Lawsuit Challenges North Dakota 25,000-Cow Mega-Dairy Permit Over Red River Pollution

Environmental groups, led by the Dakota Resource Council, have filed a lawsuit challenging the North Dakota Department of Environmental Quality's approval of permits for Riverview LLP's large-scale dairy operations, including a 25,000-cow facility known as the Herberg Dairy near Hillsboro. The groups argue that these mega-dairies produce significant waste containing pollutants such as nitrogen, phosphorus, bacteria, and pharmaceuticals, which pose serious risks to water quality and public health, particularly in the Red River watershed. The permit approval process has been criticized for failing to adequately assess pollution impacts, including runoff concerns potentially affecting Canadian waters, and lacking necessary pollution controls and monitoring requirements. Riverview maintains that their operations meet or exceed environmental standards based on state regulatory reviews and emphasize the economic benefits provided to local communities. The controversy has prompted repeated calls for the state to reconsider its permitting decisions and for further scrutiny from international bodies like the International Joint Commission. These developments highlight ongoing tensions between environmental protection efforts and agricultural industry expansion in North Dakota.