Clean Water Coalition Urges Adoption of Groundwater Bill

Coaliton also recommends positions on amendments

March 10, 2004

MEMO TO: All Members of the State Assembly

FROM: The Clean Water Coalition

AB 926 is a good first step toward needed comprehensive management of Wisconsin's buried treasure--groundwater.  It empowers local governments in Brown and Waukesha counties to look for solutions.  It empowers DNR to review and condition or deny permits for high capacity wells near 8% of Wisconsin's most treasured water resources.  Very importantly, AB 926 directs an advisory committee to make recommendations to a future legislature on expanding groundwater resource protections for the future." 

Every citizen has a right to clean water.  Recognizing the importance of clean water to every community, the Clean Water Coalition was formed.  The broad coalition represents more than 160,000 citizens across the State of Wisconsin who are concerned about water quality and supply, in the following groups: Clean Wisconsin, Friends of Jump River, Fox-Wolf Watershed Alliance, Madison Audubon Society, Midwest Environmental Advocates, River Alliance of Wisconsin, Sierra Club-John Muir Chapter, Southern Wisconsin Trout Unlimited, Trout Unlimited-Wisconsin State Council, Wisconsin Association of Lakes, Wisconsin Audubon Council, Wisconsin Public Interest Research Group, Wisconsin Stewardship Network, Wisconsin Wetlands Association, Wisconsin Wildlife Federation. 

The Clean Water Coalition proved to be an effective voice for Wisconsin's waterways during the revision of the state's polluted runoff rules.  Today, the coalition is working to enact legislation that sets standards for water withdrawals, promotes efficient water use, and improves the integrity of the state's water supply. 

The Clean Water Coalition was pleased to be invited to participate in the negotiation sessions lead by Senator Neal Kedzie and Representative DuWayne Johnsrud to develop a Groundwater Quantity Protection bill.  We urge the Assembly to take the following action on the Amendments to AB 926: 

• SUPPORT Assembly Amendment 1 (offered by the Assembly Natural Resources Committee).  AA1 is the Lead Authors' fine-tuning amendment and addresses many of the issues raised by the conservation, lakes, rivers and environmental groups at the March 1st hearings on the draft bill.
   

• OPPOSE Assembly Amendment 4 (offered by Joint Finance Committee).  AA4 removes the authorization for 5 DNR positions.  Important work required under AB 926 cannot be done without additional staff resources.  The bill provides a revenue stream to cover staff, environmental review, monitoring and technical assistance to local governments and the new Groundwater Quantity Committee. 
  

• SUPPORT Assembly Amendment 5 (offered by Joint Finance Committee).  AA5 provides for internal consistency within the bill regarding a mitigation program. 
  

• SUPPORT Assembly Amendment 6 (offered by Rep. Mark Miller).  AA6 requires that at least half of the revenue stream, capped at $300,000, be used for groundwater monitoring.  This monitoring is essential for local government action to protect local drinking water supplies and surface resources.  AA6 includes a modest water connection fee for separately metered water.  This spreads the funding burden away from agriculture to a more urban-suburban base. 
  

• SUPPORT Assembly Amendment 7 (offered by Rep. Mark Miller).  AA7 makes a technical correction that will result in a simpler method of measuring spring flow that does not required extensive and expensive measurement of spring flow. 
  

• SUPPORT Assembly Amendment 8 (offered by Rep. Mark Miller).  AA8 instructs the Public Service Commission to develop proposals for water fee structures and report back to the Legislature.  This valuable water conservation strategy was raised in the committee and should be on-going while the Groundwater Quantity Committee is working on local government strategies. 
  

• SUPPORT Assembly Amendment 9 (offered by Rep. Mark Miller). AA9 gives local governments the ability to seek a groundwater protection area within the county, with a limit of no more than four such areas statewide, to protect severely impacted groundwater and surface water resources. 

Thank you for considering the viewpoints of the Clean Water Coalition.

Circulated on behalf of the Clean Water Coalition by  Caryl Terrell, Chapter Director Sierra Club - John Muir Chapter, 222 S Hamilton St #1, Madison WI 53703-3201

cterrell@execpc.com; wisconsin.sierraclub.org

voice 608-256-0565; fax 608-256-4562