Environment
The clean water we all deserve
During the Islamic holy month of Ramadan, as we fast daily from food and water from dawn till sunset, let us honor and celebrate the central role of water in our lives, both physically and spiritually. This month-long spiritual experience enhances and deepens our compassion for the poor, hungry and thirsty. Recently, the United Nations […]
Kewaunee Co. farm, DOJ reach $215,000 settlement
A Kewaunee County factory farm has agreed to a $215,000 settlement with the Wisconsin Department of Justice over allegations it improperly spread manure in Door and Kewaunee counties from 2018 to 2022. The settlement with Kinnard Farms, which includes 16 industrial farming operations maintaining about 8,000 cows, also addresses allegations that the farm failed […]
State Supreme Court decisions have a big impact on Wisconsin’s environment
A lawsuit working its way through the state court system and likely to be decided by the state Supreme Court could have significant consequences for environmental protection in Wisconsin. The lawsuit, which was filed by Wisconsin Manufacturers & Commerce (WMC), takes aim at the state’s authority under the Spills Law to respond to spills of […]
Protesters object to coyote hunts after dog injury
Wauwatosa residents have been increasingly speaking out against the trapping of coyotes in the Milwaukee-area suburb. Protests have sprung up in the city in recent weeks, headed by the group Direct Action Everywhere (DxE). Local coyotes were blamed after a resident reported that a 50-pound dog, left unattended, had suffered from puncture wounds in late […]
Pentagon to halt use of firefighting foam that contains PFAS as cleanup costs mount
WASHINGTON — Battered by years of criticism from U.S. lawmakers and environmental advocates, the Department of Defense will stop purchasing PFAS-containing firefighting foam later this year and phase it out entirely in 2024. The replacement for Aqueous Film Forming Foam has yet to be determined, and advocates are frustrated it’s taken so long to halt […]
Evers’ DNR, agriculture appointees get confirmation hearings
As the Republicans in control of the Wisconsin Senate begin holding confirmation hearings for cabinet-level positions leading a number of state agencies, Gov. Tony Evers’ nominee to run the state agriculture department breezed through with minimal questioning Wednesday while the nominee to run the Department of Natural Resources submitted to nearly an hour of in-depth […]
Norfolk Southern CEO apologizes for Ohio crash, but won’t back bipartisan rail safety bill
The CEO of Norfolk Southern, the railroad operating the train that last month derailed and spilled toxic chemicals in East Palestine, Ohio, apologized for the derailment at a U.S. Senate hearing Thursday, but declined solicitations to endorse a bipartisan rail safety bill. Norfolk Southern CEO Alan Shaw opened his testimony to the Senate Environment and […]
Joint Finance approves stewardship funds amid ongoing complaints about process, delays
The Wisconsin Legislature’s powerful Joint Finance Committee (JFC) on Wednesday approved providing $400,000 to the Town of Grand Chute through the state’s Knowles-Nelson Stewardship program to rehabilitate and trail and boardwalk in a local park. The funds approved are far less than what was initially requested by the town, highlighting an ongoing disagreement in the […]
Lack of population goal, fear of future hunts highlight wolf plan listening session
At a listening session over the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resource’s (DNR) proposed new wolf management plan, members of the state’s Native American tribes and agricultural groups expressed doubts about proposed wolf hunts and the lack of a stated population goal. The plan, which was unveiled last year, does away with a specific population goal […]
Conservation groups complain of being shut out by conservation congress rule change
Conservation groups are raising an alarm about a rule change made by the Wisconsin Conservation Congress (WCC) which would make it harder for citizens to contribute questions to an annual survey that policymakers use to shape statewide policies on issues such as water quality and hunting rules. The WCC was created in 1934 and has […]
Navy decompression experiments at UW-Madison come to an end
U.S. Navy experiments on animals have been canceled at UW-Madison following pressure from animal rights activists. The canceled experiments subjected sheep to conditions meant to induce decompression sickness. Two years before their scheduled completion, the experiments exposed test subjects to pressure in hyperbaric chambers, according to a letter sent by the animal rights group People […]
Lawmakers looking to address PFAS pollution
A Republican-led committee appeared open to dedicating more resources this budget cycle towards addressing PFAS contamination in Wisconsin during a hearing on Tuesday. The informational hearing about PFAS — or per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances — comes about a month after University of Wisconsin-Madison researchers determined there were PFAS in Green Bay and a week after […]