After Scott Walker's office alerts farm lobby, clean water regulations scaled back

[riversedge]

Source: madison.com



After Scott Walker's office alerts farm lobby, clean water regulations scaled back
http://host.madison.com/wsj/news/local/environment/after-scott-walker-s-office-alerts-farm-lobby-clean-water/article_2215adcc-238e-5f45-ab82-2b9a093e560a.html


STEVEN VERBURG [e-mail], 608-252-6118 8 hrs ago 61

Responding to strong complaints from Wisconsin’s dairy industry, the state Department of Natural Resources quietly narrowed the scope of rules it is writing to reduce health hazards from hundreds of millions of gallons of manure spread on farm fields each year.

An industry representative said the DNR’s initial plan for rule-making would have been much too costly, in part because it would have generally reduced the amount of manure that could be applied per acre, requiring dairy operators to obtain more land.

But conservationists said the narrowed rule-making plan delayed indefinitely the consideration of public health and water resources protections that were identified through lengthy scientific study and extensive public discussion.

And they said the changes exposed the way a 2011 state law has allowed Gov. Scott Walker and the DNR to give industry opportunities to sharply limit crucial administrative rules before the public even knows they are under consideration......................

Read more: http://host.madison.com/wsj/news/local/environment/after-scott-walker-s-office-alerts-farm-lobby-clean-water/article_2215adcc-238e-5f45-ab82-2b9a093e560a.html

---

This IS a national problem-esp. in states with mega dairy farms!

Also in WI, some of the run-off goes into streams and rivers which flow into the Great Lakes. Walker appointed many new people in the DNR--many of the old employees have left. These new appointees, including the head of the DNR are political hacks for Walker and the Republicans in WI who favor business--including the powerful Dairy Industry!!


**long article with lots of details.


?resize=540%2C381

Natural Resources Board wants answers on 'surprising' DNR audit

The board wants Secretary Cathy Stepp to respond to the audit that found her agency [Wisconsin Dept of Natural Resources] failed to enforce water pollution protections.







?resize=540%2C382


State study finds new health hazards in drinking water

Signs of salmonella were found in drinking water in Kewaunee County, where industrial-size dairies have been blamed for pollution.

[angrychair]

1. Silly

They've got commercials with cute talking cows and other commercials with silly milk mustaches.

"I know, yes little girl, I know your water smells like cow crap and it gives you the runs when you drink it...that's why you should eat more cheese and drink more milk..."

[lonestarnot]

2. Fucking bound and determined to reduce populations through poisoned water and food.

Rat bastards.

[n2doc]

3. Hey, it worked for Florida!

[riversedge]

7. YUK. I have seen pics of this problem--but these are the worst!

[PatSeg]

4. Humans are hellbent on extinction

Evidently, the sooner the better.

[lastlib]

5. Unfortunately, the wrong ones become extinct.....

DAMN THE REPUGLIKKKAN PARTY!

[PatSeg]

6. Which makes Idiocracy

prophesy more than entertainment.

[Panich52]

8. Glad you brought up possible wide-ranging consequences.

Too often, conservative attempts at blocking environmental regs is touted as a states' rights issue. This would only be the case if each state has its own Dyson Sphere, isolating it, above & below ground.

[alain2112]

9. Salmonella indicates bird poop

(or lizard poop, if you have chameleon ranches in the area) while E coli indicates mammals. Thus the closing scary graphic is not so much the stinging indictment that the author insinuates.

Also, too, I lived in Denmark for many years (Denmark being the country that every progressive wants America to become) and I can testify from my own experience that they make extensive use of fermented cattle poop as a green fertilizer - yet their water quality is unmatched.

None of this is meant to excuse Walker (who really is a disgusting mess and a disgrace to the office of Governor). My point is that you can not believe just any nasty little insinuation on the grounds that it makes your enemy look bad. We can easily lose our position on the moral high ground, especially so when we throw away our reputation on sensationalist claims that turn out to be unfounded.

I wish that I didn't have to make this point, but environmental activism can be likened to a McMansion teetering on the edge of a cliff in California as the mudslide front creeps ever closer. Sure it looks great from the front, but when it goes it's gonna go real fast.