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Evers condemns SCOWIS ruling allowing Walker appointee to remain on Natural Resources Board

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The Wisconsin Supreme Court has ruled that a conservative member of the Natural Resources Board doesn’t have to relinquish his seat, even though his term expired last year.

Fred Prehn was appointed to the board by former Republican governor Scott Walker. His term ended in May of last year. But in 4-to-3 decision, the justices upheld a Dane County judge’s ruling that Prehn, a Wausau dentist, may keep serving until a successor is confirmed by the state Senate. Attorney General Josh Kaul had sued to remove Prehn.

Republican leaders have declined to schedule a confirmation hearing for Governor Evers’ appointee. The board sets policy for the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources.

Governor Tony Evers condemned the court’s decision.

Prehn cited a 1964 state Supreme Court decision that says appointed board members can remain seated after their term expires until a replacement is confirmed by the state Senate. Walker appointees continue to hold a majority on the 7 member board.

 

 

Waukesha County Judge stays order that would prevent DNR from regulating PFAS cleanups

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A Waukesha County Judge has issued a stay on a ruling that could prevent the D N R from regulating PFAS contamination.

Judge Michael Bohren says the state and business groups need to come to a solution pending appeal. 

“It puts the plaintiffs and the business people and the people who supported the plaintiffs somewhat at risk for a period of time. But the stay also protects the overall state policy that the DNR is working on in the event this court is incorrect.”

The judge is expecting action to happen quickly in the judiciary. “I’m assuming that an appeal would be expeditious. I’m assuming that it may actually be an appeal that the supreme court accepts as a bypass based upon the based on the seriousness of the issues involved and the broad impact.”

Wisconsin Manufacturers and Commerce argues that the state can’t regulate PFAS because they are not directly mentioned in either state law or DNR rules. The DNR says this ruling could upend the department’s ability to remediate any spills or brownfields. 

Cryptocurrency is volatile and has environmental impacts

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The cryptocurrency market is volatile, but that may not be crypto’s biggest downside. With many large investors getting out, the crypto market has shed nearly $2 trillion in value.

“I think a lot of these really big investors are saying ‘you know what, the market is too up and down, the world is too unstable right now, we’re just going to pull out of crypto for the time being,” said Madison College Professor Steve Noll.

“A lot of big investors are putting their investments into much more traditional and conservative investments.”

Noll also noted crypto’s environmental downside – reliance on energy gobbling computer servers. “Just the sheer amount of energy it takes to maintain this, it’s staggering. And crypto is one on the most environmentally unfriendly currency ideas ever.”

Crypto relies on blockchain technology, which requires enormous amounts of energy to run computer servers.

“I think the biggest threat to crypto is not the volatility of the markets. It’s the eventual realization that it may be unsustainable to run all these servers.”

Be safe around Wisconsin’s dams

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Even small dams can be dangerous to boaters. That reminder from the DNR for Dam Safety Day.

Uriah Monday with the DNR says small spillways are some of the most dangerous places.

“Either people being unaware that, you know, water becomes more swift near them, or people daring themselves, maybe inappropriately, and taking a ride down them or, or playing near them.”

Monday reminds boaters and anglers to always keep their distance from dams and spillways, to always wear their life preservers, and to keep clear of roiling or churning water near dams. 

“Right at the foot of them after water comes over the spillway area and begins to slow down. There can be a backwater or rolling action, which can pull a small craft under.”

Find out more online at https://dnr.wisconsin.gov/topic/Dams

For Earth Day ‘No Mow May’ is taking root in Wisconsin

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The No Mow May movement continues to take root in Wisconsin communities. Ashland residents are being encouraged not to mow their yards in May to help feed early-arriving bugs and birds. City council members voted this week to suspend enforcement of mowing ordinances until June 3.

Allowing grass to grow in spring creates habitat and forage such as dandelion and clover blooms for early-season pollinators. Two years ago, Appleton became the first city in the U.S. to adopt No Mow May. Other cities that have embraced the voluntary program include Wausau, La Crosse, Fort Atkinson and Stevens Point.

“We have a strong conservation ethic here in Stevens Point,” said Mayor Mike Wiza. “We have constructed pollinator gardens around the community and have worked to allow honey bees to be kept in the city. “No Mow May” is just one more way people who choose to help can do so.”

Insects play a critical role in local ecosystems, pollination and food production, but a new study warns that extreme land use combined with warming temperatures are pushing insect ecosystems toward collapse in some parts of the world.

DNR survey finds more households recycling or reusing electronics

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The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources announced a new department survey finds there were more households recycling or reusing unwanted electronics instead of storing them, although many are still hanging on to televisions, computers, or cell phones in 2021.

Among households with computers or cellphones they no longer wanted during the previous 12 months, the most common action was to put them in storage. About half had stored unwanted cellphones and 56% had stored unwanted computers. For TVs, the most common action was to recycle or reuse them (60% of respondents), compared with 37% who stored unwanted TVs. Only a small percentage of respondents reported putting a cellphone (2%), computer (1%) or TV (3%) in the trash.

The DNR has conducted six statewide household recycling surveys since 2010, when Wisconsin’s electronics recycling law took effect.  As of 2021, households and schools have recycled more than 350 million pounds of electronics through E-Cycle Wisconsin.

The DNR maintains an up-to-date, interactive list of E-Cycle Wisconsin collection sites and mail-back programs, which allows residents to map nearby collection sites, look up locations by county and find free trade-in and mail-back programs.

The DNR has also launched a new E-Cycle Wisconsin Electronics Collection Grant Program, which will provide small grants for collection sites or events in areas that currently lack consistent electronics recycling options. The application deadline is April 29. More details on the program are available on the E-Cycle Wisconsin Information for Collectors page.

 

Ruling by California judge puts gray wolf back on endangered species list

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A California judge has placed gray wolves back on the federal Endangered Species List. U.S. District Judge Jeffrey White on Thursday reversed a November 2020 decision that removed the gray wolf from federal protections.

White agreed with environmental groups, in ruling that the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service improperly relied on inadequate and outdated state plans for wolf management when deciding to remove protections for wolves in Minnesota, Michigan, and Wisconsin.

The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources is reviewing the ruling.

Dems introduce climate change bills

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Democrats in the Wisconsin Legislature are introducing a set of bills to deal with climate change in Wisconsin. Representative Greta Neubauer says the package of 22 bills will form a framework to build on to protect Wisconsin from future climate disasters.

“This package of bills includes everything from resources for farmers to sequester carbon in the ground to programs for Union to train the next generation of renewable energy workers.”

Neubauer says the bills are needed to protect Wisconsin and its residents from the future hazards of climate change.

“With additional money for the state’s successful Focus On Energy program we can support low-income homeowners to weatherize their homes and we can build larger clean-energy projects with resources for school districts, businesses, and municipalities.”

Neubauer attempted to get these bills through the Legislature in 2019 as well. They are unlikely to make it to the floor of the Assembly.

DNR holds public hearing on new PFAS regulations

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The Department of Natural Resources is now taking public comment on a proposed rule to regulate PFAS and other forever chemicals.

That includes what has to be done to dispose of the chemicals, and how people who use fire-fighting foam have to respond to spills. At a public hearing on Thursday, Erik Cantor from Clean Wisconsin says the new rules don’t go far enough. 

“Clean Wisconsin remains extremely disappointed the legislature, that originally directed the department to develop containment disposal measures, intervened to water down the measures and benchmarks proposed by DNR in the emergency rule, which were also left out of this rule.”

Peter Burress with Wisconsin Conservation Voters asked for the D-N-R and the Natural Resources Board to pass the rules. 

“Wisconsin Department of Health Services has advised that exposure to certain PFAS may contribute to a number of negative effects including increased cholesterol levels, increase risk of thyroid disease, high blood pressure in women, lower infant birth weights, and decreased fertility in women.”

The rule is open for public comment for another week before heading to the Natural Resources Board for a vote. 

Environmental group files lawsuit to obtain text messages sent by NRB chair

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An environmental advocacy group filed a lawsuit Tuesday against Natural Resources Board chair Dr, Frederick Prehn, in an effort to access text messages as a part of a records request.

“Any record related to a governmental function are public records, and the public has right to them. Public officials have a duty to maintain, preserve and turn over those records when requested, and Dr. Prehn’s failed to do so here,” said Midwest Environmental Advocates attorney Rob Lee.

he suit filed in Dane County Circuit Court requests that Prehn turn over text messages sent and received about his term on the board. Prehn has remained on the board which sets policy for the DNR, respite his term having expired in May.