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Summer 2015

Also in this issue Waukesha Action | Scenes from Cento & Sail Loft

Environmental protections take a hit2015 BUDGET BILL RECAP

continued on page 5

On July 12, Governor Walker signed the bienni-al budget bill into law. The budget bill is the most comprehensive and sweeping bill passed during every legislative session, and it impacts every facet of state government. It is the only bill that must be signed into law every session.

This budget’s impact on natural resources issues is vast. Clean Wisconsin monitored and evaluat-ed all environmental policies in the budget, work-ing with environmental partner groups, members and legislators to make changes or offer support on certain items. We were able to help mitigate several of the most egregious cuts that were first proposed in this budget process, and had some victories. For instance, partially restoring impor-tant natural resource programs like Stewardship and county conservation staff were significant victories forged by deep partnerships and invest-ments by many environmental and conservation groups. While there were many other issues we

By Amber Meyer Smith, Director of Programs & Government Relations

continued on page 3

DIGGING DEEPER

Topnotch researchers, Clean Wisconsin continue work to uncover source of SE Wisconsin’s drinking water contamination

By Paul Mathewson, Tyson Cook &

Amanda Wegner

For too long, families and children in Southeastern Wisconsin have been unable to safely drink the water that runs from their faucets. In May, we started a new proj-ect looking deeper into the problem. In this next step to the work we started in 2014, we are teaming up with leading research-ers from Duke University and Ohio State University to collect more detailed informa-tion about the groundwater in the area. We hope that this project will give us a better understanding of what’s making the water undrinkable.

WHERE WE LEFT OFFIn our November 2014 report, Don’t

Drink the Water, we showed the extent of unsafe levels of molybdenum in the area’s groundwater. In reviewing test results from nearly 1,000 private drinking wells in four counties, we found that half had molybde-num levels exceeding the DNR’s groundwa-ter enforcement standard, and one in five wells exceeded the state’s current interim health advisory limit.

Excess molybdenum has been shown to cause reproductive and developmental problems in animals. At high levels, it may cause a gout-like disease in people. And re-cent research indicates that even lower levels of exposure may impact child deveopment and men’s reproductive health by reducing testosterone levels and sperm quality.

The molybdenum levels we found in Southeastern Wisconsin groundwater were much higher than what other stud-ies throughout North America have found, causing schools and homeowners in the area to install expensive filtration devices or to rely on bottled water. Our report brought

2 Summer 2015

&

President & CEO Mark Redsten

Development Director Angela Cao

Director of Science & Research Tyson Cook

Chief Financial Officer Nick Curran, CPA

Organizing Hub Co-Director Melissa Gavin

Membership & Development Coordinator Jake Immel

Water Quality Specialist Scott Laeser

Science & Policy Associate Matt Landi

Staff Scientist Paul Mathewson

Director, Programs & Gov’t Relations Amber Meyer Smith

Water Resources Specialist Ezra Meyer

General Counsel Katie Nekola

Staff Attorney & Climate Resilience Project Manager

Pam Ritger

Senior Policy Director Keith Reopelle

Grant & Foundations Manager Ella Schwierske

Midwest Clean Energy Coordinator Sarah Shanahan

Operations & HR Manager David Vitse

Communications & Marketing Director Amanda Wegner

Senior Staff Attorney Elizabeth Wheeler

Chair Carl Sinderbrand, MiddletonVice Chair Chuck McGinnis, MiddletonTreasurer Gof Thomson, New Glarus Secretary Shari Eggleson, Washburn Belle Bergner, Milwaukee Elizabeth Feder, Madison Scott Froehlke, MontelloGary Goyke, MadisonMargi Kindig, MadisonKaren Knetter, MadisonMallory Palmer, MadisonGlenn Reinl, MadisonArun Soni, MadisonBruce Wunnicke, Richland CenterBoard Emeritus Kate Gordon, San Francisco

The Defender is owned and published quarterly by Clean Wisconsin, 634 W. Main St., #300, Madison, WI 53703, 608-251-7020. A one-year subscription membership is $35. Please direct correspondence to the address above. Volume 45, No. 3 Issue date: July 2015©2015 Clean Wisconsin. All rights reserved. ISSN # 1549-8107

Clean Wisconsin protects Wisconsin’s clean water and air and advocates for clean energy by being

an effective voice in the State Capitol and holding elected officals and polluters accountable.

On behalf of its more than 30,000 members, supporters and coalition partners, Clean Wisconsin protects the special places that make Wisconsin a

wonderful place to live, work and play.

634 W. Main St., #300 • Madison WI 53703 Phone: 608-251-7020 www.cleanwisconsin.org

STAFF

BOARD

Printed with soy ink on unbleached, recycled paper.

• Join our Action Network at cleanwisconsin.org• Watch legislative floor sessions, committee hearings

and interviews at wisconsineye.org • Sign up to receive notifications about action on bills

you care about at http://notify.legis.state.wi.us • Learn more about your legislators using the interac-

tive map at http://maps.legis.wisconsin.gov/

Stay informed on what’s

happening in our state

government

News, Notes Events

PHOTO: James Jordan/Flickr

Join us for an evening in Racine!

Meet our staff, learn about our work in southeastern Wisconsin, and enjoy

the sights and sounds of Lake Michigan & Reefpoint Marina!

Drinks & appetizers provided.

Thursday, Aug. 20, 5-7 p.m.Reefpoint Brew House

2 Christopher Columbus Causeway Racine

This event is free and open to the public.

RSVPs appreciated to Jake at jimmel@cleanwisconsin.org or

608-251-7020 x23

Sail intoSummer

with Clean Wisconsin

Thank you!Thanks to the Madison Community Foundation, which recently awarded us a $20,000 grant to support work to enhance our visibility to better showcase our work to our supporters and resi-dents of Wisconsin. Madison Community Foun-dation uses its local knowledge and assets to in-spire giving, support meaningful initiatives and connect people with the common good!

VICT

ORY!

Several months after unanimously passing in the Legislature, Gov. Scott Walker signed Act 43, the microbeads bill, into law on July 1, ushering in new protections to keep microplastics out of Wisconsin’s waters and our Great Lakes. As the seventh state with a microbeads law, and Clean Wis-consin is proud to be part of this important movement. In the photo are Clean Wisconsin’s Amber Meyer Smith (far left) and Tyson Cook (middle back), joined by Republican legislators Rep. Joel Kitchens (third from left) and Rep. Mary Czaja (behind Walker), who worked with others to see this bill through the legislative process.

www.cleanwisconsin.org 3

from the President & CEO

Mark Redsten President & CEO

With Gov. Walker’s recent signing of the 2015-’17 biennial budget bill, it appears Wisconsin’s environment will suffer. The signing of the budget ushered in new policies and budget cuts harmful to our natural resources. But thanks to you and the more than 50,000 individual messages you sent to legislators and decision-makers, we had some successes during the bud-get process. For example, you helped restore $3.5 million for polluted run-off programs and prevent the popu-lar Knowles-Nelson Stewardship Pro-gram from elimination. With significant wins and losses this budget cycle, it’s evident that our work in the Capitol as your environmental voice continues to be challenging. And while Clean Wisconsin will always work for strong policies and laws to protect our air and water, we’re also building our strengths in complementary areas.

In this issue of Defender, you can see this new emphasis play out in our science department’s work in Southeastern Wiscon-sin. As a continuation of our examination of the ongoing drink-ing water problems in the area, we joined forces with topnotch researchers from Duke University and Ohio State University to gather water samples from local residents to determine the potential source of contamination and whether that contami-nation is natural or manmade. We’ll continue to partner with other health researchers to further understand the impacts of this drinking water contamination.

This spring’s groundwater sampling is our first foray into pri-mary research, and we see it as a critical opportunity for Clean Wisconsin to bolster our mission and offer more wins for the environment. As the saying goes, “the truth will set you free,” and with research and sound science on our side, we know we can provide a wise, objective voice on important environmen-tal issues across the state.

We are so appreciative of all you’ve done to help write this new chapter and the trust you’ve given us as your voice for the Wisconsin we all know and love. Clearly the challenges we face mean your support is more important than ever. Thank you for recognizing that Clean Wisconsin advocates for common-sense solutions and has good strategies to get there! To help us continue this important work, we encourage you to share the Clean Wisconsin story in your own circles: the story of our organization’s expertise and success fighting for Wisconsin’s environment, of our perseverance, and of our vision to take on important new, emerging and under-researched issues.

Thank you for all you do,

spent time on, some of the highlights and lowlights include:

» Restores $3.5 million to polluted runoff management ef-forts including funding for nonpoint runoff grants and county land and water conservation staff that serve as the boots on the ground for waterway protection.

» Funds the land-purchasing Stewardship program at $33 million to continue land protection efforts.

» Retains decision-making authority of the Natural Resources Board rather than relegating the Board to advisory.

» Protects the Focus on Energy fund, which helps deliver en-ergy efficiency grants, loans and expertise to homeowners and businesses.

» Restores a proposed cut to parks funding, but makes Wis-consin’s parks system the only one in the nation to be run solely by user fees, with no state commitment, which is an unsustain-able model.

» Requires a duplicative study on the health impacts of wind energy, despite the fact that a study was just completed last fall by the Wind Siting Council. That study was unable to conclude that wind turbines have a direct and negative effect on human health.

» Removes ability of counties to enact shoreland zoning standards that are stronger than the state, removing local control over the protection of lake and river shores.

» Cuts 18.4 DNR Science Services staff and 11 DNR Educa-tor position that conduct research on issues impacting natural resource management and engage citizens and students.

» Eliminates $8 million in state funding per year for UW-Mad-ison’s Bioenergy Initiative, one of only three such research programs in the nation

» Cuts $4 million from recycling program that goes to support curbside recycling pickup and management

» Reduces money available for citizen-based groups like Clean Wisconsin that receive funding to make sure the envi-ronmental and ratepayer voice is heard in utility proceedings before the Public Service Commission.

There is no doubt these cuts will impact the work we do to pro-tect our air and water. But Clean Wisconsin will continue to be your environmental voice: Building our science and research team to make up for the lack of focus at the state level, and continu-ing to build relationships with decision-makers who are willing to stand up and fight for Wisconsin’s environment, and hold those who don’t accountable through our legal team and political arm.

budget from cover

Scenes fromSail intoSummer Sail Loft

MilwaukeeJune 18

4 Summer 2015

I grew up in Wisconsin fishing, hunting, canoeing, camping and building forts in the forest in my backyard outside Kenosha, a block from Lake Michigan and on the border of one of the state’s many beautiful natural areas, Chiwaukee Prairie. So I’ve always loved the outdoors and have known for a long time I wanted a career where I could work in it every day, or at least work on protecting it. Exactly what that work would entail has been a little harder to nail down.

A college research project on stream water quality on my family’s then recently pur-chased farm in Southwestern Wisconsin piqued my interest in water issues early on, but I worked on climate change during graduate school. A job in Washington, D.C. working for Trout Unlimited allowed me to work on both water and climate issues and led to a dif-ferent position working on a variety of legislative issues that included climate change and agricultural and conservation policy. I enjoyed that work, but sometimes got frustrated navigating, and waiting for, the grinding gears of policy and legislation to turn.

As I sorted out my career in other parts of the country, I always made a few annual trips back to Wisconsin to my family’s farm. Since purchasing the farm, we’ve been working to remove invasive species, restore wildlife habitat and improve water quality in the trout stream flowing through the property; there were always projects waiting when I visited.

A desire to get “back to the land” brought me back to Wisconsin in 2013 to start a Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) produce farm, and after some time working for a land trust in Southwestern Wisconsin, I started at Clean Wisconsin in March. It’s been a winding road, but my work at Clean Wisconsin allows me to draw from all my past work experiences to find better ways to clean up our rivers, lakes and streams, places where I’ve found enjoyment since I was a child. I’m excited I’ve landed where I can draw on what I’ve learned from all those early professional experiences in my day-to-day work. I won’t say I’ve got it all figured out yet, but I’ve made some progress.

In June, the DNR released its long-await-ed preliminary decision on Waukesha’s ap-plication for Lake Michigan water under the Great Lakes Compact. Not surprising-ly, the DNR has tentatively OK’d the appli-cation, supporting Waukesha’s contention that it has no other option for dealing with its groundwater quality and quantity issues. But on July 9, Clean Wisconsin, as part of the Compact Implementation Coalition, a broad coalition of stakeholders interested in this precedent-setting issue, released its own Non-Diversion Solution that proves Waukesha does have a better option. Com-pared to Waukesha’s plan, our plan will save Waukesha residents money … without a single drop of Lake Michigan water.

Our alternative is the result of more than a year of work with two independent firms with expertise in water supply engineer-ing, water treatment and hydrogeology. In that time, the firms analyzed Waukesha’s application, its historical and potential fu-ture water use, and the area’s geology and groundwater situation. What the experts found is that the City of Waukesha has an ample, sustainable water supply for its cur-rent service area, even taking into account future growth. The only reason Waukesha is looking to Lake Michigan water at all is to cover its desired future expansion of its service territory to include parts of four surrounding communities. However, those communities have no need, now or in the future, for a different water supply and do not qualify for Great Lakes water under the requirements of the Compact.

By taking Waukesha’s proposed expand-ed service area out of the equation, our experts determined that the City’s cur-rent supply is a viable alternative to Lake Michigan water. In short, Waukesha can

supply its growing population with safe, clean water, now and in the future, by blending deep- and shallow-aquifer water and updating its outdated technology to “best available” technology for removing radium and other contaminants. Our so-lution will save Waukesha residents $150 million compared to the Great Lakes diver-sion, meet public health standards for radi-um and other contaminants, and requires no additional wells, which means there is no environmental impact to surrounding wetlands, surface waters or the deep water aquifer.

Our Non-Diversion Solution is just one piece of the puzzle; we have numerous concerns with Waukesha’s proposed diver-sion, which are detailed at our coalition’s website, www.protectourgreatlakes.org. But the bottom line is that Waukesha does not meet the high standards set in the Great Lakes Compact for approval to divert wa-ter outside of the Great Lakes Basin. As this is the first test of the Compact, it is critically important that the Compact we all fought for is upheld, ensuring that only communities that can truly demonstrate they need Great Lakes water and have no other alternative should qualify to receive Great Lakes water. Waukesha cannot dem-onstrate that it needs the water, and its application should be denied.

The DNR’s draft decision documents are currently out for public comment, and your feedback will help shape their final decision. DNR wants to hear from the public this summer, both through writ-ten comments and at public hearings; find more details in the box at the right. We encourage you to get involved … this is our chance to defend the Compact, Lake Michigan and all our Great Lakes!

AN ALTERNATIVE TO WAUKESHA'S DIVERSION

Our Coalition’s alternative solution will save residents $150M, better protect the environment

Meet Scott LaeserOur new water quality

specialist & resident farmer

ATTEND A PUBLIC HEARINGMonday, Aug. 17

5:30 pm.. Presentation6:30 p.m. Public Hearing

Carroll University Center for Graduate Studies Auditorium, 2140 Davidson Road, Waukesha (Note: Not at main campus)

Tuesday, Aug. 181 p.m. Presentation 2 p.m. Public Hearing

Zilber School of Public Health at UWM, Triplex Rooms 109, 119 and 124, 1240 N. 10th St., Milwaukee

Parking at Interstate Brewery Parking Structure, 1213 N. 9th St

Tuesday, Aug 18 5:30 p.m. Presentation6:30 p.m. Public Hearing

Racine Masonic Center, 1012 Main St

Be heard on this important issue

COMMENT WITH CLEAN WISCONSIN & CICSign up at www.cleanwisconsin.org/

waukesha to be the first to know it’s time to comment!

SEND YOUR OWN COMMENTSubmit written comments on the draft EIS and draft Technical Review by August 28, 2015 to:

Ashley HoekstraDNR Bureau of Drinking Water and GroundwaterBox 7921Madison, WI 53707-7921or DNRWaukeshaDiversionApp@wisconsin.gov

CONNECT WITH CICprotectourgreatlakes.org Twitter: @ProtectGLwaterwww.facebook.com/ protectourgreatlakes

www.cleanwisconsin.org 5

testing from cover

As the homeowner looks on, Duke University researcher Jennie Harkness (left) and Myles Moore of Ohio State crimp a copper tube filled with groundwater to analyze dissolved gases in the water.

At each site, groundwater was piped into vials for testing and analysis.

Taking notesin the field

A pH meter measures the acidity level of the water.

Staff scientist Paul Mathewson (left) and Tyson Cook, director of science and research, review maps and well data to plan for the next day’s sampling efforts.

Staff from Clean Wisconsin and both universities working at a sample site outside Waterford.

With this analysis, we hope to gain a better understanding of what’s making the water undrinkable here.

attention to the issue, and also revealed a correlation between con-tamination levels and locations of coal ash disposal in the region.

RESEARCH AT WORKHowever, we knew there was more work to be done. For example,

a more complete water chemistry analysis was needed for a better understanding of potential contamination sources. To that end, we connected with the researchers at Duke and Ohio State Uni-versities who are leaders in understanding and assessing ground-water chemistry. Over the course of a week in mid-May, Clean Wisconsin staff and the researchers met with nearly 50 homeown-ers in the area who graciously allowed us to sample water from their homes. Thankfully, the springtime weather was cooperative, giving us a rain-free window, and we had a lot of fun getting to know supporters and concerned citizens as we collected samples.

While most of the prior molybdenum analyses looked at the toxin in isolation, the scientists from Duke University are now conducting a full chemical analysis of the groundwater samples to provide a more complete picture of the groundwater conditions. This work is important because there are a number of other poten-tially toxic chemicals that may be present along with molybdenum contamination. Elevated levels of certain elements commonly as-sociated with a manmade contamination source would also help to direct future efforts to focus on that particular source.

In addition to that chemical characterization, the Duke research-ers are also conducting advanced chemical analysis to look at the

isotopes, or different varia-tions, of certain elements. Duke’s Dr. Avner Vengosh, is one of the nation’s lead-ing experts on isotope test-ing, and on using individual chemical components and ratios to get information on the original source. For example, certain elements like molybdenum can have a different chemical “fin-gerprint” when it comes from human activities versus

when it comes from natural activities.Advanced research is also being done by Ohio State University

researchers to give us important information about the potential sources of contamination. They are analyzing dissolved gases in the groundwater samples to determine the age of the water, which will tell us how much of the well water has been underground for hundreds or thousands of years, and how much of it may have recently seeped down from the surface where there may be sources of contamination. Like the Duke University researchers, the Ohio State team is also using cutting-edge science; they have one of the only labs in the country that can perform this type of analysis.

CASTING A WIDE NETTo get as much information as possible, we took a wide variety of

water samples. First, we sampled wells that drew water from differ-ent depths and conditions, because variation in the glacial geology in the area means that they could be drawing from different water sources in the area. We also sampled wells in areas where prior testing showed high molybdenum concentrations as well as areas where prior testing showed lower levels (more in line with levels found in other groundwater studies in North America) to see what other differences there were between them.

Putting all this together, we hope to use the information from the aging and chemical analyses to more fully examine and evalu-ate relationships between molybdenum levels and a variety of po-tential contamination sources in the area. The water samples are currently being analyzed in their respective laboratories, and we anticipate receiving the results later this summer.

This exciting collaboration with world-class researchers is a criti-cal step forward in understanding the source of the contamina-tion that has plagued residents for too long. It is our hope and intent that through continued work like this, the root cause of the area’s molybdenum problem can eventually be addressed and area residents will once again have access to safe, clean drinking water, right from their taps.

6 Summer 2015

How agricultural waste management is changing

in WisconsinBy Elizabeth Wheeler, Senior Staff Attorney

We are excited to reconnect with communities in the 30th Street Corridor neighbor-hoods following the long winter! We began the season with a number of events, including;

April 18 We helped some of our elderly participants reconnect their rain barrels, while lending a hand during a neighborhood trash clean-up

April 22 On Earth Day, we joined with our partners Northwest Side Community Development Corporation, Local Initiatives Support Corporation (LISC), Uniting Garden Homes, and the 30th Street Corridor Corporation and project sponsor, Wells Fargo, to clean up trash around the Garden Homes Park and neighborhood, another 30th Street Corridor community.

May 2 We visited our 2014 rain garden hosts to help them weed and spruce up their rain gardens, which are all becoming well-established, absorbing approximately 250 gallons of stormwater runoff per storm and 12,500 gallons of stormwater each year.

June 20 About 25 attendees and volunteers joined us to learn about and help in-stall simple green infrastructure practices, including rain barrels, rain gardens and soil amendments in the Century City Tri-Angle Neighborhood (CCTN).

Upcoming activities this summer include collaboration with CCTN and Milwaukee Public Theatre to further raise awareness of green infrastructure and environmental sus-tainability through artistic expression, including spoken word and neighborhood visual art installations, as well as the transformation of a city vacant lot into a community rain garden in the Cold Spring Park Neighborhood.

And what better way to continue connecting with 30th Street Corridor communities than by locating right in the 30th Street Corridor? We have opened a Clean Wisconsin office in Milwaukee in the Century City Tower on Milwaukee’s northwest side. This loca-tion facilitates our ongoing green infrastructure and climate resilience work, and we’re proud to be part of the revitalization efforts taking place in the Corridor. Stay tuned for more to come!

30th Street Corridor Neighborhood Green Infrastructure Outreach and Installation:

Year Two Underway!

For years, you’ve helped us lead efforts to clean up our lakes and rivers by reducing pollution from nutrients like phosphorus, which fouls our waterways and hurts recre-ational opportunities and property values throughout the state. While we have made progress, much work remains.

As you may recall, in 2010 Clean Wis-consin worked with the DNR and other stakeholders to develop an innovative phosphorus water quality rules package fo-cused on cleaning our lakes and rivers in collaborative ways that engage both point sources like wastewater treatment plants, and non-point sources like farm fields. The Phosphorus Rules offer a variety of tools and point sources have several options to cost-effectively reduce phosphorus levels in the waterways into which they discharge.

But last year, the legislature passed a bill modifying this part of the rule by adding a variance, an additional option for some fa-cilities facing significant compliance costs. This variance could add a helpful addition-al compliance option for some point sourc-es if done right — or simply delay cleanup of our waters if done wrong.

In early May, the DNR and Depart-ment of Administration (DOA) released a study bolstering the case for a variance to be added to the rules. A necessary step toward implementing a variance, the study included some assumptions we felt were inappropriate and exaggerated the costs of compliance with the rule while ignoring the benefits of pollution cleanup. Clean Wisconsin immediately jumped into ac-tion; we reached out to our conservation and environmental partners, met with the EPA in Chicago to discuss our concerns

about the proposed changes, and develop extensive and detailed comments.

We also asked you to weigh in. You sub-mitted over 500 comments to the DNR and DOA asking them to strengthen the vari-ance proposal and provide assurances that implementation would improve the water quality in our rivers, lakes, and streams as quickly as possible. Thank you!

DNR and DOA are currently reviewing all comments and will be making changes to their proposal before sending it to the EPA for approval; Clean Wisconsin is closely monitoring their efforts. We’ll be working with our partners, DNR, EPA and you to ensure that any variance that becomes part of Wisconsin law improves water quality and will ultimately allow wa-ter bodies to meet water quality standards.

We’re also working to be sure the vari-ance doesn’t undermine Adaptive Man-agement, a compliance option Clean Wis-consin worked hard to include in the 2010 rules. It is an available cost-effective option that gives greater assurances that waters will get cleaned up, and we’re working with several point sources around the state that are leading the way in putting Adaptive Management projects into action.

We can’t let any variance undermine the great work our state has done so far to clean up our waters. With summer upon us, no one should have to experience toxic algal blooms, closed beaches or weed-choked lakes, and we shouldn’t have to wait for cleaner, healthier waters. Together, we’re making progress toward a future where anyone, anywhere in the state can fish, swim, or boat in any lake, river, or stream they want.

Defending the Phosphorus RulesVariance study could harm phosphorus-

reduction work

By Scott Laeser, Water Quality Specialist

By Pam Ritger Staff Attorney & Climate

Resilience Program ManagerPH

OTO

: Lis

a Si

mm

ons

www.cleanwisconsin.org 7

Conversations for a Better Energy FutureClean Wisconsin, CUB & MGE collaborating on ideas, projects to demonstrate value of clean energy, energy efficiency to utilities

Electric utilities around the country are facing a changing en-ergy landscape. People are becoming more aware of the impacts of their electricity use and technological advances, like cheaper solar panels and better light bulbs, are starting to reduce the amount of electricity people need to buy. In addition, increasing risks and certainities, like extreme weather and new market and policy pres-sures, are creating instability.

Utilities can react to this changing landscape by adapting or by digging in their heels with their old “business model.” Last year, three Wisconsin electric utilities took the second approach and brought forward proposals to dramatically increase fixed charges on their customers’ energy bills. This gained national attention due to the negative effects these billing changes would have on en-ergy efficiency and renewable energy projects, such as community solar projects. Clean Wisconsin strongly opposed these efforts in the legal proceeding at the Wisconsin Public Service Commission (PSC), the state agency that approves these rate changes.

In late 2014, one utility, Madison Gas & Electric (MGE), re-sponded to community concerns and agreed to put the most drastic parts of its proposal on hold. While the company still sig-nificantly increased its fixed charges, MGE pledged to hold ex-tensive conversations with the community to hear the concerns of all customers and community members before taking a next

step. MGE also agreed to work collaboratively and at a high level with Clean Wisconsin and Citizens Utility Board (CUB), an or-ganization that looks out for the interests of residential and small business customers of the utilities, to find a different path forward to address the utility’s business concerns and the community’s concerns about cost and negative environmental impacts. Based on this agreement, a work group was formed to meet regularly to discuss ideas and make recommendations for pilot projects that demonstrate the economic and environmental value of energy ef-ficiency and clean energy, with an eye toward compliance with the EPA’s Clean Power Plan.

Ideally, all parties in this energy discussion — MGE, the com-munity and other stakeholders — would have been in agreement on commonsense strategies to reduce carbon and other pollution long ago. While that hasn’t been the case, this new work is an im-portant step in the right direction. At a time when it’s becoming clear that the energy world of tomorrow will be very different from the energy world of yesterday, utilities need to make big decisions with significant and long-term ramifications. We need to encour-age pragmatic, rational and thoughtful leaders of utility compa-nies to see the opportunity for shareholder value by partnering with customer and environmental advocates.

Scenes from An Epicurean Happy HourCento | June 9

8 Summer 2015

1st Assembly DistrictR-Sturgeon Bay

office phone: 608-266-5350rep.kitchens@legis.wisconsin.gov

Rep. Joel Kitchens

Legislative Leader ProfileRepresentative Joel Kitchens (R-Sturgeon Bay) was first elected to represent the 1st As-

sembly District in November 2014. Kitchens has worked for the last 30 years as a farm animal veterinarian in Door and Kewaunee Counties. He has also served as Sturgeon Bay School Board President for 13 years, where he developed his focus on commonsense solu-tions for the problems facing citizens of the area.

Rep. Kitchens has brought that commonsense approach to the Capitol. He understands a major component of economic development for the 1st Assembly District is tourism, and that clean water is necessary to keep those tourism dollars flowing.

“Our unique economy in the area is based on a mix of tourism, agriculture and manu-facturing, which all depend on the availability of clean and plentiful water,” Kitchens says. “My job is to help strike a balance so our area continues to thrive and be a great place for our children and grandchildren to live, work and play.”

That philosophy has been clear even in his first few months at the Capitol, where Kitch-ens teamed up with Clean Wisconsin and others to help restore critical funds for county land and water conservation offices during the budget debate. The funding Rep. Kitch-ens helped restore will allow more county staff to work with farmers and other landown-ers to install conservation practices on the land, as well as protect drinking water, lakes and streams.

“County conservationists are absolutely crucial in my district,” Rep. Kitchens explains. “The work they do with farmers and other property owners is so valuable for protecting our natural resources, and I was pleased to work to restore their funding.”

Kitchens intends to use his position as a member of both the environment committee and the agriculture committee to find solutions for the water problems facing his district. Clean Wisconsin looks forward to continuing to work with Rep. Kitchens on important water quality issues on these committees.

Focus on Energy, Wisconsin’s statewide energy efficiency and renewable energy program, continues to deliver tremendous value to home and business owners. A re-cent independent evaluation found that 2014 was the third consecutive year that the program saved businesses and homes $3 for every $1 invested in the program.

There are two ways customers benefit from Focus and realize lower energy costs. First, customers who participate in the program and take advantage of incentives to install energy-saving appliances and equipment, such as lighting in retail stores, refrigeration in grocery stores, high-efficiency motors in factories and high-efficiency furnaces in homes, save money. Many upgrades pay for themselves in a few years; after that, busi-ness or homeowners see major savings every single year. Secondly, all customers see lower energy bills thanks to Focus because meet-ing electricity demand through improved efficiency eliminates the need to build cost-ly new power plants or transmission lines saves everyone money on their electric bills.

In addition to Focus’s direct energy bill savings, the program creates jobs installing efficiency measures; the program has cre-ated thousands of jobs already. It also gener-ates hundreds of millions of dollars in retail sales of energy-efficient equipment, money that pumps through Wisconsin’s economy. This is especially the case for products man-ufactured in Wisconsin, such as Cree LED lightbulbs manufactured in Racine. The program also generates hundreds of mil-lions of dollars of increased disposable in-come for Wisconsin residents; the less they pay for the their energy bills, the more dis-posable income they have to spend on other goods and services.

This is all good news for sure. The Focus program is an economic-stimulus machine, but there have been proposals floating around the State Capitol to cut or gut the program, proposals that have surfaced as part of the state budget bill debates.

Clean Wisconsin has been working hard behind the scenes to stop these destructive proposals from being introduced; so far,

with the help of others, including some utilities, we have been successful. We know there are legislators interested in reforming the Focus program to make it more cost-ef-fective (though it is already one of the most cost-effective programs in the nation), but there are clearly others interested in cut-ting or even slashing the program. With all the benefits that Focus on Energy provides Wisconsin ratepayers, we should be having a conversation about how to grow the pro-gram. Clean Wisconsin’s policy experts are meeting with businesses across the state to generate ideas on ways to improve the pro-gram so legislators have constructive and useful ideas of how to modify the program.

In addtion, we’re seeking more support-ers, particularly if you have taken advantage of the program and have a story to share about Focus on Energy or if you own a busi-ness and would like to utilize the program to reduce your energy bill. Please contact Clean Wisconsin policy director Keith Re-opelle at kreopelle@cleanwisconsin.org.

Latest Focuson EnergyEvaluation

Shows Program’s Continued

ValueBy Keith Reopelle, Senior Policy Director

www.cleanwisconsin.org 9

Under the Lens

By Nick Lardinois Science Policy Intern

In Wisconsin, summer means soaking in the sun and enjoying outdoor activities on one of the state’s 15,000 lakes. However, this Memorial Day my family arrived at our cottage west of Shawano to find something that has become far too common: the lake was coated with a pale-green, smelly scum. After contacting regional scientists at the Wisconsin DNR, we were informed that the lake was experiencing a blue-green algae bloom.

Actually a bacteria called cyanobacteria, blue-green algae is almost always present in Wis-consin lakes, but its quantity is kept in check by other aquatic organisms such as zooplank-ton and a limited amount of nutrients essential for growth, like phosphorous and nitro-gen. However, when there are excess nutrients, an abundance of sunlight and calm water, the conditions become right for cyanobacteria to grow exponentially. Discharge from water treatment and food-processing plants, fertilizer runoff from fields, and leaching from animal waste are some of the biggest contributors of excess nutrients in Wisconsin lakes.

Aside from the foul smell and ugly appearance, the negative consequences of algal blooms are far-reaching. Algae mats block sunlight from reaching underwater plants and plankton that provide food and habitat for aquatic organisms. Oxygen levels consequently decline as aquatic plant photosynthesis is restricted, resulting in hypoxic (low-oxygen) conditions. The cyanobacteria themselves use oxygen for respiration, and the decomposition of these blooms further exacerbates the hypoxic conditions, diminishing the water body’s ability to support certain aquatic organisms. If these conditions persist, a dead zone can be formed where little to no animal life can survive. The second largest dead zone in the world is at the mouth of the Mississippi River in the northern Gulf of Mexico. In Wisconsin, the bay of Green Bay has developed its own dead zone in recent years.

The adverse effects of algal blooms are not limited to aquatic life. Some blue-green algae can produce toxins that are harmful to humans and other organisms. If exposed to algal toxins, humans and pets can experience rashes, vomiting, diarrhea, respiratory illness, and liver damage. Pets are particularly susceptible to the dangers of blue-green algae because of their smaller size and tendency to lick their fur, which may be contaminated. Because true algae, like green algae, and dangerous blue-green algae can also bloom in similar conditions, look similar and are often found together, a precautionary approach is best. As the saying goes, “When in doubt, stay out,” and instead find clean areas of water and avoid swimming, boating, and fishing in algae and keep pets from coming in contact with algae.

In addition to detrimental environmental and health effects, algal blooms can have signifi-cant economic consequences, including tourism loss, decreased property values and higher drinking water treatment costs. For instance, areas in Minnesota saw water treatment costs rise fortyfold when their drinking water supply was plagued by an algal bloom.

Over the years, Clean Wisconsin has worked hard to combat harmful algal blooms in Wis-consin’s waters. In 2010, Clean Wisconsin helped Wisconsin become a national leader on phosphorus management strategies when the DNR adopted the Phosphorus Rules. Luckily, you do not have to be an environmental advocacy group or state agency to make a difference when it comes to algal blooms. You can help reduce the amount of polluting nutrients that accumulate in the water by:

• Minimizing personal use of fertilizers• Preventing organic matter (yard clippings and pet waste) from decomposing

in the water• Planting and maintaining a vegetative buffer zone along shorelines to filter

runoffFollowing these strategies can help make prevent unwanted green slime from spoiling your

plans to enjoy your favorite Wisconsin lake on a gorgeous summer day.PHO

TO:

STEF

E/FL

ICK

RIn BloomThe science & consequences of dangerous blue-green algae

Clean Wisconsin has long been involved in a collaborative effort to improve water quality in the rivers flowing through the Greater Milwaukee area and into Lake Michigan. Seven years ago this past April, the effort took on the name Southeastern Wisconsin Wa-tersheds Trust, or Sweet Water, for short. Clean Wisconsin was a founding partner in Sweet Water, helping to secure operational funding support. For the last two years, Ezra Meyer, our water re-sources specialist and lead Clean Wisconsin staffer in Sweet Water, has sat on Sweet Water’s Board of Directors.

To successfully accomplish pro-active watershed restoration and make the resulting water quality and habitat improvements a reality across five target watersheds, Sweet Water and its partners collaborate closely with all stakehold-ers. Sound science is the foundational principle behind all that Sweet Water does.

Through convening the right partners around the right projects at the right time, Sweet Water has had great success to date and will continue to foster more good work for local rivers and Lake

Michigan going forward. As one example, Sweet Water took over organizing the regional Clean Rivers, Clean Lakes conference sev-eral years ago and has produced a terrific event that now brings in about 300 interested individuals from around the region every year. In several instances, across several watersheds, significant projects have been completed deploying green infrastructure approaches

to manage urban stormwater and control flooding while improving water quality, all thanks to Sweet Water’s leadership, funding and coordination.

Clean Wisconsin is a proud partner in this effort, which also

includes conservation organizations; environmental policy orga-nizations; local municipal leaders; regional quasi-governmental agencies like the Milwaukee Metropolitan Sewerage District and the Southeastern Wisconsin Regional Planning Commission; Wis-consin DNR; University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee; and watershed stakeholders of all stripes, from river users to community groups to park improvement associations and many more. For more de-tails, see www.swwtwater.org.

Collaborating for Clean Water in Southeastern Wisconsin

www.cleanwisconsin.org 11

President’s Circle$25,000+Anonymous

Philanthropist$10,000–$24,999The Kailo FundAnonymous

Patrons$5,000–$9,999

Benefactors$2,500–$4,999Dianne Redsten &

Walter SauerPeggy Scallon MD &

Mark RedstenGof & Mary ThomsonBill & Jennifer Zorr

Anonymous (2)Henry Anderson MD & Shirley S. LevineMargaret Baack & Michael McAdamsChuck BarnhillAnn Behrmann MD & Lewis KochDW & Christena BensonCitizens Natural Resources Association of Wisconsin

Dale Druckery Conservation Fund of the Natural Resources Foundation of Wisconsin

Robin DownsEmerging Energies of Wisconsin, LLCLuke & Carol FairbornLiz Feder & Mark JohnsonRichard Gosse DDS & Karen GosseFritz & Kris GrutznerGary Goyke & Nancy RottierRobert Hagge Jr.The Hammes Company

Edward & Ann HastreiterPeggy HedbergMargi & Dave KindigKaren & Mike KnetterGretchen La Budde & Michael WhaleyMadison Community FoundationMendota FinancialNumbers 4 Nonprofits LLCAmy RadspinnerScooter SoftwareThomas Schlueter MD & Ellen Neuhaus MDRoland Schroeder & Mary MowbrayCarl SinderbrandDaniel Smith MD & Marcia SmithPatricia StoffersStone House Development LLCCaryl & Bob TerrellUW Health & Unity Health InsuranceVierbicher & Associates

Investors $1,000–$2,499

To become a member or for more information regarding the benefits of the Environmental Pillars Society, contact development director Angela Cao at 608-251-7020 x17 or acao@cleanwisconsin.org.

Thank you for your dedicated generosity to our work!

Being a Corporate Guardian is an excellent investment in your business as you support our work for clean air, clean water and the places that make Wisconsin great!

We encourage you to learn more about and do business with our wonderful Corporate Guardians!

thompsonim.comMadison

Interested in joining these businesses? Contact Angela Cao at 608-251-7020 x17 or acao@cleanwisconsin.org.

www.madisonmagazine.com

Hoyos Consulting LLChoyosconsulting.comEdgerton, Madison

delta-properties.comMadison

thinkinkanddesign.com Madison

lawmbg.comMadison

crossroadscommunityfarm.com Cross Plains

holidayvacations.netsustaineng.comMadison

Spencer SchmacherBunbury & Assoc. Realtors,

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Bailey’s Greenhouse Bayfield

hpb.com

www.amfam.com

greatdanepub.comMadison, Fitchburg, Wausau

gklaw.comMadison, Milwaukee, Waukesha,

Appleton & Green Bay

nglic.com

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thealvardogroup.comMadison

exactsciences.comMadison

veridianhomes.comMadison

wppienergy.org

yelp.cominfusionchocolates.com Madison

Join our list of sponsors! See www.epicureanevening.org/sponsors or contact Angela Cao, acao@cleanwisconsin.org or 608-251-7020 x17

Executive Chef Sponsors

Front of House Sponsors

Hoyos Consulting LLC

www.wisconsinepicureanevening.orgTickets are $150 per person or $1,200 per table of 8

Join Clean Wisconsin for An Epicurean Evening,

our second annual celebrity chef dinner gala

benefiting our statewide work for

clean air, clean water and the places we all love!

Daniel Bonnano A Pig in a Fur Coat

Dan Fox Heritage Tavern

Michael PruettCento Ristorante

Phillip Hurley Sardine

John GadauSardine

Don’t delay!

This event sold

out in 2014!

Thursday, Oct. 1, 2015 | Monona TerraceCocktails at 5:30 p.m., Dinner at 7 p.m.

Our 2015 Epicurean Evening Chefs

PHO

TO: A

man

da

Lynn

Jon

es

An Epicurean Evening is a premier dinner gala showcasing top Madison chefs.With about 500 guests slated to attend, An Epicurean Evening includes a wine pull, silent and live auctions, and

cocktail hour with specialty cocktails by Three Count and bartenders from our featured restaurants.

This is sure to be the culinary event of 2015.

GET YOUR TICKETS TODAY

Cocktail hour presented by