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Climate crisis is global focus on Friday

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WRN photo

Young people are taking their climate change fears to the streets on Friday. Around the world, across the U.S. and in Wisconsin, they’ll be out for the Global Youth Strike for Climate. Sophie Guthier is executive director of Wisconsin’s Youth Climate Action Team.

“We’re going to continue fighting for this. They don’t get to just ignore and hope that we won’t say anything after this. This is going to be an ongoing fight, an ongoing struggle where we’re going to continue disrupting the status quo, until we get what we need to survive.”

Guthier says young people hold both political parties responsible for the failure to address the climate crisis, and after rallying at Madison Gas & Electric, they plan to occupy the Capitol.

Scott Blankman, Director for Energy & Air Programs with Clean Wisconsin, said climate change is already making itself felt in Wisconsin.

“We’re already seeing some of the impacts of climate change here in Wisconsin, with the historic flooding that we saw last summer, and even the flooding that we’re continuing to experience here in late August and into September her in Wisconsin as well as throughout the Midwest.”

In addition to Friday’s Global Youth Strike for Climate, the United Nations Climate Action Summit begins in New York City on Monday.

National Guard says Hardwood Range remains closed to hunters, hikers

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The National Guard’s Hardwood Range training area will not be open to hunters and hikers this fall.

Captain Joe Trovato says that change is due to recent policy shifts in the Department of Defense. “What the Air Force considers a hazard has greatly expanded over the past decade or so, just due to the types of munitions that they do use.”

Trovato says that’s because of the possible danger that someone will get hurt on the munitions that they drop during training. “It’s a low percentage probability certainly, however keeping with Air Force regulation, we certainly don’t want to expose anyone to any risk, even if it’s remote.”

Trovato says they’re sorry that they can’t allow that access, but that the safety of the general public and citizens is a top priority of the National Guard.

Evers’ latest executive order addresses PFAS

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Wisconsin Governor Tony Evers has issued an executive order dealing with a class of concerning chemicals. Evers is using an executive order to address pollution from chemicals in firefighting foam, non-stick cookware, and fast food containers. They’re known as PFAS (per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances.)

Evers wants state environmental and agriculture regulators to work with wastewater treatment plants to identify PFA sources, and develop regulatory standards for them. His administration is proposing a new PFAS enforcement standard of 20 parts per trillion. The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources is already working to implement that. The federal standard is 70 parts per trillion.

Evers & utility officials break ground on Wisconsin’s first large-scale solar farm

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Governor Tony Evers and officials from Wisconsin Public Service and Madison Gas and Electric broke ground Thursday at the site of the Two Creeks Solar Park—the first large-scale solar facility in Wisconsin.

“This is a historic day for Wisconsin, as the Two Creeks solar project takes the next step in the process towards producing clean, sustainable energy for the state of Wisconsin,” Evers said.

Two Creeks is being built near the Point Beach Nuclear Power Plant and developed by a subsidiary of Next Era Energy Resources. Next Era is the world’s largest generator of renewable energy and also owns the Point Beach plant.

“Our company is committed to reducing greenhouse gas emissions, but we must do that while maintaining reliable and cost effective energy for customers. This project is another step along our path to a clean energy future,” said Tom Metcalf, President of Wisconsin Public Service.

Jeff Keebler is President and CEO of MG&E.  “MG&E has set a goal of net zero carbon electricity by 2050, a goal shared by the state of Wisconsin and the governor. Two Creeks Solar is an important step towards achieving that goal. It is a cost effective clean energy, generated right here in Wisconsin,” Keebler said.

The completed project will have a half-million solar panels across 800 acres. The 150 megawatt project will produce enough energy to power more than 33 thousand homes. Construction will ramp up this fall and the project is expected on-line by the end of 2020.

WOMT

PSC grants preliminary approval for Cardinal-Hickory Creek transmission line

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The three member Wisconsin Public Service Commission voted unanimously Tuesday to authorize construction of a high-voltage transmission line from Dubuque, through southeastern Wisconsin to Middleton. All three members said they think the Cardinal-Hickory Creek line will save ratepayers money and bring cheap, clean wind energy into the state.

“Transmission is the backbone of clean energy alternatives to fossil fuel,” said Commission Chairperson Rebecca Cameron Valcq.  “Getting low-cost, clean energy from where it is plentiful in the west to where it is needed, and at the scale that it is needed, cannot be done without building transmission infrastructure.  I support this project because I firmly believe that it will provide tangible economic and reliability benefits to Wisconsin customers, and will serve as the cornerstone to achieving a zero carbon future.”

But Tom Content executive director of the Citizens Utility Board, sounds a note of caution. “We certainly hope that it brings a lot of those benefits and that low cost renewable energy does flow into Wisconsin if this is built. But our expert found that there were questions about how much of that low cost power would actually be generated,“ Content said.

The $500 million joint venture between American Transmission Company, ITC Midwest and Dairyland Power Cooperative will follow route about 100 miles in length, and will be sited mainly along highway corridors. It was widely opposed by citizens’ groups. Costs will be passed on to ratepayers in 12 states, including some $67 million in Wisconsin.

Evers requests disaster declaration

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Governor Tony Evers

Governor Tony Evers is requesting a federal disaster declaration, for areas of Wisconsin that were impacted by tornadoes and flooding last month. Evers sent a letter to President Trump requesting a federal disaster declaration for 18 counties and two tribes Monday.

Damage assessments from a series of severe storms which moved across parts of western and northern Wisconsin July 18 through 20, have put the losses at more than $19.5 half million. If the declaration is forthcoming, it would help communities recover some costs, but wouldn’t do anything for business owners or homeowners.

Evers is requesting the federal disaster declaration for Barron, Clark, Forest, La Crosse, Langlade, Marinette, Menominee, Monroe, Oconto, Oneida, Outagamie, Polk, Portage, Rusk, Shawano, Vernon, Waupaca, and Wood counties and for the Menominee Indian Tribe of Wisconsin and St. Croix Chippewa Indians of Wisconsin.

Farmers have concerns as state considers new permitting rules for livestock operations

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Public hearings have begun on changing state regulations on Concentrated Animal Feeding Operations, or CAFOS. Proposed changes to Wisconsin’s livestock facility siting regulations, known as ATCP51 include eliminating odor scoring, changing building setbacks standards and more opportunities for local governments to restrict farm expansion.

Peter Koles with the Wisconsin Towns Association supports the proposed changes. “The equipment has gotten bigger. So you have bigger equipment, more repetitive trips. And we need to take into account that impact on the roadways.”

Raymond Hansen of Wautoma chairs the Central Sands Water Coalition, and testified that where CAFO’s exist, water quality problems soon follow. John Holevoet with the Dairy Business Association said the proposed regulations won’t improve water quality. “If you think you’re going to get better water quality by pushing animal agriculture out, you’re wrong. What you’re going to be left with is probably as bad of an environmental situation, if not worse.”

Several dairy farmers told the hearing, which was held in Oshkosh on Friday, that the existing rule is better, and that changes allowing more local government oversight would defeat the purpose of having the statewide guidelines.

Larry Lee, Brownfield 

 

Evers wants to eliminate carbon-based fuel in Wisconsin by 2050

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Governor Tony Evers has signed an executive order which aims to eliminate use of carbon-based fuel in Wisconsin by 2050. It’s an idea the Republican controlled legislature has already rejected

“We reallocating resources, as we always have to do,” Evers said Friday. “Unfortunately this should have been a priority for the entire legislature, but it wasn’t. And so we’re making it a priority.”

Evers and other members of his administration were joined by young people at a Capitol press conference. Lieutenant Governor Mandela Barnes, who will be overseeing the effort, said it’s about them. “Because in their eyes, and in reality, their future may be bleak. And it’s unfortunate, because there may be no future at all for their generation if we don’t act now.”

The order also creates an Office of Sustainability and Clean Energy, responsible for carrying out the goal and putting the state on a track to achieve the 2015 Paris accord on climate. It does not place any state mandates on Wisconsin businesses or utilities. “But I am extremely confident that the utilities in the state of Wisconsin are moving forward on this issue already,” Evers said.

Criticism as application of Endangered Species Act is weakened

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George Meyer WRN photo

The Trump administration’s weakening of the Endangered Species Act is being criticized. “This is the wrong time to be weakening the federal Endangered Species Act,” said George Meyer, a former Wisconsin DNR Secretary and President of the Wisconsin Wildlife Federation.

Under the enforcement changes, federal officials for the first time will be able to publicly attach a cost to saving an animal or plant. “And in most situations, a particular species, while it may be valuable for biological reasons and diversity reasons, isn’t a big moneymaker in terms of economics,” Meyer said.

Meyer said the changes will make it more difficult to protect critical habitat. “As we’re being impacted by climate change, habitat for species changes.” The action could allow the government to disregard the possible impact of climate change. “So land or water areas that need to be protected for the future for species, will not be able to be protected under the act,” Meyer said.

The Endangered Species Act is credited with helping save scores of animals and plants from extinction since President Richard Nixon signed it into law in 1973. The act currently protects more than 1,600 species. In Wisconsin, animals listed as endangered include the American Marten and Piping Plover.

Attorney General Kaul joins lawsuit against ‘dirty power rule’

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AG Josh Kaul

Attorney General Josh Kaul has announced that Wisconsin is suing the federal Environmental Protection Agency over efforts to roll back Obama-era climate protections. In all, officials in 22 states argue the Trump administration’s Affordable Clean Energy Rule violates the federal Clean Air Act.

“Climate change is not only real; it’s a crisis,” said Kaul. “We’re only beginning to see its effects, including severe flooding and extreme temperatures. We can’t afford to wait for 20 years or a decade to take meaningful action. We need to step up now and to start responding to the climate crisis like our kids’ future depends on it—because it does.”

The Affordable Clean Energy plan eased carbon emission limits on fossil-fuel power plants proposed — but never implemented — during the Obama administration.