Trempealeau County dairy farmer seeking more than $6 million in stray voltage suit
A Trempealeau County dairy farmer suing Xcel Energy for more than $6 million will try to convince a jury that stray voltage from the utility’s lines harmed his cattle.
Paul Halderson, who with his wife, Lyn, has almost 1,000 cows on his Galesville farm, claims the herd suffered illness and decreased milk production for more than a decade because of improperly grounded power lines.
The Haldersons filed a suit in 2012 against Northern States Power, a subsidiary of Xcel Energy. The Haldersons are seeking to recoup damages incurred as long ago as 1993 that would be a record award by a Wisconsin jury in a stray voltage case, according to their attorney, Barry Hammarback.
The term stray voltage refers to current that leaks from neutral wires into the earth. Animals that come into contact with a grounded object — such as a watering trough — can receive small shocks. This can cause dairy cattle to avoid eating, become stressed and generally produce less milk, according to research from the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
Read more: http://host.madison.com/news/local/courts/trempealeau-county-dairy-farmer-seeking-more-than-million-in-stray/article_5cccb09e-5fcf-5bb3-8af5-0495a3c8ee1c.html
