Lots Of News In Riverkeeper Newsletter

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These were excellent summaries:

DNR Steps In On Waukesha Water Sale

WDNR Secretary Cathy Stepp has weighed in on the proposed sale of Great Lakes water to Waukesha, saying that any water sale must supply not only the City of Waukesha, but also its entire proposed future water service area including portions of Genesee, Pewaukee, Delafield, and the Town of Waukesha (which still hasn’t decided whether they want to be included in that service area).

The City of Milwaukee has approved negotiations for a water sale only to Waukesha’s existing water supply area, fearing that selling water to the larger service area would fuel suburban sprawl at the expense of Milwaukee.

The Great Lakes Compact states that applicants for a Great Lakes diversion need to demonstrate that they have “no feasible water supply alternative” and this bar has arguably not been met for Waukesha or even discussed for portions of the municipalities included in the larger service area. Waukesha had the larger water supply service area approved by the Southeastern Wisconsin Regional Planning Commission (SEWRPC), without public comment or even gaining approval of neighboring municipalities included in that area.

For more information on the issue, see the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel article here and our Riverkeeper scoop on Waukesha here.

Are Pipeline Regulations Too Lax?

Two recent gasoline pipeline leaks in the Town of Jackson and in Adams County raise great concern about the effectiveness of pipeline regulations.  Even the U.S. Transportation Secretary, Ray LaHood, has called these leaks "unacceptable."  Earlier this January, a Shell Oil pipeline burst at the Milwaukee Airport and the effects of that spill are still being investigated.

Milwaukee Riverkeeper is especially dismayed about the Town of Jackson spill because it falls within our watershed, and at least 17 private groundwater wells have been contaminated with toxic substances.  Cleanup of the spill is expected to take months and possibly years, which is raising a serious debate over whether the federal regulations of pipelines are sufficient or whether more should be done from the state level.

We agree with the recent editorial on the topic in the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, which can be read here.

*Photo provided from JSOnline.com