The document summarizes environmental policy changes and attacks in Wisconsin between 2010-2013. It describes how the 2010 elections brought Republican majorities to power who rolled back conservation initiatives. Legislation passed during this period weakened clean water and air regulations, limited public input, and reduced funding for renewable energy, recycling and transit programs. However, some proposed bills like one expanding metallic sulfide mining were defeated. The document calls for continued advocacy and education efforts to promote clean energy development and oppose further rollbacks of environmental protections in Wisconsin.

1. A Report from the State Capitol:
Wisconsin’s Environment
Shahla Werner, Sierra Club – John Muir Chapter
222 South Hamilton St, #11, Madison, WI 53703
(608) 256-0565
http://wisconsin.sierraclub.org
shahla.werner@sierraclub.org

2. Fall 2010 Elections =
Bad News for Conservation
• Supreme Court makes disastrous Citizens United decision
in 2010, defining corporations as people, money as
speech, allowing unlimited spending
• Mid-term elections brought Ron Johnson to the US Senate,
heartbreaking loss of Sen. Russ Feingold
• Governor Walker, and anti-conservation majorities take the
WI State Assembly and Senate
• Many freshmen “tea party” / ALEC legislators with no prior
political experience. Vote strongly along partisan lines, ask
very few questions during legislative hearings

3. What Ever happened to
Climate Change Action?
• Federal climate bill fails in 2010,
leaving states and EPA to tackle
problem
• Good AND bad news: 2010 elections
not about environment
• Utilities, and politicians stop serious
discussions of solutions as alarming
trends continue, including melting
glaciers, rising temperatures,
flooding, unprecedented fires, and
drought

4. Wisconsin: Early Warning Signs:
Late 2010- Early 2011
Gov. Walker campaigns on returning
federal high speed rail funding; Doyle
halts construction; Despite bipartisan
public outrage, Walker cancels project
that would reduce transportation
emissions, create thousands of jobs, and
connect cities
Gov. Walker appoints former Racine
developer and State Senator Cathy Stepp
as DNR Secretary.
Gov. Walker introduces Special Session
on “Jobs” that attacks workers’ rights,
guts isolated wetland protections, kills
wind jobs, and gives him unprecedented
control over administrative rules

5. Attacks on Clean Water
• Wetlands Deregulation Bill (
2011 Act 118, April 2012): Allows for
mitigation (aka habitat destruction) too
early, creates general permits, limits
DNR’s permit review time and oversight,
deletes ASNRI (areas of special natural
resource interest) wetlands
• Bergstrom Wetlands Bill (2011 Act 6,
Feb. 2011): Creates special exception to
isolated wetlands law for Brown Co.
developer
• Boondoggle Bridge (2011 Act 30, July
2011): Allows Wisconsin to spend $300
million on bridge across Wild & Scenic St.
Croix River

6. A Bad Budget & Transit Attacks
State Budget (2011 Act 32, June
2011): Eliminates Regional Transit
Authorities, Repeals increased Energy
Efficiency funding, Office of Energy
Independence, Green to Gold, Cuts
Transit 10%, Recycling 40%,
Stewardship 30%
Senate Joint Resolution 23: Restricts
gas tax revenues to roads only, prohibits
transit, clean transportation funding.
Wisconsin’s constitution will be amended
if this bill passes again next Legislative
Session and it is approved by voters in a
statewide referendum.

7. Attacks on Clean Energy
Statewide Wind Siting Rules
Suspended: Although the legislature
repealed wind standards, 4 major
projects were canceled: Invenergy’s150
MW Ledge; Mid West Energy’s 98 MW
Stony Brook; Alliant’s 100 MW Green
Lake & Acciona’s 50 MW Chilton
Projects
Outsourcing Clean Energy Jobs (
2011 Act 34, July 2011): Allows large,
out-of-state hydroelectric power (mostly
from Manitoba) to count towards our
renewable energy portfolio standards

8. Attacks on Resources & Public Process
GTAC Mining Bill (DEFEATED): Gutted
safeguards for open pit taconite mine near
Lake Superior. Would have rushed permits,
allowed waste in historical areas, sensitive
water and land habitats, eliminated public
input, and shortchanged community
payments.
Polluters over People (2011 Act 167, April
2012): Reduces public input, rushes, and
limits review of shoreland permits – partial
defeat!
Governor Makes the Rules (2011 Act 21,
May 2011): Governor Walker can delay or
block agency rules needed to implement laws,
requires cost/benefit analysis, justification for
making rules stronger than surrounding states

9. Attacks on Clean Air
• Dirty Air Bill (2011 Act 121, March 2012): Prohibits
DNR from setting carbon monoxide air pollution
standards
• Factory Farm Fumes Bill (2011 Act 122, March 2012):
Prohibits WI from setting standards for hazardous air
pollutants (like hydrogen sulfide) for CAFOs

10. Attacks on Science-Based Natural
Resource Management
• Wolf hunting bill (2011 Act 169): Allows hunting
during breeding season statewide, trapping, use
of dogs – Lawsuit underway
Deer hunting bill (2011 Act 50): Gets rid of
Earn A Buck, critical to reducing deer browsing
needed for forest regeneration & reducing
chronic wasting disease spread
• Water Disinfection Prevention Bill (2011 Act
19): Prohibits DNR from requiring water
disinfection in local communities, needed to
protect drinking water from bacteria, virus
contamination.
• Watch for more attacks on science in 2013!

11. 2011- 2012 Legislative Session:
Hyper-Partisan & Horrible for
Conservation
• 49 members of the State Assembly Score a 0% on
Sierra Club’s environmental scorecard; only 25 / 99
score 100%
• 16 members of the State Senate Score a 0% on Sierra
Club’s environmental scorecard, only 2, Fred Risser and
Lena Taylor, score 100%
• For details, see Sierra Club’s 2011-12 Legislative
Scorecard

12. Good News: We Live to Fight Another Day!
We defeated mining bill, scaled back
Polluters over People to stop lakebed
dredging, rubber stamping high
capacity wells
We defeated bills that would have
killed wind energy, allowed utilities to
buy outdated renewable credits
We preserved collective bargaining
for transit workers, kept transit in the
Transportation Fund in the budget
Bills to repeal Wisconsin’s smart
growth law and weaken phosphorus
lawn fertilizer ban failed.

13. Good News: We fought back in
Elections!
Jessica King (Oshkosh) and Jennifer
Shilling (La Crosse) elected to State
Senate; Randy Hopper and Dan
Kapanke recalled
Dave Hansen, Bob Wirch, and Jim
Holperin survive recall attempts; Dale
Schultz stands up for constituents
John Lehman defeats Van Wangaard
in Racine
We scared the bejesus out of both
parties with populist protests at the
State Capitol!

14. 2013: Metallic Sulfide Mining
Moratorium Under Attack
Counter ideas used to justify mining in
sensitive areas (we use the metals in
products, jobs, better to mine here than
areas with low standards)
Remind legislators of reasons for current
law, protects water from acid mine drainage.
Flexible waste disposal rules, groundwater
rules, and trust fund levels needed to meet
specific project needs. Issuing a final permit
prior to master hearing would be like giving
out a law degree before someone passes the
bar exam.
Ensure Wisconsin is Open for 21st Century
Business: Recycling, Transit, Renewable
Energy, Energy Efficiency, Tourism

15. 2013: The Next State Budget
Keep Transit in Transportation
Fund, restore and increase
transit funding, reduce runaway
highway spending
Protect Stewardship and
Recycling
Protect Agency budgets;
preserve enforcement ability

16. 2013: Clean Water Policy &
Enforcement Needed
Push DNR to implement Nutrient
Management Rules to control
Phosphorus, Nitrogen pollution
(NR 151, NR 217)
Push DNR to enforce laws on books,
enact stronger waste spreading
restrictions
Enhance groundwater protection;
don’t gut high capacity well permit
process; allow DNR to assess water
impacts, more springs protection

17. 2013: Clean Energy Policies Needed
Renewable Portfolio Standards (RPS): Requires utilities to get 10% of
electricity from renewable sources by 2015. Most utilities have already met
goals; We need to at least double the RPS to ensure continued clean
energy jobs! We also need to stop clean energy attacks
Energy Efficiency: We need to restore Focus on Energy funding; include
goals to save 2% of electricity per year
Incentives for small-scale distributed renewables: Power Purchase
Agreements (Choice); Net Metering, Community Renewables
Offshore Wind Policies: Bottomlands leasing, MOU

18. Wisconsin Lags Behind Other States
with Renewable Energy Standards
• 30 states have a renewable energy standard.
• MN and IL have enacted a 25% RES by 2025.
• Iowa gets over 20% of its electricity from wind.
• The following states, ranked by RPS percentage
and date, have a mandatory RPS percentage
(Iowa and Texas have a MW goal):
Maine: 40% by 2017 Oregon: 25% by 2025 Montana: 15% by 2015
Hawaii: 40% by 2030 Vermont: 25% by 2025 Massachusetts: 15% by 2020
California: 33% by 2020 West Virginia: 25% by 2025 Washington: 15% by 2020
Connecticut: 27% by 2020 New Jersey: 22.5% by 2021 Missouri: 15% by 2021
New York: 25% by 2013 Delaware: 20% by 2019 Arizona: 15% by 2025
Illinois: 25% by 2025 Colorado: 20% by 2020 North Carolina: 12.5% by 2021
Minnesota: 25% by 2025 New Mexico: 20% by 2020 Michigan: 10% by 2015
New Hampshire: 25% by 2025 Maryland: 20% by 2022 Wisconsin: 10% by 2015
Nevada: 25% by 2025 Pennsylvania: 18% by 2020
Ohio: 25% by 2025 Rhode Island: 16% by 2020
Sources: Pew Center on Global Climate Change, Renewable Portfolio Standards, December 14, 2009; North American Windpower,
April 15, 2009. Windfall for Green Energy In Iowa.

19. Wisconsin is Lagging Behind Our
Neighbors in Wind Energy

20. What do we Need to Do to Win?
Education: Film screenings, outings, rallies, brochures, petitions,
websites, press releases, letters to the editor, expert speakers. We need
to dispel clean energy myths, propel facts about real public health impacts
of coal and potential for renewables to revitalize rural Wisconsin.
Collaboration: clean energy businesses (WEBA), mayors, tribes, labor
(BlueGreen / Apollo Alliance), students, farmers, low-income advocates,
faith and other stakeholders: The 99%
Lobbying: Meet with legislators and Public Service Commission (PSC)
agency staff to expand Wisconsin’s clean energy goals and incentives,
vote for clean energy champions 11/06, submit clean energy questions to
candidates
Elections: Vote November 6! Volunteer for and donate to environmental
candidates!

21. Questions?
Shahla Werner, Director
Sierra Club – John Muir Chapter
222 South Hamilton St, #1,
Madison, WI 53703
(608) 256-0565
http://wisconsin.sierraclub.org
shahla.werner@sierraclub.org