Each Earth Day, Wisconsin’s Environmental  Decade releases its State of the State’s Environment report. This report examines several of the most important environmental issues of the past year – both the highs and the lows – in order to assess the state of the state’s environment.  This year’s report shows that Wisconsin’s environment is IMPROVED.

Wisconsin stands improved because of epic policy advances, amazing grassroots organizing and strong citizen action.  This year, the legislature passed the mining moratorium bill and a bill requiring major investments in clean energy production such as wind energy.  Such advances took years of prior policy work, intricate game plans, hard work and coordination.

Passage of the mining moratorium bill was the biggest environmental victory in more than a decade.  Last Earth Day, despite growing public concern, it seemed unimaginable that a low budget grassroots coalition including environmentalists, sportsmen, tribes, labor and churches could defeat one of the world’s largest multi-national corporations.  Yet, the coalition had a game plan, and the public responded.  This winter, opposition to the mine grew to a fever pitch, forcing legislators to pass a strong bill that would protect the Wolf River.  The bill will be signed into law on Earth Day 1998.

Wisconsin also made major advances in renewable energy.  Industries such as Madison Gas & Electric played a key role by commiting to build the largest wind farm east of the Mississippi.  This wind farm, located in northeast Wisconsin, will generate 11 megawatts of energy.  It sets a precedent for future clean energy options.

In addition to the mining moratorium bill, thousands of citizens opposed two proposed rule changes that would have weakened current law; (1) the Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection (DATCP) proposal to weaken the state’s primary pesticide law (AG 29), and (2) the DNR’s decision to give the financial powerful cranberry growers a special exemption from certain wetland rule requirements.  DATCP backed off from their idea of weakening the pesticide law, but the cranberry growers rolled the DNR board.  The DNR Board voted to give cranberry growers a special exemption from the state’s wetland rule (NR 103) despite hearing from citizens who opposed the changes by more than 50:1. 

"Passage of the mining moratorium bill was the biggest environmental victory in more than a decade."

Finally, although in 1998, the state of the state's environment has improved, there are serious threats on the horizon.  With one party in control, we are concerned with passage of bills that could be severe including, audit privilege, takings and shoreland zoning.
 

Environmental High Points

• Passage of the Mining Moratorium Bill - This bill prohibits sulfide mining in Wisconsin until it can be proven to be done without immediate or long-term degradation to ground or surface water.

• The State’s First Wind Farm - This year, Madison Gas &Electric, a utility based in Madison, announced that it will build Wisconsin’s first wind farm, generating 11 megawatts of energy.  This will be the largest wind farm, east of the Mississippi River.  This  sets a new precedent for energy companies in our state.
•  Wisconsin Stewardship Network Shows Muscle - The network has fostered the cooperation of many diverse groups working together to save our natural resources from threats of corporate pollution and development.  Network participants include environmentalists, sporting groups, Native American groups, and concerned citizens throughout the state.

 
• Public Opposition to Weakening of State’s Pesticide Law -  Last summer,  DATCP proposed gutting the state’s registry, eliminating much of the current law that allows families to be notified in advance of a pesticide application.  The state got an earful, receiving over 1500 letters and postcards opposing  rule changes.

• Victory over Kidney Island Expansion - Judge Overturns DNR decision to expand PCB Dump in Green Bay  Last August, an Administrative Law Judge ruled that the DNR should not be allowed to expand a waste dump for PCB’s in Green Bay.
  
  
  

• Continued Political Influence at  DNR - In 1995, the Governor made the Secretary of the DNR an appointee of the Governor and eliminated the Public Intervenor’s Office.  Conservation and environmental groups opposed these changes and fought to restore them in 1997.  Without the Public Intervenor’s watchdog function, industry can hold state agencies captive and prevent them from following the law.  The DNR Secretary should be appointed by a citizen board, not be beholden to the Governor.  The Secretary and the DNR should be free to act in the best interest of the state, its citizens and its environment without worrying about political back scratching.

Example #1 - DNR opposed Mining Moratorium bill - Throughout the debate over the mining moratorium bill, the DNR’s position on it ranged from opposition to no position at all.  The DNR’s position on this bill was consistently closer to the position of the mining industry than it was to the position of the majority of citizens, especially outdoor enthusiasts, who strongly supported the bill.

Example #2 - DNR has Reduced Enforcement - The number of pollution violations which the DNR referred to the Department of Justice for prosecution dropped by 43 percent in 1997.  Legislators and Attorney General spokesman are concerned that violations may being taking place which are not being enforced by the DNR.  In 1996 the DNR hired a former office attorney for Governor Thompson to head their enforcement division.

Example #3 - DNR Weakens Wetland Law  - Despite overwhelming public opposition, the DNR Board voted to give cranberry growers an exemption to the state’s wetland water quality standards which limits the filling of wetlands for development and agriculture.  The wetland standards require developers to do an alternative analysis to find sites which avoid wetland destruction.  Although citizens opposed this rule change by more than 50 to 1, the rule was adopted on a 6 to 1 vote by the DNR Board.  The new rule reduces the extent to which alternative sites need to be explored by the cranberry industry alone.  DNR Secretary George Meyer told the Board that the rules  would not result in any additional "significant adverse impacts" to wetlands or water quality.  He also stated to the Board:  "I do not believe that this rule change is necessary and clearly is not worth the public criticism that it has generated toward the Board and the Department."

• "Takings" legislation introduced by anti-conservation interests -  A series of bills that would deregulate all environmental protection were introduced by radical anti-environmental legislators in the Assembly.  These "Takings" bills severely diminish our ability to protect ecologically important resources such as wetlands.  They take away our right to a healthy, safe environment by forcing taxpayers to pay business not to pollute our, air, drinking water and lakes.