Jill Jonas, a longtime Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources staffer and the Director of the Bureau of Drinking Water and Groundwater, confirmed to me by email today that she is retiring on June 6th.
I had asked Jonas "if your retirement is at all early in any sense, related to any policy or institutional differences with the agency or administration, or is as you had planned it as your personal decision," and she replied that it was "my personal decision."
The Bureau is responsible for a number of high-profile matters, including safe drinking water - - a current hot topic - - concentrated animal feeding operations, high-capacity wells and the Great Lakes Compact, among others, according to a WI DNR website.
Eric Ebersberger, a senior DNR staffer who had managed the DNR's review of Waukesha's application for a diversion of Great Lakes water under the terms of the Great Lakes Compact notified the DNR last Friday that May 27th would be his last day.
I had asked Jonas "if your retirement is at all early in any sense, related to any policy or institutional differences with the agency or administration, or is as you had planned it as your personal decision," and she replied that it was "my personal decision."
The Bureau is responsible for a number of high-profile matters, including safe drinking water - - a current hot topic - - concentrated animal feeding operations, high-capacity wells and the Great Lakes Compact, among others, according to a WI DNR website.
Eric Ebersberger, a senior DNR staffer who had managed the DNR's review of Waukesha's application for a diversion of Great Lakes water under the terms of the Great Lakes Compact notified the DNR last Friday that May 27th would be his last day.
There are a lot of strange and unpleasant things going on at the DNR. Over all it is a very sad, depressing place with many anger filled people due to being treated like shit.
ReplyDeleteThe environment ---- it clearly doesnt matter to the upper eschelon and the field staff have zero authority. All enforcement other than a simple Notice of Noncompliance (pretty much meaningless) must be approved by the Secretarys Office.
But at least Cathy is going fishing in Canada for some "sportsmans" group. Everyone who pays attention can easily see the DNRs ability to do really anything positive has been eliminsted.
I wish she would have penned an open letter to the people of Wisconsin explaining her decision, and hound the Madison press to run it.
ReplyDelete"I had asked Jonas 'if your retirement is at all early in any sense, related to any policy or institutional differences with the agency or administration, or is as you had planned it as your personal decision,' and she replied that it was 'my personal decision.'"
ReplyDeleteLeading question and it appears, you ignored her answer.