Pharmacies, ER/ICU facilities win big in latest Walker Gray Skies push

The wins keep piling up for Scott Walker's Brown Waters/Gray Skies/Clogged Lungs Initiative.

And why not: It's Clean Air Month!

Last week it was the DNR's rushed approvals for four air pollution permits to allow Foxconn to emit annually 796 tons of eye-watering, land-and-water contaminating smog and other airborne pollutants.
 
Today it's the US EPA approval at Walker's request to exempt much of SE Wisconsin from clean air standards that will apply to much of the state and country.

The EPA found that portions of Milwaukee, Ozaukee, Sheboygan, Manitowoc, Door and Kenosha counties along the lake were in violation of a new tougher ozone standard. 

Racine County — the future home of the Foxconn Technology Group — was declared to be in compliance with the standard. 

The EPA also exempted Waukesha and Washington counties from 2015 standards advanced under Obama administration. 

By the way, data from the American/Wisconsin Lung Associations had already graded Kenosha, Milwaukee, Ozaukee and Sheboygan Counties "F" for particulate (read: ozone) pollution, and more data show the thousands and thousands of Wisconsinites in those counties and elsewhere in the state already at risk from pediatric asthma, adult asthma, lung cancer and cardio-vascular disease.

Walker's DNR has posted warning information about ozone as recently as April 26th, but that was so last week: 

Counties that do not meet federal clean air standards for ozone require businesses and residents in those areas to take special measures to reduce ground-level ozone.

No doubt it helped having former WI DNR Secretary and principal Walker/'chamber of commerce mentality' water carrier Cathy Stepp as the recently-installed Great Lakes EPA regional director. 

The dirtier air permissions for much of the Lake Michigan shoreline region 'won' by Walker is just what he needs to convince out-of-state residents to relocate to Wisconsin under what might called his big, bold 'Come For The TV Assembly Jobs, Stay for the Smog program.

And overlook the wee contradiction that the DNR tells us that May is Clean Air Month, and has these chipper reminders up on its web pages: 

May is Clean Air Month  

Committed to clean air

Poetry contest

Calling all parents and teachers. Have your 3rd, 4th and 5th graders submit poems and riddles for the 2018 Air, Air Everywhere Poetry Contest.

Clean air is important to human and ecosystem health. Poor air quality can affect people of all ages, especially those sensitive to air pollution, including people with asthma or heart conditions, people who work and exercise outdoors, and older adults and children. These facts make it all the more important to understand air quality and recognize the importance of clean air.

Get outside, get creative and have fun for Clean Air Month.

• Calling all parents and teachers. Have your 3rd, 4th and 5th graders submit poems and riddles for the 2018 Air, Air Everywhere Poetry Contest. This year's submission deadline is Friday, May 4, 2018.

Walker, AG Brad Schimel and the WMC have been after eased air pollution standards for years - - suing in court, too - - because reduced public information programming now more than seven years old and dirtier-air readings you can ignore moving 'forward' are said to be good for business.

So this is your lucky day if you sell eye drops and allergy medications, run clinics, ICU and ER facilities that treat asthma and cardio-vascular disease, or sell inside-play equipment that the kids can use when EveryDay is Ozone Action Day.