Clean Wisconsin122 State Street Suite 200Madison,WI 53703-4333

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WINTER 2007 • Vol. 37, No. 1

INSIDEA word from the executive director; Welcome newcomers . . . . . . . . . . . . .2Vulnerable lakes, responsible solutions: protecting the Great Lakes . . . . . .3Intervening and supporting wind power in Manitowoc County . . . . . . . . . .4Radioactive waste disposal: myth and reality . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .5Great Lakes restoration; More northern rivers protected . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6Getting mercury out of products; Precious resource: groundwater . . . . . . .7Cover article continued; Clean Air Interstate Rules (CAIR) . . . . . . . . . . . . .8God and the greenhouse; My pal Al . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .9Appliance efficiency; Garbage duty; Member John Hamilton . . . . . . . . . .10Eco-news from around the state . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .11New Clean Wisconsin board members; Write a letter to the editor . . . . . .12New faces visit Clean Wisconsin . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .13Kids’ Page . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .14

Katie Nekola

In November, 2006 Clean Wisconsin reached alandmark agreement with Wisconsin Public ServiceCorporation (WPSC also referred to as WPS) to clean

up its J.P. Pulliam power plant, one of the dirtiest coalplants in the nation. In 2005, we discovered the Green Bayutility had been violating its air permit limits for at leastfive consecutive years prior; thus we filed a lawsuit infederal court to compel them to clean up the plant. We hadcompiled all of the air monitoring reports submitted byWPS to the Department of Natural Resources (DNR)

showing that Pulliam had exceeded the legal limits foropacity, one way to measure fine particle pollution. Duringthat time period, the DNR had issued "notices ofviolation" to the utility, but had not initiated its ownenforcement action. Meanwhile, the excessive soot from thepower plant was contributing to air pollution in BrownCounty, which in turn was making it harder for childrenand people with asthma and other respiratory illnesses tobreathe. Five years of continuous violations adds up to a lotof extra soot in the air. It was time for us to step in.

Fine particle pollution is one of the most dangerous of

Continued on page 8

Clean air victory for Wisconsin!WPS to shut down two dirty boilers in Green Bay and invest in more energy efficiency

2 The Defender,Winter 2007,Vol. 37, No. 1

122 State Street Suite 200 • Madison WI 53703-4333608.251.7020 • fax 608.251.1655

www.CleanWisconsin.org

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

Energy Program Specialist

Elizabeth Wheeler

Interns

Jeremy Jansen

Breeanna Breckel

Membership and Development

Development Director

Brian Kelly

Membership & Development Manager

Becky Weber

Development Assistants

Elsa Nekola

Bridget Barry

Finance and Administration

Financial Manager

Barb Kneer

Office Administrator

Laurie Maloney

Financial Assistant

Holly Brassington

Pam McGillivray – Chair (Madison)Jim Carter – Vice Chair (Eleva)

Will Fantle – Secretary (Eau Claire)Gof Thomson – Treasurer (New Glarus)

Mark Gill (Milwaukee)Kate Gordon (Madison)Gary Goyke (Madison)

Susan Greenfield (Racine)Bill King (Cable)

Paul Linzmeyer (Green Bay)David Wandel (Madison)

Guy Wolf (Stoddard)

BBOOAARRDD

The Defender is owned and published quarterly by Clean Wisconsin, 122 State Street Suite 200, Madison,Wisconsin53703, (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. 1 Issue date: January 2007©2007 Clean Wisconsin. All rights reserved

Printed with soy ink on unbleached, recycled paper.

ISSN # 1549-8107

Clean Wisconsin, an environmental advocacy organi-zation, protects Wisconsin’s clean water and air andadvocates for clean energy by being an effective voice inthe state legislature and by holding elected officials andcorporations accountable.

Founded in 1970 as Wisconsin’s EnvironmentalDecade, 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 coalitionpartners, Clean Wisconsin protects the special placesthat make Wisconsin such a wonderful place to live,work and play.

SSTTAAFFFF

In past issues I’ve used this column in The Defender to report on timely,important issues related to Clean Wisconsin’s work on protecting your cleanwater and clean air and advocating for clean energy. Throughout our work,you – our members – play incredibly important roles by signing petitions,writing letters, attending public hearings, speaking at press conferences, andmaking valuable donations. All of these efforts help us to push for strongenvironmental legislation and protections for Wisconsin’s citizens andvulnerable natural resources.

The Defender newsletter is our primary method of informing you about our program work andorganizational successes. Because we rely on this newsletter, we want it to be as effective as possible.

Inserted inside this edition is a brief but important survey asking for your opinions on TheDefender. Please take a few minutes to complete and return the survey in the enclosed, addressedenvelope. Or if you prefer, you can fax it to us at (608) 251-1655 or visit our website and completethe survey online. Please go to: www.CleanWisconsin.org/DefenderSurvey.

If for some reason you did not receive a survey and want one mailed to you, please call and leave amessage with your request, your name and address at (608) 251-7020, extension 15. We’ll mail oneto you right away. Thank you for your time!

Sincerely,

Mark RedstenExecutive Director

A note from the executive director

Clean Wisconsin is overjoyed to announce the birth of ournewest, youngest member…Claire Ann Hoyer. Claire is thedaughter of Will Hoyer and Kate Cooper; Will has been with CleanWisconsin since 2003 and is currently the water specialist.

We welcome Claire into a world where her daddy is workinghard to protect Wisconsin’s clean water and clean air so she can have

a healthy future. Welcome Claire and congratulations Will and Kate.

Clean Wisconsin’s newest,youngest member hasarrived!

This past September, Bridget Barry started at Clean Wisconsin as a part-timedevelopment assistant. She is responsible for coordinating member mailings anddonations, as well as maintaining member updates in Clean Wisconsin’s database.Bridget comes to us with fundraising experience and is currently pursuing a Bachelorof Arts degree in Environmental Studies and Spanish from the UW-Madison. Shegrew up in Newtown, Pennsylvania and spent many weekends hiking, climbing andexploring the beauty of the great outdoors. She enjoys snowboarding, swimming,board games, puzzles, and anything related to music. Welcome aboard Bridget, youhave already proven to be a tremendous help to our development efforts.

Welcome Bridget Barry!

3Clean Wisconsin

Melissa Malott

Legend has it that Napoleon Bonaparte said,“Ten people who speak make more noise thanten thousand who are silent." This statement

could be a timely insight into our current legislativeand political system. The simple truth is legislatorshave many competing interests to consider whenmaking laws. Powerful special interests make theirvoices heard. While it is easy to be cynical aboutthis process, as citizens and advocates, we need tomake our voices heard, too. We play an importantrole in this process; there is a tremendous amount ofpower available to citizens and advocates if they usethe tools correctly.

It has also been said that people are increasinglylosing interest in the legislative process, but at alegislative hearing on the manure runoff rules lastyear, the Legislature definitely heard Wisconsincitizens, and reacted. We expect a stronger manurerunoff rule to result, leading to less polluted runoffand fewer polluted wells and fish kills. Citizens andadvocates have a vital role to play in the legislativeprocess, and I challenge you to stand with us for theissues and policies we know are best for Wisconsin.

With over 1,000 miles of Great Lakes shoreline,Wisconsin has much at stake and has taken aleadership role in making policies protecting theGreat Lakes and drafting the Compact*. Our GreatLakes are the foundation of our economy,supporting fishing, tourism, and industry, and thecradle of our water-focused lifestyle, like swimming,boating, fishing, and ice fishing. Passing theCompact is the first step towards restoring our GreatLakes. In the 2007 legislative session, CleanWisconsin’s biggest water priority will be passing astrong law ratifying and implementing the GreatLakes Compact.

If the spirit of the Great Lakes Compact isrespected, ratifying and implementing laws willmake massive strides towards restoration of the GreatLakes. To fully realize the potential of the Compact,Wisconsin should implement legislation toaccomplish the following:

• Allow Wisconsin to help decide how otherstates affect our Great Lakes water;

• Create a fair, standards-based process by whichcommunities or businesses access Great Lakeswater;

• Establish a scientific monitoring process so wecan gather and learn necessary informationabout the Great Lakes; and

• Close the bottled-water loophole.

Wisconsin should get to weigh-in anddecide how other states affect our GreatLakes water. Unfortunately, some short-sightedgroups, like the Waukesha County Chamber ofCommerce, only see this as a one-way street, andoppose the Compact because they don’t want other

states weighing in on how Wisconsin uses GreatLakes water. They forget the event leading to theCompact’s creation was the proposal of a massivewater diversion to Asia, a deal that would havedevastated the health of Lake Superior, andWisconsin’s economy. With 20% of the world’sfresh water in our backyard, you can be sure thatother states and countries are eyeing a diversion ofGreat Lakes water. Clearly, Wisconsin should bepart of how states and provinces divert Great Lakeswater.

Water Diversion applications shouldundergo a fair, standards-based process. Withstrong Compact language, Wisconsin will set fairstandards by which proposed water diversions arereviewed for protection of our Great Lakes waterwhile allowing deserving communities access to theGreat Lakes water.

Establish a method for keeping modernscientific research and collaborating withothers about Great Lakes health. A strongCompact will keep Wisconsin up-to-date with thelatest scientific measurements on the health of theGreat Lakes, in conjunction with other states andentities. Using this data, we will be able tocollaborate with other stakeholders in policies toprotect and restore the Great Lakes.

Close the bottled-water loophole! OurLegislature should protect our precious Great Lakeswater with strong language closing the bottled-waterloophole. Currently, the Compact allows companiesto remove Great Lakes water, without repercussion,in containers less than 5.7 gallons. With a very slowrecharge rate, the Great Lakes are vulnerable todangerously low water levels from unimpededwithdrawals. Wisconsin’s Legislature should protectthe Great Lakes by setting responsible standards andprocess for bottled-water withdrawals.

Our Great Lakes are the foundation ofWisconsin’s lifestyle and economy; in short, they areour unique and most important natural resources.We need to protect them; let’s start with passing astrong Great Lakes Compact this legislative session.With so many stakeholders advancing variousinterests, this legislative process will be complicated,but getting the strongest Compact possible requiresthe participation of citizens and advocates.

Your activism is important in this process. Letyour state representatives and local newspaper editorsknow that you care about protecting the Great Lakesand that you are watching and weighing in on theprocess. We’d love to hear from you too! As always,thank you for your involvement in this importantwork.

*The full name of this document is the GreatLakes—St. Lawrence River Basin Water ResourcesCompact; for ease, we refer to it as “the Great LakesCompact,” or simply “the Compact.”

Vulnerable lakes, responsible solutions:let’s protect the Great Lakes!

Start with the basics:a letter to the editorEveryone, from the local newspaperreporter to the governor of the state, wantsto know what you think on the issues. Aletter to the editor is a great advocacy toolbecause it can spark local or regionaldiscussion and action. Well-organized lettersare more likely to get published. CleanWisconsin has put together some tips onhow to write a successful letter to theeditor, along with the e-mail addresses ofsome of Wisconsin’s daily newspapers.Turn to page 12 in this issue to find moreinformation.

Photo Credit: Clipart.com

4 The Defender,Winter 2007,Vol. 37, No. 1

Katie Nekola

Last fall, three individuals filed a lawsuit inManitowoc County Circuit Court,challenging the County Board’s decision to

grant a Conditional Use Permit to EmergingEnergies, a small wind developer, to construct aseven-turbine, 19 megawatt project. CleanWisconsin joined RENEW Wisconsin to intervenein the lawsuit. The interests of the two organizationsare the same: to promote the development of cleanenergy resources in Wisconsin.

Opponents are not claiming that any environ-mentally sensitive areas lie in or around the projectarea, nor does their complaint mention any concernsabout birds or bats. Indeed, their main worry seemsto be that their property values might be affected byturbines on their neighbors’ land. They brieflymention shadow flicker, noise, and blade and icethrow.

Opposition to wind in Wisconsin

This lawsuit follows a series of such challenges towind development in Wisconsin, some of which aresuccessful and some not. Opponents typically raisesimilar complaints: that their property might losevalue, they would suffer health impacts from theturbine noise and “shadow flicker,” and that theturbine blades might fly off, throw chunks of ice, orthe whole structure might collapse. These claims arebased largely on myth and hyperbole.

Studies done at existing wind turbine sites showthat shadow flicker occurs only a few hours per yearand is easily avoided with proper siting. Blade throwwas common in the industry’s early years but isunheard-of today, with international engineering andsafety standards in place. Ice throw can occur undercertain conditions but is unlikely because ice buildupslows a turbine’s rotation and is sensed by thecontrol system, which causes the turbine to shutdown. In any event, proper setbacks protectneighbors from anything that might fall from a windturbine.

The “WINDCOWS”, a group that was formedto oppose wind development in Manitowoc County,claim that wind turbine noise is a serious problem,yet Daniel Alberts, the author of a study linked ontheir website notes:

“While writing this paper, I visited theBowling Green Wind Farm in BowlingGreen, Ohio. At the base of a 1.8 mwturbine, we measured the noise level at 58-60 dB(A). However, the turbines stand in acorn field, and depending on our position

relative to the turbines, it was very difficultto distinguish the sound of the turbine fromthe rustling of the corn stalks.” 1

Mr. Alberts goes on to discuss the health impactsof noise exposure:

“Excessive exposure to noise has beenshown to cause several health problems…however, there is no evidence that windturbines generate the level of noise neededto create those problems.” 2

Wind opponents typically complain that thevalue of their suburban property is likely to decreaseif wind turbines are sited on their neighbors’ land. In

fact, a government sponsored nationwide study donein 2003 surveyed property near multiple wind farmsand found that not only do they not harm propertyvalues, but in some cases the values increased. 3

Wind: the clear environmental choice

Opponents ignore the enormous environmentalbenefits of wind power. Because they do not burnfossil fuels, wind turbines emit no global warminggases, no mercury, and no air pollution-causing toxicchemicals. Despite this obvious fact, theWINDCOWS make the following statement ontheir website:

“If the tax dollars spent on wind energywould be invested to improve even more theefficiency of existing fuel plants andreducing their emissions, to improve vehicleefficiency…the benefits would greatlyexceed anything the turbines canpromise…”

This is patently absurd. The tax credits availableto help develop clean energy sources like wind powerare a tiny fraction of the subsidies provided to thewell-established fossil fuel industries, which continue

to fight hard against environmental regulations thatwould clean up their products. Our tax dollarsalready support the coal, oil, and nuclear industries,while at the same time any attempt by EPA torequire greater emissions reductions is sure to resultin lawsuits filed by utilities and industry. The exactopposite of what the WINDCOWS say is true: ifthe tax dollars spent to support the fossil fuelindustry were spent on clean energy, we would seereal progress toward cleaning up our planet.

The good news

In spite of opposition, however, the U.S. windindustry has averaged a 29% growth rate from 2000-2005. At the end of 2005, U.S. wind generatingcapacity exceeded 10,000 megawatts, enough topower 2.5 million homes.4 Those 10,000megawatts are displacing fossil generation that wouldput sixteen million tons of carbon dioxide per yearinto the air. They are keeping 73,000 tons per yearof sulfur dioxide out of the air, and 27,000 tons ofnitrogen oxide, as well as mercury and other toxiccompounds.

Clean Wisconsin supports wind developmentthat is orderly and poses no threat to theenvironment. We believe that wind developers canwork with local officials and residents to make suretheir concerns are addressed, as they have in severalprojects around the state. And we know beyond adoubt that we can no longer afford to rely onoutdated, dirty technology when we have clean,modern alternatives right in our backyard.

Clean Wisconsin and RENEW Wisconsinintervene to support wind power inManitowoc County

1 - Daniel J. Alberts: “Primer for Addressing Wind Turbine Noise”, Nov. 20, 2005, p. 9.2 - Ibid, p. 10.3 - Sterzinger, Beck, and Kostiuk: “The Effect of Wind Development on Local Property Values,” Renewable Energy Policy Project, May 2003.4 - U.S. Energy Information Administration

Photo Credit: Clipart.com

A government sponsorednationwide study done in2003 surveyed propertynear multiple wind farmsand found that not only dowind farms not harmproperty values, but insome cases the valuesincreased.

5Clean Wisconsin

Katie Nekola

Nuclear waste disposal: the myth

Last fall, the owners of Kewaunee Nuclear PowerPlant asked the Carlton Town Board for permissionto build “bunkers” to store the radioactive wastefrom fuel pools where it has been accumulating forthirty years, waiting for a long-promised permanentnational storage site. Kewaunee’s fuel pools arenearly full, and the plant’s owner, Virginia-basedDominion Resources, needs to expand storagecapacity in order to relicense the plant to operate foranother twenty years.

Nuclear plants around the country are resortingto dry cask storage, an above-ground, supposedlytemporary measure to deal with radioactive wasteuntil it is moved to a federally licensed, undergroundfacility. Because nuclear plants require a great deal ofcooling water, all 103 currently operating units arelocated on the shores of lakes, rivers, and oceans.This means that highly toxic radioactive material ispiling up in pools and bunkers within a few yards ofour most precious water resources. In Wisconsinalone, there are three units on the Lake Michiganshoreline, and one, the Genoa plant, on theMississippi River. Even though the Genoa plant isno longer operating and is being dismantled, thereare no plans to move the radioactive waste from thesite, because there is nowhere to send it. On-sitestorage is billed as “temporary” by the nuclearindustry and the federal government, who continueto promise that Yucca Mountain (located in Nevada)will provide a permanent solution--even though itsscheduled opening has been delayed again and again.Most recently, the Bush Administration has said thatYucca will open in 2017, but there are many reasonsto doubt that this will happen.

Yucca Mountain: the reality

Yucca is located in an active earthquake zone,and at least 33 known active faults pass withintwenty miles of the mountain, some within theproposed repository itself. In June 1992, anearthquake measuring 7.4 on the Richter scale hitYucca Valley; two days later, a quake measuring 5.2caused $1 million damage to a Department ofEnergy building located six miles from YuccaMountain. Nevada is the third most earthquake-prone state, after Alaska and California. TheDepartment of Energy (DOE) had established SiteSuitability Guidelines in 1984, and in 1997 it wasdetermined that Yucca’s geology violated thoseguidelines. In 2001, rather than addressing thereality that Yucca Mountain is geologicallyunsuitable for storage of highly toxic radioactive

waste, DOE simply did away with their SiteSuitability Guidelines. Los Alamos NationalLaboratory reported in the 1990s that so muchfissile material could leak out of waste burialcontainers within Yucca that a critical mass, nuclearchain reaction, and even an atomic explosion couldresult. The state of Nevada has several lawsuitspending against the project, and the WesternShoshone Indian Nation has vowed to fight thenuclear waste dump in every possible forum. Thus,while the nuclear industry and the federalgovernment are using any tactics they can to forceYucca to open, they face formidable opposition andirrefutable evidence that the site is a geologicaldisaster. Even if Yucca were to open on schedule, itwould immediately be filled to capacity with existingwaste, leaving nowhere to go with the waste thatreactors continue to generate.

On-site storage: the reality

The reality is that irradiated nuclear fuel willremain at reactor sites alongside our lakes, rivers, andoceans for many decades to come. As Carlton TownBoard Chair Dave Zeller said about the new bunkersat Kewaunee, “I don’t care for it, but I would goalong with it, as a temporary thing. But you knowhow government is, sometimes temporary things lastlonger than you’d expect.”

Although the nuclear industry claims that on-sitenuclear waste storage is safe, the risks are actuallyvery serious. One spent fuel assembly contains tentimes the amount of long-lived radiation released bythe Hiroshima bomb. In 1996, here in Wisconsin, ahydrogen gas explosion within a dry cask at PointBeach dislodged a 4,000 pound cask lid,endangering workers and the environment. Manypeople are concerned that above-ground, dry caskstorage is vulnerable to terrorist attack. Even a slowleak from a dry cask on the Lake Michigan shorelinecould have disastrous consequences.

As Rep. Phil Montgomery, Chair of theLegislative Study Committee on Nuclear Powernoted at the November 15 committee meeting, the

perfect solution for the radioactive waste problem isnot to make the waste in the first place. CleanWisconsin and many others believe that it is simplyirrational and reckless to rely on a fuel that generatesplutonium, the deadliest substance known tohumankind, in order to produce a product(electricity) that can be created by elements as simpleand safe as the wind and sun. It’s time to shut downour fleet of dangerous and deteriorating nuclearpower plants and invest in a clean, safe energyfuture. Write or call your congressperson and tellthem we don’t want any more nuclear waste inWisconsin. To find contact information for yourcongressperson, visit www.legis.state.wi.us/waml orcall 1-800-362-9472. For more information on thistopic, contact Katie Nekola at (608) 251-7020,extension 14.

Radioactive waste disposal: myth and reality

Photo Credit: Clipart.com

Many people areconcerned that above-ground, dry cask storage isvulnerable to terroristattack. Even a slow leakfrom a dry cask on theLake Michigan shorelinecould have disastrousconsequences.

6 The Defender,Winter 2007,Vol. 37, No. 1

Will Hoyer

The Great Lakes region has the potential toonce again play a dominant role insupporting the nation’s economy, according

to a report issued by the Brookings Institution inOctober 2006. The Brookings Institution, one ofthe country’s largest and most influential policythink tanks, analyzes the issues that the region facesand the opportunities for the future and makesrecommendations for re-invigorating the region.

The report, entitled “The Vital Center: AFederal-State Compact to Renew the Great LakesRegion” notes that the lakes themselves should bemarketed as the foundation of a lifestyle, much likecommunities like Boulder, Colorado, and otherwestern cities have marketed themselves as‘mountain’ towns. Few people from outside the

region recognize the high amenity values and beautyof the nation’s ‘North Coast.’ This ‘North Coast’ isrelatively free of threat from rising sea levels,hurricanes and other natural disasters and blessedwith abundant supplies of fresh water. Other partsof the country will be running up against growthlimits as fresh water supplies disappear.

Other recommendations include building a trulymulti-modal high speed transportation networklinking metropolitan areas, furthering the region’sreputation as a true world leader in research anddevelopment of renewable fuels, fixing community’saging wastewater infrastructure before building new,and full funding of the Great Lakes RegionalCollaborations $20 billion plan for restoring theGreat Lakes.

That restoration plan, signed by the Great Lakesgovernors in late 2005 would provide funding to fix

waste water infrastructure, fight invasive species,preserve wetlands, reduce polluted runoff and cleanup polluted harbors. While legislation has beenintroduced in Congress to pass parts of the plan, sofar Congress has failed to take the next step toactually pass the legislation and appropriate money.

While the Great Lakes region faces challenges,including aging workforce, declining industries, andstruggling metropolitan areas, the Great Lakes canserve as the backbone for re-establishing theeconomic vitality of the region. What this means,though, is that it is essential to protect and restorethe lakes now to provide the foundation for therenewal of the Great Lakes regional economy.

To read the complete Brookings Institutionreport go to: http://www.brook.edu/metro/pubs/20061020_renewgreatlakes.htm

Great Lakes restoration a critical pieceof regional economy

Will Hoyer

Last October, approximately 1,100 miles ofnorthern Wisconsin streams and rivers wereadded to the state’s list of Exceptional

Resource Waters (ERW) and Outstanding ResourceWaters (ORW). These designations add an extralevel of protection for these special waters. Riverswith the ERW or ORW designations are among thestate’s best – drawing families to go fishing, paddlingand swimming – and support northern Wisconsin’seconomy by drawing visitors and increasing propertyvalues.

These newly designated waters included parts ofthe Flambeau, Jump, and Chippewa Rivers and theheadwaters of the Wisconsin River. Waters

designated as ERWs or ORWs receive additionalprotection by requiring that the quality of waterdischarged into these streams be at least as good asthe water in the stream. Additionally, while modifi-cations along the shoreline would still be allowed,general or individual permits are required prior towork being done.

Clean Wisconsin was one of over 40 groups fromacross the state, led by Midwest EnvironmentalAdvocates and the River Alliance of Wisconsin, whopetitioned the DNR back in 2004 to add over 100segments to the state’s list. The DNR took this list,analyzed the data they had for those segments,listened to public comments at hearings in severalnorthern towns and decided to recommend 45segments totaling 1,100 miles for listing. The DNR

lacked adequate water quality data to make aninformed decision about the other segments thatwere recommended in the original petition. Withunanimous support from the DNR board and noopposition from legislators these designations tookaffect.

Thanks to the support of people like you and thehard work of DNR staff and our coalition partnersWisconsin has ensured that more northern rivers andstream will remain great places that we can enjoynow and into the future.

For more information and a complete listing ofthe ERW and ORW segments please see:http://dnr.wi.gov/org/water/wm/wqs/orwerw/

Rest assured: More northern rivers will beprotected into the future

We owe it to our children and grandchildren to pass on a world that has clean water, cleanair and clean energy. Let’s face it; protecting our natural resources and the environmentis a long-term battle. Clean Wisconsin is preparing for the future to make sure we have

the resources to reach our long range goals.To do this, Clean Wisconsin has created an “Acorn Fund” at the Madison Community Foundation. With the support of our members we hope to grow this seed

into a full endowment fund. An endowment will provide Clean Wisconsin with a steady source of funding in future years and will help us protect our beautiful statefor generations to come.

We very much appreciate our members’ annual support which is helping us take on today’s environmental challenges. If you are also interested in making a specialcontribution to the Clean Wisconsin Acorn Fund, please contact Paul Houseman of the Madison Community Foundation at (608) 232-1763 extension 226. Ourfuture endowment fund will support our statewide advocacy, and you do not need to be a Madison resident to contribute to this fund.

Protecting Wisconsin’senvironment for futuregenerations

7Clean Wisconsin

Keith Reopelle

The largest sources of the toxic mercuryemissions in Wisconsin that contaminatefish and, in turn threaten our children’s

health, are coal-burning power plants (40%),products that contain mercury (35%), the ERCOchlorine plant in Port Edwards (20%), and othersources (5%).

Clean Wisconsin continues to work diligently onreducing mercury pollution from these sources.(Please refer to the cover article from the summer2006 issue of The Defender titled, “Within past twoyears Wisconsin goes from mercury leader tolaggard”.) Most recently, Clean Wisconsin workedhard to obtain Governor Doyle’s directive to theWisconsin Department of Natural Resources (DNR)to develop a rule achieving a 90% reduction ofmercury emissions from coal-fired power plants assoon as possible, and calling for a ban on productscontaining mercury.

The vast majority (78%) of mercury used inproducts domestically is consumed in the productionof switches and relays, measuring devices such asthermometers and barometers, and thermostats (aparticularly important switch application).Fortunately, there is functionally-equivalent or betternon-mercury alternatives for nearly all of theseproducts, as documented by a number of recent

studies and European initiatives. Consequently, somestates have already passed legislation prohibiting newsales of these products with mercury.

Mercury thermostats, switches/relays, and othermercury measuring devices, are subject to existing orpending sales restrictions in Connecticut, Maine,and Rhode Island. A recent Illinois law similarlyprohibits these sales but exempts thermostats, whileCalifornia and Oregon enacted laws prohibitingmercury thermostat sales only. Wisconsin was oneof the first states in the country to regulate mercuryemissions from power plants, and has voluntarycollection programs for mercury in auto switchesand thermostats, but has made no attempt to limitnew mercury products from circulating and enteringthe waste stream, as many other states have, byrestricting sales.

Clean Wisconsin is working with recyclers, waste

haulers, leading corporations and legislators todevelop policies to phase out the use of mercury inproducts where cost-effective alternatives are readilyavailable. This spring we will work with policy-makers to write, introduce and move legislationthrough the process to become law. This will be agreat opportunity for other organizations andindividuals to get involved in establishing a law thatwill help protect our resources and our children’shealth. If you belong to, or are familiar with anorganization or corporation of health professionals,health care providers, children’s advocates, sportfishers, or other related human welfare organizationsthat you think might support reducing mercury inWisconsin’s environment, please contact KeithReopelle at Clean Wisconsin at (608) 251-7020,extension 11.

Will Hoyer

The last months of 2006 were busy ones forpeople working to protect Wisconsin’sgroundwater. The DNR held five public

hearings across the state in December to get inputon administrative rules to implement the 2004Groundwater Protection Act. Additionally, theGroundwater Advisory Committee formed as aresult of the same Act released a report to theWisconsin Legislature that includes recommen-dations for managing regions of the state that havebeen designated “Groundwater Management Areas(GMAs).”

The administrative rules (NR 820) wouldimplement the 2004 Act, which was generally agood first step toward better protecting andmanaging Wisconsin’s groundwater. Unfortunatelythe proposed rules leave several gaps that need to beaddressed. For instance the rules do not require theDNR to perform an environmental review ofproposed high capacity wells near Wisconsin’s

highest quality waters if they determine there wouldnot be a significant environmental impact. Thisbegs the question of how the agency would know ifthere would be an impact unless they actuallyperform a review. Furthermore the rules allow highcapacity wells to pump volumes of water up to 10%of the volume of the stream affected but do notanswer the question of what happens if multiplewells are proposed along a stream. Under these rulesit would not take too many wells in a watershed tosignificantly impact the flow and ecology of astream.

The Groundwater Advisory Committee’s reportlists many recommendations for GMAs. Many ofthose recommendations focus on coordinated andadaptive management of groundwater within thedesignated areas. While the Committee consideredadding three regions of the state to the Milwaukeeand Green Bay areas already designated, theystopped short. Instead the area around the LittlePlover River near Stevens Point and the DaneCounty area were recommended to be

“Groundwater Attention Areas.” This means thatwithout planning now these two areas may be facingmore serious water impacts in the future.

Because water knows no political boundaries,management of water - whether surface or ground -requires coordination and cooperation amongvarious local governments. Also, because conditionschange over time a system that is built uponadaptation is critical to successful watermanagement. Another key piece of the recommen-dations is for an increase in monitoring of waterwithdrawals and ground and surface water levels.Without this information the success or failure ofthe management plans required of the GMAs.

This spring the Legislature will have to approveNR 820 and will decide whether or not to act on theGroundwater Advisory Committee’s recommen-dations. For more information and updates pleasesee our website at www.cleanwisconsin.org orcontact Will Hoyer at (608) 251-7020, extension 20.

Protecting a precious Wisconsin resource:groundwater

Getting mercury out of products – pickingthe low hanging fruit

Product Air Water Land TotalDental 420 10 1110 1540Thermostats 250 0 810 1050Relays & Switches 700 10 1200 1910Measurement Devices 450 10 1060 1520

Estimated Annual Mercury Releases (in pounds) from Common Products toWisconsin’s Environment in Year 2000

8 The Defender,Winter 2007,Vol. 37, No. 1

the power plant pollutants, because it is so small that it

escapes the body's natural defenses against breathing in

airborne chemicals. The fine particles released when burning

coal get lodged deep in the lungs, causing inflammation and

reducing the breathing capacity of both humans and other

creatures. In populations that are especially vulnerable, such as

children with asthma and older people with chronic

respiratory diseases like emphysema, living near a coal-burning

plant can result in more visits to the emergency room, more

missed work and school days, and more medical expenses.

As a result of this settlement, WPS has agreed to shut

down its two oldest boilers, which will reduce air pollution in

Green Bay by thousands of tons per year. Global warming

pollution will be cut by almost 400,000 tons of carbon

dioxide per year, just by closing those two small, dirty units.

The utility has also agreed to spend half a million dollars on

energy efficiency projects in Brown County, aimed at reducing

the amount of power needed, further reducing air pollution

there. Clean Wisconsin members and board of directors played

crucial roles in helping the staff to earn this victory. Help came

in the form of attending and speaking at press conferences,

providing valuable quotes for press releases and being available for press calls, writing letters to editors, and contributing much-needed funds to fight this fight.

Clean Wisconsin gives heartfelt thanks for all your support.

The air pollution reductions achieved in Green Bay are just the beginning. Look for Clean Wisconsin’s new report, “Wisconsin’s Dirty Dozen” that examines the

oldest and dirtiest coal plants operating in our state, the high levels of pollution they generate, and what needs to be done to clean them up.

Elizabeth Wheeler

Due to recent concern over continued poorair quality, U.S. EPA has required 28states, including Wisconsin, to revise their

pollution control standards. In particular, there hasbeen increasing concern over ground-level ozone, apollutant that poses serious threats to the health ofchildren and the elderly that are exposed to it. TheClean Air Interstate Rule (CAIR) imposesmandatory pollution caps on the pollutants thatcontribute to the formation of ground-level ozone.CAIR targets the biggest and worst air pollutionsources in the state – coal fired power-plants.

Ten counties in Wisconsin do not meet U.S. EPAair quality standards for ground-level ozone. Theyare: Door, Kewaunee, Manitowoc, Sheboygan,Ozaukee, Washington, Milwaukee, Waukesha,Racine, and Kenosha counties.

Wisconsin has chosen to participate in aninterstate cap and trade program for these pollutants.The U.S. EPA has set a “cap” on the amount ofpollution for each state subject to CAIR. Each powerplant will receive a certain number of “credits” theycan either use to offset their own pollution or “trade”them to other power plants for cash.

The DNR is currently in the process ofdeveloping the rules for this program. These ruleswill have a real impact on air quality in Wisconsin.By structuring the cap and trade program to favornew, cleaner sources as well as renewable energy andenergy efficiency programs, Wisconsin could see adramatic improvement in air quality. Additionally,by structuring Wisconsin’s program to be renewableenergy friendly, there could be real incentives forexpansion of the renewable energy industry inWisconsin which would bring more jobs and clean,

reliable energy resources to our state. Clean Wisconsin attended the most recent

rulemaking hearing in Milwaukee concerning thestructure of the cap and trade program andcommented to ensure that the program will in factreduce pollution levels and promote energyefficiency and renewable energy programs in thestate. The draft rules will be proposed to the NaturalResources Board in January and should be finalizedin spring 2007.

For more information on Clean Wisconsin’scomments, contact Elizabeth Wheeler atewheeler@cleanwisconsin.org or (608) 251-7020. Ifyou want to read the draft rules, go to: http://dnr.wi.gov/org/aw/air/hot/8hrozonestd/cairbart/.

Clean air victory for Wisconsincontinued from front page

The Clean Air Interstate Rule (CAIR) andwhy it matters to Wisconsin

By structuring the capand trade program tofavor new, cleanersources as well asrenewable energy andenergy efficiencyprograms,Wisconsincould see a dramaticimprovement in airquality.

Clean Wisconsin member Curt Anderson, speakingat a press conference in Green Bay about thedangers of pollution coming from the Pulliampower plant.

In the shadow of the Pulliam coal-fired powerplant, Clean Wisconsin board member and formerGreen Bay Packer Jim Carter spoke to the mediaabout WPS’s plant pumping illegal amounts ofpollution into the air, increasing the risk of asthmafor kids and for athletes who exercise outside.

Written by Clean Wisconsin member ReverendDave Steffenson

Faith communities around Wisconsin arewarming up to make the planet cool down!All sorts of religious folks and congregations

are getting active on many environmental issues --especially the urgent threat of global warming andthe coming water crisis, and most denominationshave eco-justice offices, staff, and programs at thenational level.

All major religious traditions have been active,but a new development is that suddenly manyevangelical and conservative Christians have gotteninvolved after they have traditionally avoidedenvironmental concerns in the past. Their youngermembers are pushing them on issues related toglobal warming, poverty, and the AIDS crisis.

Why the interest? All the major faiths have a lotto say about environmental stewardship and care forcreation as a primary obligation for people of faith.The scriptures of the three major Western traditions– Christianity, Judaism, and Islam – call for theirfollowers to make creation care central in theirstewardship. Buddhists express deep concerns for theenvironment. Also, people who profess no particularfaith are aware that the global ecosystem and its life-giving natural services are a free gift that brings withit an obligation to keep and care for the planet andits species, including people.

Further, religious groups have been the mostactive segment in society dealing with eco-justiceissues because environmental degradation hits the

poor, weak, children, and voiceless futuregenerations the fiercest.

In addition, most religions teach that theirfollowers are to define the “good life” in morehumane and sustainable ways, standing against theinsane consumerism and greed that is drivingenvironmental destruction today; and they oftensupport life-enhancing alternative and sustainablelifestyles.

In Wisconsin, the Wisconsin Council ofChurches, the Interfaith Conference of GreaterMilwaukee, and a new faith coalition of churches inRacine, are also active, adding staff, and makingstatements around environmental issues.

A good way to get an overview of the religiousferment and faith-resources available from thegeneral religious community, is to check out websites:

• Ecumenical environmental resources:www.webofcreation.org.

• Evangelical Environmental Network:www.creationcare.org.

• Interfaith Climate Change Campaign(national): www.protectingcreation.org.

• Jewish: www.coejl.org. • National Religious Partnership for the

Environment: www.nrpe.org. • Protestant and Orthodox, National Council of

Churches: www.nccecojustice.org.• Roman Catholic:

http://www.nccbuscc.org/sdwp/international/globalclimate.htm. • Wisconsin WICEC: www.wicec.org.

The views I’ve expressed here represent only myself,and are not necessarily the views of Clean Wisconsin,religious organization or any other group. ReverendDave Steffenson can be reached at dsteffe@charter.net.

Ryan Schryver

Al Gore’s recent movie, AnInconvenient Truth, helpedthrust global warming into the

national spotlight and open a nationaldialogue about the consequences of ouraddiction to dirty fossil fuels. Afterseveral decades of giving presentationson the evidence of global warming,Gore recently announced his intentionto train hundreds of volunteers to helpspread the message about the dangers ofglobal warming. When the opportunitypresented itself to attend one of thesetraining seminars in Nashville,Tennessee, I jumped at the chance.

For three days the former vicepresident and a staff of leading scientistswalked us through the detailed sciencebehind global warming and chronicledthe potentially serious changes our climate could undertake if we fail to act soon.The internationally renowned scientific staff was also joined by some of the

nation’s leading communications experts who helped usrefine our presentations to reach as broad of an audienceas possible.

After spending countless hours studying the impacts ofglobal warming, including on our lives here in Wisconsin,I’m ready to take the show on the road. I have pledged togive over 30 presentations to raise awareness about globalwarming over the next year, but I need your help. Iwould love to come speak to your local church,community organization, business, family gathering,neighborhood association, political group, sewing circle,card club, bowling league, etc. Often, people need to beshown the evidence before they are willing to accept thetruth and seek solutions.

We have a message to spread! Global warming isalready dramatically altering the world as we know it, andwe need to act now to ensure the environment isprotected for future generations. If you would be willing to help host a presentation of

any size, please contact Ryan Schryver at (608) 252-7020extension 25, rschryver@cleanwisconsin.org, or send him a

letter at 122 State St. Suite 200 Madison, WI 53703.

9Clean Wisconsin

My pal Al

God and the greenhouse

Photo Credit: Clipart.com

Clean Wisconsin’s Grassroot Organizer Ryan Schryver and former Vice President Al Gore.

10 The Defender,Winter 2007,Vol. 37, No. 1

Keith Reopelle

Last spring Governor Doyle signed Act 141into law doubling the state’s investment inenergy efficiency programs that will reduce

electric and heating bills, reduce the need for newpower plants and transmission lines and, in turn,reduce power plant emissions of soot, smog, mercuryand global warming pollution. I served on theGovernor’s Task Force on Renewables and EnergyEfficiency that developed the policies in that bill, butone of the best policies to increase energy efficiencythat I pushed on that committee wasn’t included inthat bill: the adoption of minimum efficiencystandards for appliances and machinery used inhomes and businesses. Clean Wisconsin is currentlyworking with members of that committee, legislatorsand industry groups that had concerns with theefficiency standards to make sure they are adopted inthe 2007-08 legislative session.

The problem

Most appliances have minimum efficiencystandards set by the Federal Department of Energy toprevent the most egregious waste of electricity and

heating fuel. Still, there is much waste and muchgreater savings available through more efficienttechnologies. The American Council for an EnergyEfficient Economy (ACEEE) and the ApplianceStandards Awareness Project (ASAP) have developeda list of appliances and other products that have nominimum efficiency standards, even though a wideselection of models that attain much higher levels ofefficiency are readily available.

Since 2004, ten states (Arizona, California,Connecticut, Massachusetts, Maryland, New Jersey,New York, Oregon, Rhode Island, and Washington)have established new energy savings standardscovering between five and thirty products. “Advancesin technology keep yielding opportunities to cutenergy waste,” said Steve Nadel, Executive Directorof ACEEE. “Standards that improve the energyefficiency of common consumer products andcommercial equipment are a cornerstone of a sensibleenergy policy, for a state or for the nation.”

The solution

We’ll be writing, refining and promoting aWisconsin policy with minimum standards for atleast 15 products including residential furnaces,

DVD players and recorders, commercial boilers,residential pool pumps and light fixtures. IfWisconsin adopts the minimum standards for theseproducts in 2007, by 2020 home owners andbusinesses will see savings on their energy bills worthapproximately $135 million. We will also reduceacid rain pollution by more than 4,000 metric tonsand reduce global warming pollution by 300,000metric tons.

“The states are leading the way when it comes toenergy-savings standards,” said Andrew deLaski,Executive Director of ASAP. “With consumers andbusinesses getting hammered by high energy pricesand persistent worries about our nation’s addiction toimported energy, state policymakers are looking toenergy efficiency. It’s the cheapest, fastest and safestway to meet our energy needs.”

A state such as Wisconsin that has no fossil fuelresources in the ground should be leading the way inadopting these efficiency standards. We spend over$10 billion a year importing fossil fuels, so until weadopt these standards we are literally throwing moneyout the window and out of the state.

Appliance efficiency standards: lower bills,less pollution

Keith Reopelle

For the past year Ihave served on theGovernor’s Task

Force on Waste MaterialsRecovery and Disposal.The Task Force wascreated when GovernorDoyle signed an Executive

Order on June 14, 2005. The mission of the TaskForce defined in that order was to:

“Study and make recommendations regarding…the full environmental costs and benefits (oflandfilling and recycling solid waste), and the extentto which those costs and benefits are reflected in theprices of landfilling and recycling...and ways thatWisconsin can minimize the generation of solidwaste materials, including incentives for wastematerials reduction and reuse…and the overallmanagement of toxic and nontoxic solid waste…”

There are 19 members of the task force includingwaste haulers and landfill operators such as WasteManagement Inc. and Onyx, recycling associations,municipalities including the cities of Milwaukee, La

Crosse and Dane County, large corporationsincluding a paper mill and S.C. Johnson, andenvironmental groups including Clean Wisconsin.

The Task Force was convened in the fall of 2005and met monthly for over a year studying solidwaste challenges in the state and various policysolutions. This past December the Task Forcefinished its report which contains more than 50policy recommendations and delivered it toGovernor Doyle and the Legislature. Some of themajor recommendations include:

1. Reorganizing the state’s recycling grantsprogram to make it more efficient and tocreate incentives for recycling more materials.

2. Banning several materials from landfillsincluding steel and mixed waste paper.

3. To the extent possible phase out the use oftoxic materials in electronics and otherproducts including mercury, lead, cadmium,hexavalent chromium, PCBs and others.

4. Stronger standards for the disposal ofconstruction and demolition waste.

5. A producer responsibility standard requiringmanufactures of electronic waste (computers,

cell phones, televisions, etc.) to recycle all oftheir products.

6. Changes to the landfill siting laws to allow formore meaningful public participation.

7. A beverage container deposit program (bottlebill).

8. An increase in state funding for the existingrecycling program and other programsestablished as a result of these recommen-dations.

9. Citation authority for the DNR to deter openburning of trash that release toxic emissionsand start forest fires.

Most of these recommendations will requirelegislation to be enacted, whereas some can beaccomplished through rules written by the DNR orother agencies. Clean Wisconsin will continue towork with other Task Force members, the Governorand the Legislature to establish laws that willimplement as many of the recommendations aspossible. You can view the entire report at theGovernor’s website.

Task Force is assigned garbage duty

Member Profile: John HamiltonBridget Barry

When John Hamilton recalls why he joined Clean Wisconsin, theanswer is pretty simple: he was asked. Upon receiving a request tojoin, John obliged because of his concern for the overuse of resources

that we are experiencing. “The present system is an infinite growth system on afinite planet”, John says.

Thinking back on time spent with the environment, John remembers a veryspecial camping trip taken out west in 1997. “As I descended to the entrance toYellowstone National Park, a tape I was playing had some Native American chanton it. I was in tears, not of sadness, but of connection with the Earth.”

Thank you so much for sharing your experiences with us John! We arededicated to all working together to preserve the beauty and value of Wisconsin!

11Clean Wisconsin

Transit NOW receives ‘10 ofthe Best’ award

Laurie Maloney

Southeastern Wisconsin Coalition for TransitNOW recently received 1000 Friends of Wisconsin’s“10 of the Best” 2006 award as Modern TransitLeader for, “Galvanizing support for modern transitinvestments to provide economic, community andenvironmental benefits in southeastern Wisconsin”.Transit NOW networks with hundreds ofcompanies, community based organizations andindividuals to educate the community ontransportation-related issues in southeasternWisconsin.

Transit NOW is excited about the proposedKenosha-Racine-Milwaukee Commuter Rail line(KRM Line) Environmental Impact Study (EIS).“The next few months are a critical time in planningfor the future of commuter rail in southeasternWisconsin” according to Rosemary Potter, TransitNOW’s executive director. Part of the EIS mustinclude community approved Transit OrientedDevelopment Plans from the towns, cities, andcounties for each of the 8 proposed stops along 33miles of existing tracks. The EIS is essential toacquiring federal funding to implement commuterrail.

Some of the benefits anticipated if the KRM Lineis implemented are: to provide relief to congestedfreeways, revitalize cities, build property values andtax base, attract jobs & talent, develop theMilwaukee-Racine-Chicago economic corridor,protect our environment, and regional access to jobs,education and culture. It’s anticipated that publichearings will be held in January or February 2007 inall three main cities (Kenosha, Racine andMilwaukee) to gather public input. “If everythingstays on track, it can be up and running by 2011”,says Potter. For more information contact TransitNOW at: (262) 246-6151 or online atwww.transitnow.org.

Those who DARE to restoretrout streams

Will Hoyer

While spring trout fishing may still be a fewmonths away coldwater trout streams in southwestWisconsin are likely to be healthier in 2007 and intothe future if Trout Unlimited’s Driftless AreaRestoration Effort (DARE) is successful.

The DARE, Trout Unlimited’s (TU) mostextensive restoration project, was launched in 2006in an effort to both increase the quality and quantityof on-the-ground stream restoration projects in thebeautiful valleys of southwest Wisconsin, northeastIowa, northwest Illinois and southeast Minnesota.The trout streams and fish populations of the areawere damaged by poor farming practices anddeforestation in the past that dumped massiveamounts of sediment into the streams.

While many area streams have improved, soilcoming off of fields of row crops and newdevelopment continue to threaten the health ofWisconsin’s coldwater resources. Improved farmpractices, switches to perennial crops, targeted

construction of riparian buffers, enforcement ofconstruction site stormwater regulations andstreambank restoration efforts are all critical pieces torestoring Wisconsin’s coldwater trout streams.

The DARE aims to inventory the area’s streams,build alliances with area watershed groups, educatefarmers and other watershed users, teach residentsand fishers stream restoration techniques and bringincreased money and attention to the region.

West Bend Airport: anexpansion run amuck

Will Hoyer

A proposed expansion of the West Bend Airportwould require the largest filling of Wisconsinwetlands since the passage of the Clean Water Act.Over 60 acres of wetlands designated by federal,state and regional governments as high qualitywetlands would be filled, and over 80 acres of treesin forested wetlands would have to be cut.

Wetlands provide critical ecological functionssuch as flood control and water purification as wellas important wildlife and fish habitat. Filling anddestroying these wetlands and replacing them withimpervious concrete surfaces would increase thequantity and decrease the quality of runoff to the

Milwaukee River. It could also lead to additionalfilling in the future as new development will likelyfollow the airport expansion.

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) hadwanted to go ahead without doing any significantenvironmental review of the new airport butWisconsin Wetlands Association was able toconvince authorities that a thorough EnvironmentalImpact Statement (EIS) was necessary for a projectof this scope. An initial “scoping” phase of the EISprocess occurred this fall with a public hearing andcomment period.

In preparing a full EIS the FAA must considerwhether there is an actual need for the airport, whatreasonable alternatives exist (including the option tonot build), and the impacts to the wetlands, animals,and water quality. After that analysis is complete theFAA will publish a draft version of their EIS and thepublic will have the opportunity to comment priorto the final draft and the FAA’s final decision. TheFAA anticipates the draft EIS will be published inAugust 2007.

Over 60% of historic wetlands in the Great Lakesbasin have been lost to development. Destroyingmore vital wetlands for a questionable airportexpansion when other alternatives exist is not a goodeconomic or environmental decision for West Bend,southeastern Wisconsin or the state as a whole.

Eco-news from around the state

12 The Defender,Winter 2007,Vol. 37, No. 1

Joyce Harms

Clean Wisconsin recently added twoWisconsin leaders to its board ofdirectors. Kate Gordon of Madison and

Bill King of Cable will expand the current tenperson board that oversees the program, finance,strategic planning and development of CleanWisconsin.

“We are thrilled that Kate and Bill have joinedour board. Their accomplishments in theirrespective professions combined with a greatconcern for Wisconsin’s environment and strongleadership experience will help guide us throughimportant challenges ahead,” stated ExecutiveDirector Mark Redsten.

As a resident of Wisconsin for 32 years, BillKing first moved to Rhinelander from the suburbsof Chicago when he was attracted by the beauty ofthe Wisconsin landscape and its fresh air and cleanwater. King later moved to the La Crosse areawhere he and his partner owned and operated thehistoric Trempeleau Hotel, receiving the firstannual Governor’s Waste Reduction and Recycling

Award in 1993. King sold his resort, earned hisbroker’s license and opened King Realty in 2002where he supports responsible land managementpractices that preserve the beauty and add value toWisconsin’s north woods. King also serves on theCable Natural History Museum board of directorswhere he has been active since 2000.

Kate Gordon spent her formative years inMadison where she developed a deep appreciationfor Wisconsin’s lake and river culture. Afterserving as a litigator in California for several yearsworking on employment and civil rights, Gordonreturned to Wisconsin as the senior policyresearcher for COWS (Center on WisconsinStrategy) where she focuses on energy policy, ruraleconomic development, and renewable energytechnology manufacturing. At COWS, Gordon isalso runs the policy center for the Apollo Alliance,a national organization dedicated to creating jobsthrough developing clean energy technology.Gordon also serves on the boards of the MidwestAgricultural Energy Network and EmergeWisconsin, an organization dedicated to gettingwomen elected to office.

We would like to thank all of our volunteersand our board members who helped us inour fundraising efforts over the last year.

They have helped us keep the lights on and gain theresources necessary to continue our work protectingclean water and clean air.

We would especially like to acknowledge thefollowing board fundraising teams who surpassed theirgoals for the year:

• Jim Carter and Will Fantle • Susan Greenfield and Mark Gill• Pam McGillivray and Gof ThomsonSpecial mention should be given to Jim Carter and

Susan Greenfield whose tireless efforts have helpedmake our fundraising and membership outreach asuccess in 2006.

Clean Wisconsin elects two newboard members

Clean Wisconsinthanks its boardof directors!

Start with the basics: a letter to the editor

Everyone, from the localnewspaper reporter tothe governor of the state,

wants to know what you thinkon the issues. A letter to theeditor is a great advocacy toolbecause it can spark local orregional discussion and action.Well-organized letters are morelikely to get published. Thefollowing are tips for writing asuccessful letter to the editor,along with the e-mail addressesof some of Wisconsin’s dailynewspapers.

Be timely, focused andconcise.Most Wisconsin newspapers

limit letters to 200 words or less, and a short, pointed letter is more likely to beprinted and read. Editors will want letters discussing recent news or events.

Include specific references and facts. Let the editor know what article ormatter you are referring to. Examples:

• I am impressed with the governor’s choice to support the Great LakesCompact.

• I disagree with Jack Smack’s article, “Cold Winter Rebuts Global WarmingClaims.”

• This newspaper’s lack of coverage of vitally important water access issues isfrustrating.

Be logically organized and compelling.• Write about your unique perspective, supporting it with facts and also using

aspects of the issue that haven’t been addressed yet.• Localize the issue, articulating how the reader is affected.• Try to be witty or humorous, staying within the bounds of good taste.

Type and sign your letter, including your contact information. Editorswill want to verify that you actually wrote the letter.

Be choosy about where you send your letter. Small newspapers have lesscompetition for letters and are more likely to print one; bigger newspapers aremore competitive for printing letters, but get more readership.

If at first you don’t succeed…remember a Napolean quote, “Victorybelongs to the most persevering.” Newspapers don’t always have room forall letters. If they don’t accept yours, ask a friend to submit it, try again, or try adifferent newspaper.

Below are some of Wisconsin’s daily papers and e-mail addresses tosubmit letters to:

• Appleton Post-Crescent: pcnews@postcrescent.com• Ashland Daily Press: ashpress@win.bright.net • Capital Times: dzweifel@madison.com• Eau Claire Leader-Telegram: leadertelegram@ecol.net• Fond du Lac Reporter: mail@thereporter.net • Green Bay Press-Gazette: pgnews3@netnet.net• Kenosha News: cswanson@kenoshanews.com • La Crosse Tribune: letters@lacrossetribune.com• Manitowoc Herald Times: htimes@lsol.net• Marinette Eagle Star: eagleclss@cybrzn.com• Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: jsedit@onwis.com• Superior Daily Telegram: telegram@superior-wi.com• Shawano Evening Leader: ktempus@shawanoleader.com• Wisconsin State Journal: wsjopine@statejournal.madison.com

For more tips on writing a letter to the editor, and an example, go to thepublications section of Clean Wisconsin’s website:www.cleanwisconsin.org/publications/letter_to_editor_howto.html.

Photo Credit: Clipart.com

13Clean Wisconsin

100 new faces visit Clean Wisconsin tolearn about what we doBrian Kelly

On October 12th Clean Wisconsin was the host of a Downtown Madison Inc."New Faces, New Places" event. Over 100 area business leaders came to ouroffice to learn more about Clean Wisconsin’s work to protect clean water and

air, and our work to build a clean energy future that will help our economy, and keepmoney and jobs here in Wisconsin.

Opening remarks were made by Clean Wisconsin’s founder, Doug LaFollette, whointroduced our executive director, Mark Redsten. Business leaders who attendedlearned more about our work and at the same time were engaged in discussions abouthow businesses can do their part to help protect our environment. From eco-officemanagement that governs purchasing of things like recycled paper and Energy Starappliances, to more advanced green building techniques that help create cleaner air andmore energy efficient buildings; businesses can do a lot to help protect ourenvironment and make a better work environment for their employees.

Clean Wisconsin is also looking for businesses that are willing to join with us incampaigns to help create better laws that will protect our air and water, and keepWisconsin such a wonderful place to live and work. We want to thank DMI for co-hosting this event at Clean Wisconsin, and also thank everyone who attended.

Clean Wisconsin also wants to extend a hearty thanks to Capitol Brewery for amplesupplies of their tasty beer; Edible Arrangements for the delicious fruit bouquets; Frida’srestaurant for their signature chips and salsa; and Restaurant Magnus for the savoryappetizer platter. These tasty treats helped make this event a success.

DMI board member Fred Mohs (left) chats with Mark Redsten,Clean Wisconsin’s executive director.

14 The Defender,Winter 2007,Vol. 37, No. 1

Bridget Barry

Fun Facts About Snow!- At one point in time, practically every place in the United States has seen

snow. Sometimes even the most southern points of Florida experience a coupleof snow flurries!

- It is often said that no two snowflakes are the same. This is a true fact! It isthe temperature at which the snowflake forms and the humidity that determinesthe shape. Any slight change in the temperature or conditions can change theentire outcome of the snowflake!

- Snowflakes are the combination of many little snow crystals, although mostsnowflakes are smaller than one half of an inch. That is smaller than an averagepinkie fingernail!

- Snow is white because of a reflection off of the complex structures of eachlittle snowflake. Visible sunlight is white and is then reflected to our eyes as thesnowflakes being white.

- On average, Wisconsin sees about 45 inches of snowfall a year, whereasValdez, Alaska receives an average of 326 inches. That’s about 27 feet of snoweach year!

Dog Sledding

A common winter activity in areas of deep snow is dog sledding. It involves agroup of around six to ten dogs pulling a sled with a “musher” and cargo. Themusher is the person that controls the dogs and stands in the sled as the dogsrun. Dog sleds are very good for practical use, such as carrying supplies and foodvery long distances. When Roald Amundsen traveled to the South Pole, he useddog sleds. Dog sledding is also a very celebrated sporting event: It was evenincluded in the 1932 Winter Olympics. Could you imagine your dog being inthe Olympics? I bet you could if catching a bone was an event, but to be a sleddog, your dog would have to be a very specific breed.

Sled DogsThe most common dogs recognized for dog sledding are Huskies. There

are many different kinds of Huskies, such as the Alaskan Husky and the ArcticHusky. Technically, Alaskan Huskies are only considered a category of dogsdefined by the work they do as sled dogs, rather than the typical breed beingidentified by the purebred ancestry of the dogs. Endurance and speed are thetwo qualities expected by sled dogs: They travel anywhere from five to 80 milesin one day, at speeds of nearly 20 miles per hour!

IditarodThe Iditarod is an annual

trail dog sled race in Alaska. Itis 1,100 miles long and usuallytakes them about eight to 15days to run. That is longer thanthe distance from Madison,Wisconsin to Boston,Massachusetts! The Iditarodstarted in 1973 and today is saidto be the most popular sportingevent in Alaska. The record forthe quickest time is 8 days, 22hours, 46 minutes and 2seconds, held by Martin Buser.This race commemorates thejourney performed by the mostfamous sled dog ever, Balto.

BaltoBalto was a sled dog that transported a diphtheria serum from Anchorage,

Alaska to Nome, Alaska in 1925. Diphtheria is a very contagious disease, butBalto stopped the outbreak by retrieving the only serum from nearly a thousandmiles away. His very courageous plight is honored by the Iditarod each year.

Fun Winter Activities There are an infinite amount of fun winter activities that you can do in the

snow! Aside from making snowmen, sledding, snowball fighting, skiing orsnowboarding, here are some neat craft ideas you can do on days too cold to playoutside!

http://www.mb.ec.gc.ca/air/wintersevere/activities.en.htmlhttp://www.apples4theteacher.com/holidays/winter/kids-crafts/index.htmlhttp://www.dltk-holidays.com/winter/crafts.html

Sources: http://nsidc.org/snow/ http://www.its.caltech.edu/~atomic/snowcrystals/faqs/faqs.htmhttp://www.noaa.gov/ http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iditarod_%28race%29http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dog_sledhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Balto

(From http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dog_sled)

(From http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alaskan_husky)

(From http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iditarod_%28race%29)