions, and records public comments. It is not a vote. Five or more written requests trigger the DNR’s obligation to schedule one.
Can I still submit comments if I don’t attend a hearing?
Yes. Written comments carry the same weight as oral testimony. Submit them to Ben Mrdutt at the DNR Eau Claire office by July 10, 2026.
What’s the difference between the Main Site and the Wanish Site?
The Main Site at W5993 Little Chicago Road in Phillips houses the milking herd, heifers, and calves. The Wanish Site at N5809 County Road J in Kennan houses heifers and has its own manure storage pit (3.8 million gallons). Both are covered by the same permit.
What is the Kennan Pit?
A proposed concrete-lined manure storage structure in Kennan Township with a 2-million-gallon capacity. It would be the farm’s sixth storage facility. Construction is planned for 2026.
What is the EEOC lawsuit about?
The EEOC alleges United Pride Dairy promised three Mexican nationals professional positions to obtain TN Visas, then placed them in laborer roles with harder work and worse shifts. According to the suit, a manager justified the assignment by claiming “Americans are lazy,” prompting EEOC Chair Andrea Lucas to publicly state that employers “cannot abuse the visa process to import foreign labor under false pretenses.” A separate complaint charges a supervisor with sexually harassing a female Mexican employee. Read our full coverage of the EEOC lawsuit.
How does this connect to other environmental issues in Price County?
United Pride Dairy is in the towns of Worcester and Kennan, the same communities dealing with the proposed gravel pit and asphalt plant in Worcester. Both issues involve land use, environmental review, and public participation in local government decisions.
Sources
- Wisconsin DNR WPDES Public Notices — Draft permit and fact sheet for WI-0062197-01-0
- EEOC Press Release (December 17, 2025) — EEOC v. United Pride Dairy LLC, Case No. 3:25-cv-1030
- Clean Wisconsin: Nitrate in Drinking Water — Estimated 80,000 private wells with unsafe nitrate levels
- Price County Fun: EEOC Lawsuit Coverage — Detailed reporting on the discrimination and harassment allegations
- Price County Fun: Worcester Gravel Pit Update — Related land use and environmental issues in the same community
Permit number: WI-0062197-01-0
Public notice date: June 10, 2026
Comment deadline: July 10, 2026
Permit term: August 1, 2026 – July 31, 2031
Permit drafter: Ben Mrdutt, (715) 495-9377, [email protected]
This article is part of an ongoing story. Read the full timeline and all coverage: United Pride Dairy: ARIP Grant Conflict, Fatal Crash, Statute 946.13: Full Coverage & Timeline.