DNR
urged to crack down on county beach pollution
March
21, 2005 -- The
State Department of Natural Resources immediately
should take enforcement action against Milwaukee
County for its continued pollution of Bradford Beach,
according to the Milwaukee Metropolitan Sewerage
District.
The
county should fund long-term improvements that could
be implemented by the start of the 2006 swimming
season, MMSD Executvie Director Kevin L. Shafer
wrote to DNR Secretary Scott Hassett.
"The
MMSD Commission believes Milwaukee County must provide
funds as soon as possible to correct the huge volume
of storm water pollution spilling from its sewer
outfalls and parking lots," Shafer wrote.
The
storm water from the outflows and lots loads beach
sand with bacteria that can then be washed into
Lake Michigan, Shafer said.
MMSD
is offering the county help in evaluating the most
cost effective solution to either treat or redirect
the polluted water, Shafer said.
To
see pictures of a county-induced spike in e.coli
counts after a storm, click here.
To
read Shafer's letter, click here.
Murphy,
colleagues blast water diversion efforts
Dec.
6, 2005 -- Waukesha has not taken water
conservation seriously and its current bid to draw
water from Lake Michigan is disengenuous, according
to Ald. Michael Murphy.
“Allowing
Waukesha to draw water from Lake Michigan would
open up a Pandora’s box of potential diversion
attempts and could have very detrimental impacts
on Lake Michigan and the states
themselves in the region,” Murphy said.
Murphy,
who represents Story Hill on the Common Council,
was joined by Aldermen Willie Hines and Robert Bauman
in blasting the diversion attempt. Their public
criticism of Waukesha's effort was in sharp contrast
to Mayor Tom Barrett's low profile, conciliatory
approach to the issue.
Murphy
Murphy
noted the construction of a 45,000-square-foot water
park at the Country Springs Hotel just off I-94
in Waukesha.
“When
you’re serious about water conservation you
don’t make plans for log rides and lazy rivers,”
he said.
Bauman
said Milwaukee residents would be harmed economically
by such a diversion.
“Waukesha
could use the new water as an incentive to expand
industrial parks to lure businesses and industries
– and jobs – away from Milwaukee,”
he said.
Bauman
also said Waukesha has failed in its duty to provide
low-income housing, failing in that area of "regional
cooperation."
“To be frank, Waukesha has not stepped up
in this area and has failed miserably, leaving Milwaukee
to shoulder the burden," he said.
Hines,
Common Council president, said more study is needed
before Waukesh's diversion request is considered.
“This is not the time to rush any water diversion
efforts forward, and especially not until we exhaust
all inquiries about potential impacts and effects
that could come with a diversion such as this,”
he said.
Waukesha's
attempt to get Lake Michigan water is a clear attempt
at an end run around the Great Lakes Charter Annex,
Murphy said. The charger is an agreement signed
by eight governors and the premiers of the Canadian
provinces of Ontario and Quebec to protect and conserve
the environmental balance of the Great Lakes basin
ecosystem.
The parties are developing agreements to create
a management process for regulating water diversions
and withdrawals from the Great Lakes basin in order
to protect the water from overuse in and outside
of the basin.
