SUMMER 2007 • Vol. 37, No. 3

INSIDETaking charge and taking action . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2

Elm Road case; Tell us your global warming story . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3

Taking clean energy national; Air quality watch . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4

Use CFLs or not?; Water and warming conference recap . . . . . . . . . . . . 5

Pernicious, pervasive polluted runoff . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6

Lake weeds; Shoreland zoning; Protect the Great Lakes . . . . . . . . . . . . 7

Cover story cont.; Green building; WI Safe Climate Act . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8

Clean Wisconsin in the news; Community Shares. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9

Thank you Jim Carter; Envelope Please. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10

Keith Reopelle

The 2007-08 State Legislative Session is in full swing as of the writing of this article. The fi rst several months of the session have been dominated by the Governor’s budget bill deliberations, which

seems to be going relatively well for the environment. There are many individual bills that are high priorities for Clean Wisconsin that we are tracking and advocating for as well. Here is an update on where some of our important legislative initiatives stand as of a few weeks prior to this newsletter’s printing:

Federal Legislative UpdateGLCIA (Great Lakes Collaboration Implementa-

tion Act): A $20+ billion bill to establish a collabora-tive program to protect the Great Lakes. This bill was introduced in both houses of the U.S. Congress in March, and the following members of the Wiscon-sin Congressional Caucus are co-sponsors: Sena-tor Herb Kohl, and Representatives Petri, Kagen, Sensenbrenner, Kind, Baldwin, Moore, and Ryan. Senator Feingold and Representative Obey have not signed on as co-sponsors. Senator Feingold has an outstanding record as an environmental leader, however, he has a standing principle that he does not co-sponsor any legislation with an appropriation unless he is offering an initiative that makes up the shortfall in the federal budget. Representative Obey is reluctant to co-sponsor legislation with an appropriation given that he is the chairman of the Appropriations Committee. He, like Senator Feingold, has a very strong record supporting environmental funding initiatives.

State Legislative UpdateGreat Lakes – St. Lawrence River Basin Water Resources Compact (Great

Lakes Compact): An interstate compact to manage and regulate water in the Great Lakes basin. This bill needs to be passed by the Wisconsin Legislature, along with the other seven Great Lakes states’ legislatures, and then consented to by the U.S. Congress to become binding law; it could become law in Wisconsin

upon passage of a state bill. The Great Lakes Compact would prevent major diversions of Great Lakes water outside of the basin as well as set up water

conservation standards for large water users within the basin. Min-nesota and Illinois have passed it, and most other Great Lakes states

have introduced it. Wisconsin has not yet introduced it; look for its introduction later this summer or early fall. Clean Wiscon-

sin has been working on this issue since 2002 and since Sep-tember has been part of a legislative council study committee drafting this legislation.

Invasive Species Legislation - Ballast Water Man-agement, 07 AB 86 and SB 119: This bill requires ships

to obtain a permit from the Department of Natural Resources (DNR) showing that they will not dis-charge invasive species into the state’s waters through

ballast water. This bill has been introduced to the Assembly, and referred to the

Natural Resources Committee. It was introduced by Repre-sentatives Molepske, Bies,

Cullen, Hahn, Hilgen-berg, Hintz, Kreuser, Pocan, Sheridan,

Working hard in the capitol

CONTINUEDON PAGE 8

The Defender, Summer 2007, Vol. 37, No. 32

122 State Street Suite 200 • Madison WI 53703-4333Phone: (608) 251-7020 • Fax: (608) 251-1655

www.CleanWisconsin.org

Clean Wisconsin, an environmental advocacy organization, protects Wisconsin’s clean water and air and advocates for clean energy by being an effective voice in the state legislature and by holding elected officials and corporations accountable.

Founded in 1970 as Wisconsin’s Environmental Decade, Clean Wisconsin exposes corporate polluters, makes sure existing environmental laws are enforced, and educates citizens and businesses.

On behalf of its 10,000 members and its coalition partners, Clean Wisconsin protects the special places that make Wiscon-sin such a wonderful place to live, work and play.

Executive Director Mark Redsten

Program and Communications

Program Director Keith Reopelle

Energy Program Director Katie Nekola

Water Program Director Melissa Malott

Communications Director Joyce Harms

Communications Creative Manager Shauna Cook

Water Specialist Will Hoyer

Staff Scientist Peter Taglia

Grassroots Organizer Ryan Schryver

Membership and Development

Development Director Brian Kelly

Membership & Development Manager Becky Weber

Development Assistant Bridget Barry

Finance and Administration

Financial Manager Holly Brassington

Office Administrator Laurie Maloney

Pam McGillivray – Chair (Madison)

Susan Greenfield - Co-Chair (Racine)

Will Fantle – Secretary (Eau Claire)

Gof Thomson – Treasurer (New Glarus)

Mark Gill (Milwaukee)

Kate Gordon (Madison)

Gary Goyke (Madison)

Paul Linzmeyer (Green Bay)

Carl Sinderbrand (Madison)

David Wandel (Madison)

Guy Wolf (Stoddard)

STAFF

BOARD

Below are some of the actions you can take to help protect Wisconsin’s clean water, clean air and clean energy.

Say YES to Renewable Electricity StandardPlease contact your representative and ask them to co-sponsor HR 969 the

“Renewable Electricity Standard” bill. (See page 4 inside for more informa-tion.)

Tell us Your ObservationsAre you noticing birds are arriving at your feeders earlier in the spring than

usual? Did the hibernating chipmunks show up on your porch before they looked awake? Clean Wisconsin wants to know if you’ve noticed any changes in your natural environment that could be attributed to global warming. If so, please call our specially-designated toll-free number 1-866-WIS-WARM (866-947-9276) and leave us a message describing the changes you’ve noticed. (See page 3 inside for more information.)

Reduce Wisconsin’s Global Warming EmissionsCall your representatives and urge them to support legislation reducing

Wisconsin’s global warming emissions. Call 1-800-362-9472 or visit http://waml.legis.state.wi.us to find out how to contact your representatives. (See pages 4 and 8 inside for more information.)

Stop Junk MailNot only is junk postal mail annoying, it wastes paper and energy. Contact

the firms sending you junk and ask to be removed from their lists. If you want to make an overarching request to get off specific junk mail lists, like catalogs or credit card offers, check out the following website for easy instructions: http://www.privacyrights.org/fs/fs4-junk.htm#getofflist.

Air Clean LaundryThere’s nothing like the freshness of clean sheets dried on an outside

clothesline. Save energy by setting up an air drying system in your backyard or laundry room. Also, only run your washer when you have a full load and use the cold water setting whenever possible.

Tap It, Tap It GoodUsing tap water instead of buying bottled water is an easy way to save

money and the energy otherwise used to make billions of those little plastic bot-tles. Also, refilling your own container helps prevent those bottles from ending up in your local landfill. The U.S. has some of the best water in the world; but for water connoisseurs, you can purchase a water filter for your tap.

Recycle Your StuffReusing items prevents the need for new items, which saves energy, ma-

terials and cash. Check out places in your area that offer to recycle your stuff. Whether it is a nonworking microwave that can be dissected for parts or a gently used piece of furniture, there are places and people who want your old things.

Less is MorePurchase products with reduced, reusable or recyclable packaging – all options help decrease the amount of energy used to produce the package. Send a letter to the manufacturer of your favorite product and ask them to consider more environmentally friendly and minimalist packaging options.

Change Bulbs and Power Them GreenAccording to Focus on Energy, by changing your five most frequently used

light bulbs to compact fluorescents (CFLs) you can save as much as $60 per year on utility bills. CFLs use 75% less energy than regular incandescent bulbs. Take it a step further and ask your utility company to supply you with energy from renewable sources. Many have solar or wind energy options available.

The Defender is owned and published quarterly by Clean Wisconsin, 122 State Street Suite 200, Madison, Wisconsin 53703, (608) 251-7020. Founded in 1970, Clean Wisconsin is a statewide, non-profit environmental advocacy organization. A one-year subscription membership is $30. Please direct correspondence to the address above.Volume 37, No. 3 Issue date: July 2007©2007 Clean Wisconsin. All rights reservedPrinted with soy ink on unbleached, recycled paper.ISSN # 1549-8107

Taking Charge and Taking Action

Is the mercury contained in compact-florescent light bulbs a deterrent to using them? NO. Find out why on page 5 of this issue.

Clean Wisconsin 3

Katie Nekola

Earlier this year, Clean Wisconsin celebrated a victory when Dane County Judge Shelley Gaylord ruled that an administrative law judge

(ALJ) must reconsider his decision to uphold the water discharge permit for the new Elm Road coal plant (ERGS). Judge Gaylord was very clear: the ALJ should re-decide the question of whether ERGS was a new or existing facility under the Clean Water Act. This is a threshold question that determines what level of environmental protection is required at the plant. In his earlier decision, the ALJ had agreed with WE Energies and DNR that ERGS was an existing facility, even though everything about it was brand new, and completely inde-pendent of the adjacent Oak Creek coal plant. DNR relied on a loophole in federal law that was created by the Bush administration for just such situations, when utilities wanted to expand their operations yet not be subject to modern environmental standards.

However, in January of this year, a federal court

case closed that loophole, and Judge Gaylord ruled that the ALJ must take that case into account in reconsidering his earlier decision. She also instructed the ALJ to follow the federal case (Riverkeeper II) in other important areas; for example, the Riverkeeper

case made it clear that “restoration” or simply restock-ing the lake with fish was not an adequate substitute for preventing massive fish kills in the first place.

We were surprised to learn that WE Energies had been working behind the scenes with DNR to bypass

the judge’s orders and the entire judicial process. Although the case was sent back to the ALJ for recon-sideration, the utility and the DNR proposed to be-gin a lengthy “permit modification” process in which the DNR would again classify ERGS as an “existing

facility” and they could proceed as though our case and Riverkeeper never happened. Meanwhile, they would continue to construct their open-cycle cooling system, clearly not the “Best Technology Available” as required by the Clean Water Act, a technology that’s been banned in other Great Lakes states.

Clean Wisconsin objected to this proposal and, as of this writing, is waiting for a decision. The fight against this enormously destructive cooling intake system could continue for some time. It’s prolonged battles like these that make all of us at Clean Wisconsin especially grateful for the support of our members. Those of you who want to take action can call the DNR and remind them that it’s

their job to implement and uphold the Clean Water Act, not to make it easier for utilities to damage Lake Michigan. For more information, please call Katie Nekola at (608) 251-7020 extension 14.

Elm Road cooling intake case: The fight continues

Karen Stevensen, Clean Wisconsin volunteer

One of Aldo Leopold’s many legacies was an increased appreciation for the importance of observation. He showed us how much can

be learned when we look at our natural surroundings with deliberate care and attention. Clean Wisconsin hopes to tap this powerful source of information and insight as we move forward with our efforts to ad-dress the issues of climate change in our state.

We suspect that many of you have already noticed changes in your own lives and surroundings which have caused you to wonder if global warming might be involved. A personal example is the fact that my cross-country ski equipment has gotten very little use in recent years; I remember nostalgically the January cross-country ski trips we used to make to the Minocqua area each year until the snow became unreliable four or five years ago. Other examples might include changes in usual habitat for animals or plants, or in blooming times for plants. Clean Wisconsin would like to begin building a record of personal stories reflecting upon the changes occurring in Wisconsin.

We ask that you turn your attention to whatever your Wisconsin environment might be---in small towns, cities, yards and gardens, favorite woods, rivers and lakes--you name it. When you notice a change that you think might be related to global warming, please call our specially-designated toll-

free number 1-866-WIS-WARM (866-947-9276) and leave us a message describing the changes you’ve noticed in the natural environment. If you are more comfortable sending an email, send us your story at wiswarm@CleanWisconsin.org. Be sure to include your name, address and telephone number. You needn’t have scientific proof that the change you’re seeing is caused by global warming, as long as your common sense suggests that it might be.

All too often, scientists and politicians spend to too much time focusing on the changes global warming is causing on the global scale, without any attention paid to the local level. This is your chance to tell the world how global warming is affecting you! As Clean Wisconsin members, you can help to build this record by telling your friends, neighbors, and family members to call with their stories as well.

Tell us YOUR global warming story

Cut out and place near your phone or computer for future reference. Thank You - Clean Wisconsin.

Call toll free: 1-866-WIS-WARM (866-947-9276)or email wiswarm@CleanWisconsin.org

Tell us YOUR global warming story

The Defender, Summer 2007, Vol. 37, No. 34

Ryan Schryver

In 2005 Clean Wisconsin was a driving force behind implementing Wisconsin’s Clean Energy Act which required Wisconsin’s public utilities

get more than 10% of their energy from renewable resources by the year 2015. Now, Clean Wisconsin and the Union of Concerned Scientists have teamed up to help promote federal legislation that will require all public utilities to provide more renewable energy. The U.S. House of Representatives “Renew-able Electricity Standard” Bill (HR 969) will create a growing market for clean, renewable energy that increases gradually to 20% by the year 2020. Clean Wisconsin believes this bill is a tremendous op-portunity for Wisconsin and the rest of the country to move toward a cleaner, more sustainable energy future.

The United States lags behind much of the world in our use of renewable energy sources. Many Euro-pean countries receive more than 30% of their energy from renewable resources and continue to increase this amount. By creating a 20% federal Renewable Electricity Standard, the United States can catch up to the standards of the rest of the world, reduce our pollution and bolster our economy.

By 2020, a 20% Renewable Electricity Standard would:

• Create more than 355,000 jobs – nearly twice as many as generating the same amount of electricity from fossil fuels.

• Help farmers, ranchers, and rural landowners earn more than $16 billion in new income.

• Lower electricity and natural gas prices, saving consumers more than $49 billion on their energy bills, as competition from renewable energy generators increases.

As demand for renewable energy sources increas-es at all levels, market competition and economies of scale will drive down the price of renewable energy facilities and equipment. These cost reductions will be passed to you, the consumer.

With Wisconsin’s abundance of natural resources and strong agriculture traditions, we are uniquely poised to lead the country in renewable energy pro-duction and benefit from these financial windfalls. By 2020 in Wisconsin, a 20% Renewable Energy Standard would:

• Generate an additional $30 million in income and $70 million in gross state product for Wisconsin’s economy.

• Produce 4,410 jobs in manufacturing, con-struction, operation, maintenance and other industries for Wisconsin – more than 1.8 times as many jobs as using fossil fuels to meet our energy needs would produce.

• Create savings on electric and heating bills as more of our energy will be produced from local sources of cheap or free energy.

• Produce significant investments, revenues, and payments to local areas:

o Nearly $384 million dollars will reach Wisconsinites in the form of payments for renewable biomass production;

o Almost $61 million in new property tax revenues will be created; and,

o Close to $17 million will go to Wiscon-sin farmers and rural landowners to lease property for new wind generation.

No matter how you slice it, the Renewable Elec-

tricity Standard is not only a win for our environ-ment, but is a huge win for our pocketbooks as well.

Often overlooked during conversations about

supporting clean energy, are the positive environ-mental impacts of not using coal and oil to meet our energy needs. Global warming has rapidly become the top concern of scientists and environmental-ists everywhere. Renewable energy sources like those supported in this legislation are a major part of the effort to reduce our global warming pollution. This bill would help eliminate more than 434 million tons of carbon dioxide from entering our atmosphere. This massive reduction in global warming pollution is the equiva-lent to taking more than 71 million cars off the road by the year 2020.

Several of Wisconsin’s congressional leaders have already pledged their support for this important bill. Representatives Kind, Kagen and Baldwin have already agreed to co-sponsor this legislation; but it is important to enlist the support of the entire Wiscon-sin delegation. Please contact your representative and ask him/her to co-sponsor HR 969 the “Renewable Electricity Standard” bill.

Representative Gwen Moore: (414) 297-1140Representative Dave Obey: (202) 225-3365Representative Paul Ryan: (202) 225-3031 Representative James Sensenbrenner: (262) 784-1111Representative Tom Petri: (920) 922-1180

Taking clean energy nationalClean Wisconsin pushes for federal legislation requiring all public utilities to provide more renewable energy

Clean energy means a better Wisconsin!Please contact your representative and ask them to co-sponsor HR 969 the “Renewable Electricity Standard” bill.

Elizabeth Wheeler

In Wisconsin, many of us are familiar with the term “ozone action day,” but not all of us know exactly what it means. It is especially important

to be aware of air quality during the summer months when outdoor activities are especially appealing. Last year, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency declared that fine particle pollution is even more dangerous than ozone pollution.

Although stratospheric ozone acts as a protective shield from harmful ultraviolet rays, ground-level ozone is a pollutant hazardous to human health. It has been shown to damage lung tissue, irritate respiratory disease, and can impair immune system defenses. It especially affects children, who breathe more air per pound of their bodies and whose respiratory systems are still developing. Fine particle pollution is similarly damaging to respiratory (and cardiovascular) health.

The Wisconsin Department of Natural Re-sources (WDNR) declares an “air quality watch” or “air quality advisory” when it predicts that levels of ground-level ozone or fine particles will be unhealthy

to breathe. This advisory warns against heavy outdoor ac-tivities, especially for children. Because of how ozone is formed (through chemical re-actions with sunlight), it is a bigger problem during the sum-mer. However, fine particles are present year-round, and now air quality watches or advisories will not just be a summertime phenomenon.

The pollutants contributing to the formation of ground-level ozone and fine particles mainly come from power plants, cars, lawn mowers, and other household and industrial sources. Thus, you can directly impact the air quality by reducing your use of energy from coal, reducing the number of car trips you take and keeping your tires fully inflated, fueling

your gas tank at night, and mowing your lawn after 6:00 PM.

To find out about air quality and advisories in your area, you can call the WDNR toll free hotline at (866) DAILY-AIR, or sign up for email alerts at http://dnr.wi.gov/org/aw/air/newsletters/.

Air quality watch

Clean Wisconsin 5

Wisconsin consumers can take a simple and easy step to reduce their personal contri-butions to global warming by switching

from incandescent light bulbs to compact fl uorescent lights (CFLs).

“National studies show that compact fl uores-cent lights use two-thirds less energy than standard incandescent bulbs and last up to 10 times longer,” says Suzanne Bangert, director of the Department of Natural Resources Waste and Materials Management program. Bangert notes that in addition to energy savings, switching to compact fl uorescent lights can save money and be more convenient.

“Replacing a 60-watt incandescent with a 13-watt CFL can save you at least $30 in energy costs over the life of the bulb. Because they last longer they help homeowners avoid the hassle of changing bulbs and, since they generate 70 percent less heat, they are safer to operate and save on cooling bills,” Bangert says.

While there is concern about the mercury -- a contaminant and poses a threat to human health and the environment -- contained in CFLs, Bangert says that overall they are a better choice for the health of the environment.

“There is a trade-off,” Bangert says, “but the benefi ts are clear. By switching to CFLs we use less

energy, resulting in a net reduction in mercury emis-sions. Each CFL can prevent more than 450 pounds of emissions from a power plant over the lifetime of the bulb while the mercury in a CFL is contained and can be safely recycled.”

Bangert said CFLs from businesses and, ideally, households should be treated as hazardous waste once they reach the end of their long life. For households, Bangert advises people check to see if local stores have a take back programs for CFLs. People can check the Energy Star web site (www.energystar.gov) for stores that take back CFLs or Wisconsin’s Focus on Energy Program’s web site for product/service provider information (www.focusonenergy.com).

If no local stores are part of the program, people can take used CFLs to a local hazardous waste collec-tion site or to a Clean Sweep program. If the bulb is broken, place the entire contents in a sealable plastic bag. If there are no other options, the sealed bag can go into the garbage.

Bangert also said there is confusion about the green-tipped ‘green’ CFLs. “The CFLs that have a green band near the base are a good step in the right direction. They’re made with less mercury but mer-cury is still present. These bulbs should be treated the same way as the other CFLs,” she said.

Clean Wisconsin members ask: Is the mercury contained in compact fl uorescent light bulbs a deterrent to using them?

Will Hoyer and Ryan Schryver

On a day with more than 1,400 events around the country calling for Congress to “Step It Up” and reduce global warm-

ing pollution Clean Wisconsin organized a success-ful conference in southwest Wisconsin. Almost 100 people showed up for the day-long event highlighting threats to Wisconsin’s waters and the threats posed by global warming.

Highlights of the day included a presenta-tion by noted climate scientist and UW-Madison professor Jon Foley and a motivating keynote pre-sentation by author and fi lm-maker Mike Tidwell. Foley quickly dispensed with any notion that there was any debate over whether global warming was happening and went on to note the consequences of global warming are already being seen across the globe, including more than 150,000 additional deaths annually. Tidwell made the connection between the totally foreseeable (and preventable) disaster that occurred in New Orleans with what is

happening globally with climate change.Other presentations included Clean Wisconsin

Water Program Director Melissa Malott talking about the Great Lakes, Wisconsin DNR Missis-sippi Team Leader Gretchen Benjamin discussing the threats to the Mississippi River and UW-Madi-son limnologist John Magnuson talking about the changes to Wisconsin waters under global warm-ing. Attendees also got the opportunity to choose among breakout sessions that covered biofuels, advocacy, legal issues and communications.

Attendees left the conference motivated to take action, making changes in their own lives and push-ing for policy changes at the state and federal levels.

We would like to give special thanks to the Do-minican Sisters at Sinsinawa Mound for allowing us the use of their facility, for providing an excellent lunch and refreshments and for general logistical support. The Sisters were great partners to work with and we look forward to working with them in the future.

Sinsinawa “Water and Warming” conference a success

Ryan Schryver (left), Clean Wisconsin’s grassroots organizer, and Mike Tidwell, author and keynote speaker at the water and warming confer-ence.

The benefi ts of using CFLs are clear. And keep in mind CFLs

need to be recycled or disposed of properly.

(See article for more details).

The Defender, Summer 2007, Vol. 37, No. 36

Melissa Malott

With over 15,000 lakes, and more than 33,000 miles of rivers, Wisconsin is a water rich state. These fl owing waterways

support our lifestyle and economy; where they once transported logs for the paper industry, today boat-ers and fi shers skim the surface. Beneath the surface, however, and sometimes fl oating on it, lies a heavy load of phosphorus, sediment, bacteria and other pol-lutants. Polluted runoff into our lakes and streams is drowning our state.

As we Wisconsinites prepare our schedules and gear for summer on or near the water, and think about the good times we’ll soon be sharing with friends and family, we forget the negative memo-ries from the summer before: stinking algae clumps littering our beaches, slime clinging to the edges of our lakes, and mosquitos. Unlike mosquitos, how-ever, we can do something about the algae and other noxious materials in our waterways. These problems stem from polluted runoff, and we can prevent them by taking measures to cut down on polluted runoff.

Polluted runoff, or nonpoint source pollution, is generally the most signifi cant water quality problem in Wisconsin. Nonpoint pollution is a product of our lifestyles, our land use planning, and agricultural system. The way we fertilize our lawns and fi elds, al-lows stormwater to drain off the streets; and the way we dispose of chemicals and other products have an impact on our waterways. Unfortunately, this area of water pollution is under-regulated.

The Milwaukee Metropolitan Sewerage District recently did test to determine on where pollution in the Milwaukee-area rivers come from. MMSD’s tests for some of the major pollutants in our water-ways, including phosphorus, fecal coliform, BOD (biochemical oxygen demand), suspended solids, and nitrogen, and found that between 80-90% of these pollutants come from agricultural and urban storm-water runoff.

While this does not discount the importance of reducing sewer overfl ows, it is interesting to know other areas of pollution that we can reduce in order to clean up our waterways. Urban pollution oc-curs because pavement, roofs, and reduced green space prevent absorption of rainwater into plants and infi ltration into the ground. Instead, these large volumes of waters collect in stormwater systems, and fl ow rapidly to waterways. Besides the listed pollut-ants, urban polluted runoff often hold some more insidious pollutants, like fertilizer and pesticides, oil, bacteria and organic material, sediment, and more. Furthermore, runoff from developed areas may be warmer than stream water, and when the heat mixes with increased fl ow rates and pollutants, can further affect water quality and aquatic life.

Agricultural runoff can contain some of the same materials, but is most notable for runoff of manure that has been spread on fi elds. Agricultural runoff can contain E. coli and other bacteria, along with large amounts of phosphorus.

So what can we do?Because polluted runoff comes from our actions,

if we want to cut down on polluted runoff we need to change our actions. Fortunately, many of the ac-tions we can take will have multiple benefi ts.

Household actions:Basically, we can all take actions to conserve and

protect runoff water from pollution. A great way to reduce runoff from our own residences is to collect rainwater in rainbarrels. Rainbarrels collect and store the water from your roof for later use in watering your lawn or garden. Rainbarrels help save signifi -cant water costs – throughout a typical Wisconsin season, rainbarrels can store 1,300 gallons of water. You can often buy rainbarrels from local gardening stores, make one, or simply use a large bucket. For instructions on making a rainbarrel, see: http://www.cwp.org/Community_Watersheds/brochure.pdf.

Besides collecting water that could carry polluted runoff, there are ways to prevent the pollution from reaching the road. First of all, create as many porous surfaces as possible: use bricks or concrete lattice in walkways to allow water to soak into the ground. Create vegetative buffer strips and raingardens to allow any runoff to be absorbed by the ground and plants. Raingardens serve a few functions: they beau-tify our lawns and make them spongelike at the same time. A raingarden or buffer strip is simply an area of plants that soak up water like trees, shrubs, and groundcover plants and fl owers.

And of course, be conscious of pollutants that you are using in your yard. Replace phosphorus lawn fertilizers with non-phosphorus, natural fertilizers. Keep pet wastes and litter away from runoff areas. Clean up spilled toxins like oil, grease, antifreeze, and other chemicals that would otherwise wash into our waterbodies.

Advocate for responsible local ordinances

In addition to controlling polluted runoff from your own residence, you can help your community be more responsible with polluted runoff by advocat-

ing for pollution prevention over pollution treat-ment, education, public participation, monitoring, and enforcement components.

In the end, we have the opportunity to create major change in our own waterways. While pushing for strong protection via regulations is important, we can make a difference through our own actions. Because urban and agricultural runoff are a result of the way we live, if we change some of our actions, we can reduce polluted runoff. Go forth and prevent pollution!

Pernicious, pervasive polluted runoff

Difference between point and nonpoint pollution

Point source pollution is pollution from factories and sewage treatment plants. When you think of a pipe draining into a lake, this would be point source pollution.

Nonpoint source pollution (aka pol-luted runoff) has many different sources. When rainfall or snowmelt move over and through the ground, it collects pollut-ants like manure, dirt, oil, and fertilizers and carries them to waterways, including groundwater.

Clean Wisconsin 7

Will Hoyer

Proposed changes to outdated 40-year-old rules governing the development of Wisconsin’s shorelands will once again be debated this

summer. The DNR’s Administrative Rules, NR 115, have been revised again and will be released for public comment this summer. Two years ago proposed changes brought in one of the highest comment totals the DNR has ever seen with more than 12,000 public comments that led to substantial revisions. This year’s revised rules are sure to be controversial once again. For more information and to stay updated on the proposed rule and public hearings visit our website at www.cleanwisconsin.org or contact water specialist Will Hoyer at whoyer@cleanwisconsin.org or (608)251-7020 extension 20.

Another round of shoreland zoning hearingsWill Hoyer

It’s the time of year when many of us want to get out and enjoy Wisconsin’s wonderful lakes. Whether it’s boating, fishing, swimming or simply watching the sun set lakes can play a major supporting role in our summertime fun. Unfortunately many of Wisconsin’s lakes are not as enjoyable as they could be due to the

thick mats of weeds that plague the lakes’ surface.Many lakes have seen the arrival of well-known invasive species such as Eurasian water milfoil. Once

established, milfoil can be very difficult to eradicate. Treatments include mechanical harvesting, chemical ap-plications, bio-controls such as beetles and weevils, water level manipulations and dredging. None of these, unfortunately, is the perfect solution, but all can play a role in reducing the effects of the invasive species.

Ultimately, prevention is the only good solution. There are many on-going efforts to educate, monitor and enforce provisions intended to keep aquatic invasive species from invading new lakes. Making the condi-tions of lakes less conducive to plant growth is another part of the solution. While many lakes in Wisconsin are naturally eutrophic, or nutrient-rich, most have more nutrients than they naturally would due to things like runoff from agricultural fields, construction sites and lawns, and aging septic systems. Controlling sediments and excess nutrients from reaching our lakes would help keep our lakes cleaner and more user-friendly for sum-mer recreation.

While weeds may affect some recreation opportunities they can be better than not having any weeds at all. Many lakes may exist only in two possible states – one that is plant-dominated with clear water and the other that is weed-free but looks like pea soup with turbid water and dense green algal growth. While weeds may be a nuisance, they are likely preferable to an algal-dominated lake where anything more than a couple inches below the water’s surface disappears into the murky darkness.

Personal actions and public policies that prevent the introduction of new invasive species and reduce plant growth are both necessary to keep Wisconsin’s lakes clean for current and future generations of summer vaca-tioners.

For more information about Wisconsin’s aquatic plant management program see:http://www.dnr.state.wi.us/org/water/fhp/lakes/aquaplan.htm

A stinking mess:Wisconsin’s lake weeds

The Defender, Summer 2007, Vol. 37, No. 38

Sinicki, Soletski, Townsend, Turner, Wasser-man, Zepnick, Richards, Vos, M. Williams, Mason, Steinbrink, Black, Schneider, Hray-chuck, Hebl and J. Ott; and cosponsored by Senators Wirch, Schultz, Hansen, Roessler, Lassa, Plale, Risser and Coggs.

Invasive Species Legislation - Ballast Water Management, 07 SB 119: This is the

mirror bill to AB 86, above. It has been introduced and referred to the committee on Environment and Natural Resources. It was introduced by Senators Cowles, Wirch, Hansen, A. Lasee, Harsdorf, Breske, Plale, Risser, Roessler, Schultz, Lassa, Coggs, Lehman and Sullivan; and cosponsored by Representatives Nygren, A. Ott, Molepske, Hahn, Pocan, Cullen, Black, Berceau, Sheridan and Hilgenberg.

Mercury Products Ban: Senator Bob Jauch (D-Poplar) is having legislation drafted that will phase out the use of products with toxic mercury where there are readily available and reasonably priced alternatives to mercury. Examples of such products are thermostats, numerous switches and relays (e.g. tilt switches in the refrigerator and freezer doors), and measuring devices. This legislation should be introduced later this summer.

Appliance Efficiency Standards: Senator Bob Wirch (D-Kenosha) is drafting legislation to place minimum efficiency standards on a wide variety of home and business appliances and equipment that the Federal Department of Energy has

failed to set a reasonable minimum efficiency standard for. Items covered by the bill include residential furnaces, swimming pool pumps and heaters, DVD play-ers and a variety of light fixtures. A preliminary draft of this legislation has been prepared and it should be available soon.

The 2007-08 State Budget, SB 40: Most other legislation is on hold until the legislature passes the state budget bill. Several of our highest priority environmen-tal initiatives are contained in the state budget bill, for example: $30 million in funding for renewable energy grants and loans, $37 million in funding for reduc-ing polluted runoff, and $17 million for clean up of PCB contaminated sediments in the Milwaukee and Kinnicnick Rivers. The Joint Finance Committee (JFC) finished work on the budget in early June and the Senate passed its version of the budget bill on June 26 and as of this writing the Assembly has not yet begun deliberations.

The $37 million for PCB clean up passed the Joint Finance Committee unanimously so that should stay intact through the final budget deliberations; the Senate retained this funding in their version. The polluted runoff money was decreased slightly by the JFC but overall is a substantial increase over past funding levels. The $30 million in renewable energy funding failed to pass the committee on an 8 to 8 vote, but was restored in the Senate bill. The Senate also included $47 million in funding for municipal recycling programs. The recycling, renew-able energy and some of the polluted runoff funding in the Senate bill come from a $7 (per ton) increase in solid waste tipping fees at landfills; that’s a $4 increase over the $3 increased proposed by the Governor.

Jeremy Jansen

UW-La Crosse remains in the planning phases of constructing a new academic building on campus. In early May, a forum was held

for students, faculty, and administrators that was titled a “sustainability workshop”. In this workshop the campus community was educated on elements of green design. A large number of students showed up throughout the day to voice their opinions. The building is expected to stand for almost a century. Students, being the “green generation”, will be forced to deal with a multitude of environmental issues, like global warming. With this in mind, many students offered innovative and creative methods for the new building.

Students suggested:• A green or living roof. This could include a

vegetated roof which could serve an educational purpose as well as an area to study.

• Solar panels or solar hot water heating. So-lar electricity generation could increase the percentage of renewable energy state facilities use. Solar hot water could be used for all the hot water needs of the building as well as being pumped through floor pipes to save on heating costs.

• Harvesting rainwater. This could be used for landscaping needs around campus and would reduce the amount of water being introduced into the storm water system of La Crosse.

Though these were only a few suggestions students presented, many creative ideas were tossed around at the four hour listening session. At this point, none of the elements of sustainability are finalized because the project’s design is not yet final. Students and faculty will continue to encourage the UW system officials and the architects to go beyond state facility standards mandated by the Clean Energy Act. With constant pressure and continuous turnout to events like the “sustainability workshop,” UW-L will be proud of the green building constructed with state tax dollars. After all, if green buildings are part of our future, universities should be at the forefront leading by example.

Following up on UW-La Crosse’s green building

Ryan Schryver

Earlier this year, State Representative Spencer Black and State Senator Mark Miller introduced Wisconsin’s Safe Climate Act. The Safe Climate Act creates a framework

for Wisconsin to reduce its global warming pollution to 1990 levels by the year 2020, and helps lay the groundwork for more significant global warming emissions reductions in the future.

Wisconsin’s Safe Climate Act is modeled after the first stage of the groundbreaking legislation California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger signed into law earlier this year. The California legislation featured two distinct stages of emission reductions, the first of which required the state to reduce their global warm-

ing emissions to 1990 levels by 2020. The second stage requires California to reduce their emissions to 80% below the 1990 levels by 2050.

In recent years the scientific community has become increas-ingly unified behind the notion that in order to avoid cata-strophic levels of climate change, the United States must lead global efforts to reduce global warming emissions nearly 80% by the year 2050. Wisconsin’s Safe Climate Act is a great first step towards achieving those science-based goals.

Call your representatives today and urge them to support legislation reducing Wisconsin’s global warming emissions. Call 1-800-362-9472 or visit http://waml.legis.state.wi.us to find out how to contact your representatives.

Wisconsin’s Safe Climate Act

CONTINUED FROM FRONT PAGE

Clean Wisconsin 9

Water level not only threat Letter-to-the-editor: Wisconsin State JournalMadison, April 20, 2007

Monday’s article “Low water levels trouble shipping on Great Lakes” correctly pointed out the importance of our Great Lakes to Wisconsin’s shipping economy.

Beyond that, healthy levels in the Great Lakes keep our commercial and recreational fi shing, tourism, and a large part of our agricultural sectors strong. Put simply, problems with the Great Lakes are problems for our economic security.

The Great Lakes are vast, but they are not infi nite, and they need protec-tion. Lake levels are falling, yet outsiders are plan-ning strategies to steal from them. For example, in 2001 a private company started taking steps to ship Great Lakes water to China in tankers.

Fortunately, we have a solution in the Great Lakes Compact, an agreement among the eight Great Lakes states to responsibly manage Great Lakes’ water. To make it legally binding, each of the states, then Congress, needs to pass the com-pact into law. - Melissa Malott, water program director, Clean Wisconsin, Madison

Power plant dealt setbackJudge says permit for water intake at odds with federal rulingMilwaukee Journal SentinelMilwaukee, March 9, 2007

In a setback for the state’s largest utility, a Dane County circuit judge has ruled that a wa-ter permit for the $2.2 billion power plant un-der construction in Oak Creek does not comply with a recent federal appeals court decision.

Judge Shelley Gaylord directed a state administrative law judge to conduct another review of We Energies’ plans for drawing 1.8

billion gallons of water a day from Lake Michigan to cool the new plant.

Clean Wisconsin, which fi led suit against the utility with Sierra Club, has long contended that the water intake system is illegal.

“This is a position we have consistently been taking and the (state agencies) ignored”, said Carl Sinderbrand, a lawyer for Clean Wisconsin.

Wisconsin could become second state to require fewer greenhouse gasesWisconsin State FarmerWaupaca, March 9, 2007

Wisconsin could become the fi rst (sic) state after California to pass a law requiring a dramatic lowering of greenhouse gases under a bill announced on Thursday (Feb 15th).

Wisconsin’s emissions of carbon dioxide have increased 25 percent since 1990, compared with a 20 percent increase nationally, according to an analysis by the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. The increase in Wisconsin has been blamed on coal-fi red power plants, which accounted for half of the state’s carbon dioxide emissions in 2005.

Keith Reopelle, program director for Clean Wisconsin, said construction of new coal-fi red power plants in Wisconsin shows the state is headed in the wrong direction when it comes to controlling emissions. The bill sponsored by Black and Sen. Mark Miller, D- Monona, would be a “critical fi rst step” in tackling global warming, he said.

Alliant’s plan for Cassville coal plant ‘cheapest, dirtiest solution’ Telegraph HeraldDubuque, IA, April, 15, 2007

Ryan Schryver had nothing good to say about Alliant Energy’s proposed 300 megawatt, coal-fi red power plant near Cassville, Wisconsin. “There are cleaner, more effi cient technologies. That’s why Alliant’s proposal is so frustrating”, says the staffer with Clean Wisconsin, the environmental group which co-sponsored Saturday’s conference on global warming at Sinsinawa Mound.

Clean Wisconsin’s partnership with Commu-nity Shares of Greater Milwaukee provides us with critical funding for our operations. But

you can also play an important role in helping sustain this organization right where you work.

Many of you pledge money to Clean Wisconsin through the convenience of payroll deduction at your workplace – Community Shares enables us to have a presence in workplaces throughout Milwaukee Coun-ty. We are especially grateful for this funding because every dollar we receive through Community Shares is “unrestricted,” meaning that we can use it to pay the heating bill, the light bill, or to increase our program budgets – whatever our greatest needs are.

Unrestricted dollars are not available through United Way or through most foundation grants. That’s one reason we value this partnership. Com-munity Shares is also unique because it encourages the donor to give to whichever group (or groups) he or she wishes to support – and in any amount they feel they can give.

We currently receive only a portion of what we could be receiving in workplace-giving campaigns because many people don’t realize they can give to us through Community Shares. With just a little help from you, we could raise signifi cantly more dollars in

employee-giving campaigns this year.

3 easy ways you can support us where you work:

1.) Give through Community Shares at your workplace.

• If you work in a public sector offi ce (school or government), you will fi nd our organization listed under the “Community Shares” heading in your fall pledge brochure.

• If you work in a private industry or business, tell your HR staff or employee-giving cam-paign leader to provide you with a Community Shares Pledge Form. Because Community Shares no longer participates in United Way’s Donor Choice program, you will need to use a Community Shares Pledge Form instead of a United Way form. Please call CS at 414-342-0883 if you need forms.

2.) Tell others at work about the advantages of giving through Community Shares.

• They can support the organizations of their choice – in any dollar amount – through Com-munity Shares.

• The dollars from their donation can be used by the organization where it is needed most – this is not possible when giving through United Way.

3.) If you work in a private business or industry that does not have an employee giving campaign, please call us or call Community Shares at 414-342-0883 – or email outreach@milwaukeeshares.org.

They will work to set up a campaign at your workplace that will enable to you and your co-workers to give to the organizations of your choice through payroll deduction. You can play a key role in sustaining this organization by simply making sure we have a presence in your workplace this year. Your effort will benefi t this organization – and dozens of others – for years to come!

Tell others: Give to Clean Wisconsin through Community Shares

tion. Lake levels are falling, yet outsiders are plan-ning strategies to steal from them. For example, in 2001 a private company started taking steps to ship Great Lakes water to China in tankers.

Lakes Compact, an agreement among the eight Great Lakes states to responsibly manage Great Lakes’ water. To make it legally binding, each of the states, then Congress, needs to pass the com-pact into law. - Melissa Malott, water program director, Clean Wisconsin, Madison

Power plant dealt setbackJudge says permit for water intake at odds with federal rulingMilwaukee Journal SentinelMilwaukee, March 9, 2007

Dane County circuit judge has ruled that a wa-ter permit for the $2.2 billion power plant un-der construction in Oak Creek does not comply with a recent federal appeals court decision.

Here’s a glimpse of some of the recent media coverage

Clean Wisconsin has received.

The Defender, Summer 2007, Vol. 37, No. 310

“And the envelope please...” Becky Weber

Something as simple as a little number nine envelope can make a huge dif-ference. Really. It seems like such a

small gesture but the impact on our work can be enormous.

We all agree that we want and deserve clean water and clean air. We want and de-serve clean energy alternatives. We need to protect the special places that make Wiscon-sin wonderful.

And that is what Clean Wisconsin, along with all of our members, is doing.

And here is where the envelope comes in.

The little envelope that is tucked inside this newsletter makes it easy for you to assist Clean Wisconsin in being an advocate and effective voice. Simply write a check for whatever amount you choose, slip it inside the envelope, stamp it, and drop it in the mailbox. You can even donate via your credit card.

It is as simple as that. Perhaps you took a minute. Maybe two. But that act of making a contribution to Clean Wisconsin has an impact. You are helping to work toward clean water, clean air, and clean energy.

Thank you to departing board member Jim Carter!

Clean Wisconsin’s staff and board would like to thank Jim Carter for his years of service and strong support of our work. Mr. Carter helped us tremendous-ly in our efforts to raise awareness about the health impacts of air pollution from old and dirty coal plants. As a former Green Bay Packer player, Mr. Carter was very vocal about the need to clean up the old J.P. Pulliam coal plant in Green Bay. His efforts played a big part in our victory in that case, and have resulted in cleaner air in the greater Green Bay area and reduced pollution impacting the Great Lakes. Mr. Carter was also an ex-cellent ambassador for our organization, and helped recruit many new members to support our cause. In fact, he was our top volunteer fundraiser in 2006, raising nearly $10,000! We wish Jim all the best as he heads off for Minnesota, and hope he stays a strong part of the Clean Wisconsin family. Thanks Jim!