The Wisconsin 3rd District of Appeals upheld Wisconsin’s wind siting standards on March 22nd. This means that the PSC will not have to produce a report on how wind turbines affect property values while imposing the siting standards. The Wisconsin Realtors Association, Wisconsin Builders Association, and Wisconsin Towns Association along with a few individuals, brought […]
Legislative Update: Roundabouts, Tax Credits, and Leadership Shifts
Date Tue, Mar. 11, 2014 - 3:02pm By Hamilton
Wisconsin Rewable Energy Act Introduced Despite its sweeping policies, the Wisconsin Renewable Energy Act was recently introduced with muted fanfare and debate that reflects its likely demise. Fair to say: too late, too much, and wrong party. Introduced by Sen. Mark Miller (D-Monona), Rep. Katrina Shankland (D-Stevens Point), and Rep. Cory Mason (D-Racine), the legislation […]
Supreme Court Hears Case on Regulating Greenhouse Gas Emissions
Date Thu, Mar. 6, 2014 - 6:05pm By Hamilton
Supreme Court Hears Case Determining Scope of EPA’s Authority to Regulate Greenhouse Gas Emissions under Clean Air Act On Monday, February 24, the U.S. Supreme Court heard oral arguments for the case Utility Air Regulatory Group v. Environmental Protection Agency.This is the first case since the Court’s Massachusetts v. EPA opinion to address the EPA’s authority […]
DNR Continues Focus on Reform
Date Thu, Jan. 9, 2014 - 2:00pm By Hamilton
Dept. of Natural Resources Sec. Cathy Stepp laid out her plans for 2014 in the latest edition of AgriView News. While the article focuses on DNR’s involvement with and oversight of the state’s agricultural community, the general push for transparency between the agency and the public and the emphasis on streamlining regulations is indicative of […]
Mining Update: DNR Completes Review of Gogebic Taconite’s Bulk Sampling Plan
Date Thu, Dec. 19, 2013 - 8:17am By Hamilton
The Department of Natural Resources recently announced that it has completed its review of Gogebic Taconite’s revised Bulk Sampling Plan related to the company’s potential mining project in northern Wisconsin, and has identified all DNR approvals that will be required before bulk sampling may begin. The letter sent to Gogebic Taconite following the DNR’s review […]
DNR Accepting Comments on Floodplain Guidance
Date Fri, Dec. 6, 2013 - 9:08am By Hamilton
In an effort to improve transparency and provide more opportunities for the public to give input on key natural resources decisions, the DNR has begun accepting public comments on proposed guidance. Programs in the agency develop guidance documents that direct staff on how to approach making decisions when there are not specific details in a […]
Last Floor Sessions of 2013
Date Tue, Nov. 19, 2013 - 11:59pm By Hamilton
The Senate and Assembly have adjourned their last regular sessions for 2013. Both houses had busy agendas as they moved to get bills passed before the end of the calendar year. Elections and Politics The most contentious issues involved elections – from voting to recalls and redistricting. Party line votes and long debates were abundant. […]
An Update on the Proposed Penokee Mine
Date Tue, Nov. 19, 2013 - 11:44pm By Hamilton
WisconsinEye’s Steve Walters sat down with Ann Coakley and Larry Lynch of the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources to get an update on the application for the Gogebic Taconite mine proposal in Ashland and Iron counties. In the interview, Coakley and Lynch discuss the boring of test holes and the bulk sampling plan […]
Legislature Debating Nonmetallic Mining Law
Date Sun, Nov. 10, 2013 - 8:06pm By Hamilton
Iron ore mining features heavily in Wisconsin’s history, but that is not the only type of mining the state is known for. Wisconsin has long been considered one of the nation’s best sources of industrial sand and stone. While many quarries have dotted the landscape for past 100 years, the sand mining boom in Western […]
DNR Releases Report on Water Use in Wisconsin
Date Thu, Oct. 24, 2013 - 8:59pm By Hamilton
As part of Wisconsin’s participation in the Great Lakes Compact, water users capable of withdrawing 100,000 gallons per day are required to report their water usage for the previous year to the DNR by March 1 of each year. The DNR has released its summary of these reports for the 2012 calendar year. According to […]