Governor Visits Door County

At a ceremony marking two historic acquisitions by the Door County Land Trust Sept. 11, Wisconsin Governor Jim Doyle took an opportunity to address two issues central to the health of Lake Michigan.

He praised the state’s belated passage of the Great Lakes Compact, crediting citizens for pushing the legislation along.

“People like you,” he said to an audience of about 30 people in Clay Banks, ”and people across the state made [passage of the Compact] happen. It was tied up in partisan politics for two years. But the people of this state let their voice be heard. Democrats wanted it, Republicans wanted it, and people who don’t pay any attention to politics wanted it. We were drifting [into gridlock] but the people of Wisconsin pulled us back in.”

Doyle also plugged a proposal to reduce mercury emissions in Wisconsin to preserve the health of the Great Lakes fishery.

Talking about whitefish that breed in North Bay, Doyle said “we want to make sure when you catch ‘em you can eat ‘em.” His administration has proposed a 90 percent reduction in mercury emissions by electric generating units of 150 megawatts and up by 2015. The Environmental Protection Agency estimates that 60 percent of all mercury emissions in the state come from its 13 coal-fired power plants. Doyle said the reduction proposal has been locked in a partisan fight in the state’s Natural Resources Committee.

It’s estimated the rule would cost electric companies $40 – 90 million to meet, but supporters say the cost is worth it to protect the state’s $2.3 billion fishing industry.

The Assembly’s Natural Resources Committee voted Aug. 20 against the proposal, with all seven Republicans on the committee voting against it and all six Democrats voting in favor, sending it back to the Department of Natural Resources for further information.

Assemblyman Garey Bies (R-Sister Bay) of the 1st Assembly District was one of those who voted against the measure. His office released a statement Sept. 15 that said the committee members who voted against the proposal “understand the serious environmental consequences of mercury contamination,” but that the DNR did not provide enough supporting documentation for the rule to the committee for consideration. Without the documentation, it said, “many of the questions posed by the committee members at the public hearing were not answered…”

DNR secretary Matt Frank said all necessary documentation was provided.

“This mercury rule is important for the environment and it is a rule that will get done,” Bies said. “But before we as legislators can take important votes like this, we must have all of the information in order to prevent unintended consequences.”

Even without the committee’s approval, the rule will likely go into effect, as the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources said it wouldn’t comply with the committee’s recommendation. That kicks the proposal to the Joint Committee for Review of Administrative Rules, made up of five Democrats and five Republicans. A tie vote would put the rule into effect.

Doyle also commented on the 1st Assembly District race between Bies and challenger Dick Skare of Fish Creek, saying it will be a closely watched race.

“You’ll see Democrats focused on it in a very major way,” he predicted. “I hear a lot of people say they don’t like where republicans have led us.”