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Landfill… Waste material… Court order… Property condemnation… Eminent domain…

These were a few of the words thrown at certain targeted landowners in Harmony Township in Vernon County from representatives of Dairyland Power Cooperative appearing unannounced at their doors this past week. Their farms have been targeted as a potential off-site landfill for dumping of caustic waste generated at the Genoa power plant.

While a lot of information needs to be provided and questions remain to be answered by Dairyland Power Cooperative, there are some things that are crystal clear:

1. This has been a well planned and highly secret project designed to surprise landowners in Harmony Township.

2. Dairyland Power Cooperative provided no information to these landowners that their land was being considered for takeover for a caustic waste dumping site prior to their visit last week. A well-designed informational brochure became available the day after landowners were notified.

3. Organic family farms are among the targeted land to be turned into a caustic waste dumping site. Harmony Township is the birthplace of the organic farming movement.

4. Three-generation family farms are among the targeted land to be turned into a caustic waste dumping site.

5. Dairyland Power Cooperative, which has allocated $250 million for this project, has scheduled an information meeting to take place Oct. 17, approximately one month after the landowner notification. This is a meeting we feel should have taken place at least one month prior to the landowner notification. This would have given the unsuspecting landowners and community members an opportunity to comment and prepare themselves for such devastating news.

6. Dairyland Power Cooperative should be ashamed of their actions and they shouldn’t be trusted to act with any other interest but their own.

7. As many as 75 other sites within 25 miles of the Genoa plant were initially considered for the caustic waste dumping site. We need your support n you may be their next target!

Carl and Marilyn Volden

Genoa

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