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St. Paul, MN – Minnesota Farmers Union (MFU) leaders expressed disappointment that the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA) decided to forego an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for the proposed expansion of Riverview’s West River Dairy.
Riverview LLP proposes to expand its West River Dairy in Stevens County from 7,855 cows to 18,855 cows. This scale of expansion is unprecedented in Minnesota and MFU supported a fuller examination of its environmental, economic and social consequences through an EIS. An EIS provides detailed information about the environmental impacts of a proposed project, presents project alternatives and identifies ways to reduce adverse environmental impacts.
During the 2026 legislative session, MFU supported legislation (HF3940/SF4275) to require an EIS be prepared before animal feedlots with a capacity of 10,000 animal units or more be constructed.
“When we established our current regulatory framework for feedlots in the late 1990s, no one contemplated a nearly 19,000-cow dairy operation. That is more than 60 times the average size dairy herd in our state,” said MFU President Gary Wertish. “We support an EIS for animal feedlots with a capacity of 10,000 animal units or more because we believe in robust rural economies centered on people in agriculture. It’s the people who attend schools and churches, shop at local businesses and build strong communities. People across the state deserve access to clean water and clean air and that’s why MFU supports the thorough project review an EIS would provide.”
“Consolidation is reshaping our dairy sector, and the trend has implications for land access, local economies and the next generation of farmers,” said MFU Vice President Anne Schwagerl. “We cannot ignore these dynamics, but neither shall we accept them without careful consideration. Requiring an EIS is a measured, reasonable step. It ensures that when we make decisions, we do so with eyes wide open.”
Story courtesy of MFU.
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