Do you support the creation of a publicly accessible database to inform Wisconsin citizens and health researchers about pesticides in their communities? The Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection is required under a recent Wisconsin law to develop a pesticide database system to track pesticide use in cities, suburbs and rural areas. In designing the database, the Department has resisted making the information publicly accessible, even for schools, daycares, and places of public accommodation. Public access to pesticide information could help address the larger issues of risk reduction and non-toxic chemical alternatives. Would you support a healthy schools bill requiring schools and daycares to have pesticide policies, notify parents and teachers before pesticides are used, and ensure that only those trained in pesticide use are involved in application? Children are especially susceptible to adverse health impacts from many common
pesticides. Yet a recent survey of Wisconsin schools found widespread
use of pesticides in and around schools. Most often spraying
was conducted and the schools had no plans in place to notify
teachers, parents or students the morning before the children
came to school. A surprising two-fifths of schools indicated
an unwillingness to work voluntarily with the state to create
or improve school policies. Do you support state and federal regulation of mercury air emissions from coal-fired power plants and incinerators? The Wisconsin Department of Health published a list of 341 lakes and rivers in Wisconsin where people are warned not to eat certain fish because of unsafe levels of mercury contamination. Mercury is a neurotoxin which impacts the brain and nervous system and can result in lower IQs, reduced memory capacity, reduced attention span and delayed development among children. Coal-fired power plants are the largest source of mercury pollution (40 percent of all emissions in Wisconsin). However, there are no regulations in place to control these harmful emissions. Should the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources be run as an independent agency outside of the governor's control? Before 1995, the state Natural Resources Board, a seven-member board made up of members of the public, was responsible for appointing the secretary of the Department of Natural Resources (DNR). The board ensured public accountability in the protection of Wisconsin's environment and natural resources, and reduced special interest or political influence over DNR decision-making. However, in 1995, Governor Tommy Thompson usurped the power of the Natural Resources Board and began appointing the DNR secretary, allowing him greater influence over environmental decisions in Wisconsin. In a recent LCV Education Fund poll, 67 percent of 500 likely voters thought the DNR should be run as an independent agency outside of the governor's control. Twenty four percent thought the governor should maintain control of the DNR just as he does with other Wisconsin administrative agencies. Should the state require a full Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for the proposed Perrier Big Spring site? EIS or no EIS--should Wisconsin's water be extracted by commercial bottlers without considering its impact on groundwater supplies? The Swiss-owned Perrier Group of America set its sights on Big Spring in Adams County for a new bottling plant. The company proposes to extract 700,000 gallons of spring water per day from the creek, year-round. Local voters and area environmental and conservation groups are skeptical of the company's proposal. The Department of Natural Resources (DNR) conducted an Environmental Assessment (EA) of the proposal and, based on limited pumping tests, concluded ground and surface waters would not be impaired by Perrier. Perrier and the DNR agreed to certain guidelines for limiting pumping based on drought conditions or other environmental impacts. However, some environmentalists and monitoring professionals contend that the EA tests were inadequate to conclude that there would be no adverse impacts. They contend Perrier should not receive a high capacity well permit until there is enough data to conclude that no harm will occur to Big Spring, a Class I Trout Stream. Any reduction of base flows will harm the fish resources in the stream, they argue. A full EIS is necessary to evaluate the potential harm to fish and water resources in Big Spring. The controversy has highlighted the limits of Wisconsin's water
law and environmental regulations in protecting groundwater
quantity and quality. A recent University of Wisconsin study
suggests that legislation or litigation will be necessary to
provide adequate protection. The proposed Crandon Mine has been one of the most controversial issues in Northern Wisconsin for over two decades. A great concern is the prophesized effects on Wisconsin's water quantity and quality. Over many years, various companies have been accused of corrupting state and local governments in attempts to get necessary permits. There was enormous support to pass the Mining Moratorium Law only to find out later that the intent of the law was thwarted in the final version. DNR has denied requests and petitions to write rules to construct the Law as it was originally intended. Do you believe that the PCBs in the Fox River should be dredged out, or that dredging is unnecessary? Ecological Consequences: The Fox River sediments are contaminated with approximately 63,000 pounds of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCB's), a chemical known to cause serious fish, wildlife and human health problems even in small concentrations. Each year, roughly 600 pounds of PCBs bleed downstream into Green Bay and Lake Michigan. Up to 70% of all the PCBs entering Lake Michigan come from the Fox River. Scientists worry that major storms or floods could scour out the PCB hotspots in the river and send them downstream in a huge dose, and once they escape to the bay they'll cause increased health risks, but be nearly impossible to gather and clean up. Financial Consequences: As a result of the existing levels of contamination, several commercial fisheries have been shut down on Green Bay and Lake Michigan, and sport anglers are also warned against eating many of the fish. Fox River and lower Green Bay communities face millions of dollars in extra expenses because they can't use the river or bay as drinking water sources, forcing them to build expensive long-distance pipelines or deeper wells to locate potable water. Harbors and marinas face expensive disposal problems due to contamination in the sediments they dredge. Government and Industry Solutions: The Wisconsin Dept. of Natural
Resources and the paper industries have been aware of the contamination
and costs for nearly 30 years, but have been unable to agree
on a cleanup plan. A few years ago, the federal government became
involved due to the stalemate, to provide added enforcement
authority and funds for cleanup studies. The state, federal and tribal governments (Oneida and Menominee) are expected to propose a comprehensive river and bay cleanup plan this coming winter, which will undoubtedly include dredging as a major component. Do you support policies that place financial liability for environmental damage from factory farms with the corporate owner, rather than forcing the community or contract farmer to pay for damage caused by decisions/policies made at a higher corporate level? Factory farms, or Concentrated Animal Feeding Operations (CAFO's), produce air pollutants and odors that can threaten health and the environment. Factory farms are not subject to air emissions standards, despite the fact that they generate high levels of ammonia and hydrogen sulfide, which cause illness in humans. Researchers in Utah, Iowa, North Carolina and Minnesota say they have established that neighbors of large hog confinement operations report more trouble than others with asthma, headaches, depression, and nose and eye irritation. Animal waste is rich in nitrogen, much of which escapes (as ammonia) into the air from waste storage pits and from field application of animal wastes. Rain then deposits the nitrogen into water, and onto land where it can run into waterways. Excessive nitrogen in streams and rivers feeds algae growth and depletes the oxygen supply, killing fish and other aquatic life. Odors from large hog facilities can also decrease neighbors' property values. Because of odors, county officials in DeWitt County, Illinois, reduced property assessments of people living within 1.5 miles of a CAFO by 30 percent. Those who lived two miles away received a ten percent cut in their property assessment. Do you support requiring that all Wisconsin beaches be tested regularly (at least three times a week) for water quality? Do you support development of a plan to find and clean up the sources of bacteria to those beaches that test as unsafe to swim in? Even with beach closings at all time highs, most of Lake Michigan's public beaches are not regularly tested to assure the safety of residents and visitors who swim, windsurf or water ski in them. Despite repeated requests from residents, beaches such as Hika Park and Fischer Creek in Manitowoc and Grant Park in South Milwaukee are not tested. South Shore Beach in Milwaukee was closed for 34 days in 2000 (it was monitored almost every day!), Red Arrow Beach in Manitowoc County was posted for high bacteria counts almost all of August 1999. Do you believe a 345,000-volt transmission line from Duluth to its endpoint outside of Wausau should be constructed? A $175 million transmission line project has been jointly proposed by Green Bay-based Wisconsin Public Service and Duluth-based Minnesota Power. The utilities argue that the new line would help ease the shortage of power and reliability concerns in eastern Wisconsin that first surfaced during the summer of 1997 and continue to linger. Opponents of the transmission line believe that much of the energy carried by it will be used to provide electricity to consumers far from the land it crosses and impacts. Also, the environmental effects could cause increased problems for the Cree Indians. The transmission line, which will cross 53 rivers, wetlands, and hiking trails, will carry power generated by the Canadian utility Manitoba Hydro. Vast areas of Cree Indian land have been submerged for hydropower development along the Nelson River system and have devastated the Cree Indians economically and emotionally. Will you support policies that will limit the ability of private corporations to take private property? Two companies are proposing to build a large power line from Duluth, Minnesota through Wisconsin to Wausau. This would involve the companies taking private lands using the law the Power of Eminent Domain. This proposal is being sold to the state as necessary for reliability, but documents show it is also for projected electrical needs of the Crandon Mine. The line will eventually by managed and owned by a consortium of utilities statewide. Back to Top Back to Wisconsin state page
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