Waikesha's stalled application for a Lake Michigan water diversion in the hands of the DNR since spring of 2010 need further work by the City.
The agency posted on its website a letter it sent last week ago asking the City to review its plan to return treated waste water to the lake via the Root River and the Racine harbor.
Racine officials have strenuously objected to the plan, as the Root River floods in residential areas. Even recently.
You can read the letter, here and a notice of the letter, here.
The DNR could wait until after the November, 2016 election to finish its review, at which time it would schedule hearings before sending to seven other Great Lakes states for their separate reviews.
A diversion could be approved if all the Great Lakes Governors assent.
Waukesha has said it hopes to find federal funding to defray some of the full project's estimated $206 million construction cost and minimize the hit to local water rate payers.
The cost had been estimated at $78 million as late as 2009.
The application has already generated skepticism in Canada, where officials will play an advisory role to the states.
Waukesha water utility needs federal funding because it does not have sufficient financial borrowing ability, even with a $40 million loan from the City of Waukesha.
ReplyDeleteWhilst the deep aquifer is reportedly recovering substantially, Waukesha's mayor and utility manager continue to make a case to Wisconsin federal legislators as to why Waukesha must have Lake Michigan water. Pork.
Waukesha has radium and needs to meet a court ordered deadline to reduce the level. If the DNR sits on this thing until November 2016, the utility manager and mayor have 19 months to install radium filters on all Waukesha's deep wells or, SIT IN JAIL FOR CONTEMPT UNTIL WAUKESHA IS IN COMPLIANCE.
Couldn't Racine send them untreated waste water, sitting back to let the toilet paper plug up the whole works?
ReplyDeleteWaukesha is now 1 year past the self imposed "drop dead" date to start construction for the Lake Michigan pipelines in order to be in compliance with the court order. Waukesha's application hasn't even been approved by the DNR. If it does someday get forwarded to the 7 other states, it's going to take years for review. No need to pack your bags. They give you what you need in incarceration.
ReplyDeleteMay 29th 2384: Headline: WI DNR wants more information on Waukesha water diversion request.......
ReplyDeleteIf Waukesha wanted water from Lake Michigan it should have made its request in 1847 to get through the government red tape an judicial system delays.
Here's another headline: Waukesha paid scant attention to water coalition suggestions - - for years: http://thepoliticalenvironment.blogspot.com/2010/08/groups-again-expose-waukesha-water.html
ReplyDelete