The Speaker’s Task Force on Water Quality met for the second time in Madison on April 3 to hear testimony from both farmers and conservation advocates on solutions to improve water quality in Wisconsin. The committee hopes to put forth bipartisan legislative recommendations on clean drinking water by this fall. The first presenter, the Wisconsin […]
Water Quality Task Force Discusses Agriculture & Groundwater
Date Fri, Apr. 5, 2019 - 1:31pm By Hamilton
DNR Proposes Changes to Air Permit Processes
Date Fri, Mar. 22, 2019 - 10:57am By Hamilton
The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (DNR) is currently promulgating rules that would update DNR code related to air permitting processes (Wis. Admin. Code NR 406 and 407). The rulemaking includes provisions to create some additional permit exemptions, implement electronic reporting, clarify certain types of activity to which permits apply, and restrict administrative corrections to […]
Speaker’s Task Force on Water Quality Meets to Hear Agency Testimony
Date Fri, Mar. 22, 2019 - 8:11am By Hamilton
The Speaker’s Task Force on Water Quality met for the first time in the state capitol this week to hear testimony from state agencies on water quality issues throughout the state. The committee hopes to put forth bipartisan legislative recommendations on clean drinking water by this fall. The Department of Natural Resources (DNR) briefed the […]
Gov. Tony Evers, Speaker Vos Announce Water Quality Initiatives
Date Fri, Feb. 22, 2019 - 8:48am By Hamilton
Both Gov. Tony Evers and Assembly Speaker Robin Vos (R-Rochester) have recently announced initiatives to address water quality in Wisconsin. Evers’s plan is in the form of specific budget and policy items, whereas Vos has created a task force to gather input and make recommendations to improve water quality in Wisconsin. Evers Initiatives After […]
Gov. Evers Joins Climate Alliance
Date Fri, Feb. 22, 2019 - 8:45am By Hamilton
Gov. Tony Evers has announced he will join the U.S. Climate Alliance, a coalition of governors committed to addressing climate change at the state level. The Alliance seeks to uphold the 2015 Paris Climate Agreement, from which the U.S. withdrew in 2017. Members of the Alliance aim to reduce greenhouse gas emissions to levels 26 […]
EPA Announces PFAS Plan
Date Thu, Feb. 14, 2019 - 11:55am By Hamilton
The federal Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has announced its comprehensive PFAS action plan. The plan lists several short-term and long-term agency solutions to address PFAS in drinking water without implementing burdensome regulations on utilities and businesses. PFAS (per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances) are manufactured chemicals that are found in many everyday products, including nonstick pans, cleaning products, […]
EPA Won’t Regulate PFAS
Date Tue, Feb. 5, 2019 - 2:19pm By Hamilton
The federal Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) will not regulate PFAS chemicals, according to a recent report from Politico. While EPA’s PFAS (specifically, per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances) plan has not yet been released, it is reported to leave PFAS off the federal water quality testing requirements for utilities under the Safe Drinking Water Act. However, the […]
DNR, Citing PFAS, Scales Back Voluntary Party Liability Exemption Program
Date Tue, Jan. 29, 2019 - 2:10pm By Hamilton
The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (DNR) has issued an interim decision expanding voluntary parties’ future liability for PFAS and other hazardous materials. DNR’s Voluntary Party Liability Exemption Program (VPLE), in accordance with Wis. Stat. § 292.15, allows property owners to clean up properties and then receive exemptions from liability for historic contamination on the […]
EPA To Revise Waters of the United States Rule
Date Tue, Dec. 18, 2018 - 12:03pm By Hamilton
The federal Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced this month a proposed rule to revise the definition of “waters of the United States” (WOTUS) under the Clean Water Act. The revised rule is intended to increase predictability and stability in water pollution enforcement. The proposed rule would narrow the definition of primary WOTUS to include only […]
EPA Proposes Affordable Clean Energy Rule
Date Thu, Aug. 23, 2018 - 2:00pm By Hamilton
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has released the proposed Affordable Clean Energy (ACE) Rule, which replaces the 2015 Clean Power Plan. A rule promulgated during the previous administration, the Clean Power Plan imposed costly regulatory burdens on power plants in an effort to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. EPA proposed repealing the Clean Power Plan […]