Bill sets timelines for permitting process without rolling back environmental standards MADISON — Senators Bob Jauch (D-Poplar) and Dale Schultz (R-Richland Center) released a new bipartisan mining bill yesterday that would set timelines for permitting mines without rolling back environmental standards. “This bill helps bring certainty to the mine permit process by establishing timelines without rolling
Bill rolls back environmental protections, eliminates accountability for mining companies MADISON — The Wisconsin Assembly passed AB 426, the Assembly Open-Pit Mining Bill, on a party-line vote today despite strong public opposition to the bill. “Assembly Republicans voted today to roll back commonsense environmental protections, silence the voice of the public, and eliminate accountability for mining
MADISON — Clean Wisconsin’s government relations director, Amber Meyer Smith, released the following statement today after the Assembly Jobs, Economy and Small Business Committee passed Assembly Bill 426, the Assembly Mining Bill, with a party-line vote: “The Assembly Mining Bill rolls back commonsense environmental protections, silences the voice of the public, and eliminates accountability for mining corporations.
By Keith Reopelle & Charlie Higley In the spring of 2011, Governor Scott Walker and legislative leaders significantly cut funding to Focus on Energy, the statewide energy efficiency program that helps residents and businesses lower energy bills. A recent legislative audit demonstrates that the benefits of Focus on Energy more than double the costs of
By Keith Reopelle & Charlie Higley In the spring of 2011, Governor Scott Walker and legislative leaders significantly cut funding to Focus on Energy, the statewide energy efficiency program that helps residents and businesses lower energy bills. A recent legislative audit demonstrates that the benefits of Focus on Energy more than double the costs of
Standards will improve health by reducing pollution from coal-fired power plants MADISON — The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) unveiled new standards for mercury and other toxic air pollutants today that will reduce pollution from coal-fired power plants, reduce mercury pollution coming into Wisconsin from other states, and improve the health of people across the nation. “Mercury
Bill could allow environmentally destructive water withdrawals prohibited by Compact MADISON — The Assembly Mining Bill unveiled late last week would create new standards for permitting high-capacity wells that would likely create a conflict with the Great Lakes Compact, a historic agreement between eight Great Lakes States and two Canadian Provinces to protect the water
New draft much like the first, cutting environmental protections and slashing public input MADISON — Despite public outcry earlier in the year, Assembly Republicans released their draft of a new mining bill today that is very similar to the draft mining bill shelved earlier this spring. The bill introduced today still slashes public input and exempts
Expanding Focus would help further lower energy bills, create more jobs MADISON — A long-awaited audit released by the bipartisan Legislative Audit Bureau today confirms that Focus on Energy, the statewide energy program, successfully lowers energy bills and provides benefits that far outweigh the costs of the program. “The audit released today confirms that Focus on
By Mark Redsten, Executive Director Earlier this week, Assembly Speaker Jeff Fitzgerald’s office announced that a new mining bill would be unveiled Thursday, Dec. 8. Residents across Wisconsin should watch this bill closely to make sure it does not put the profits of wealthy out-of-state mining executives ahead of public health and environmental protection in
