Great Lakes

Waukesha's Great Lakes Diversion Plan Adds A Willing Town

September 16, 2011 by The Political E...

Delafield says, "OK," but the Town of Waukesha has yet to be heard from.

We'll see if the other Great Lakes states approve of boot-strapping non-applicant communities into an application - -  on the strength of a map and service territory that never had a hearing when drawn up by a non-elected regional planning commission.

Follow The Waukesha Diversion Process On The DNR's Web Site, Pages

September 14, 2011 by The Political E...

Here is the link. Each bulleted item in the first paragraph - - Proposal, Background, EIS Process, etc. - - is a actually a button that takes you to a separate, detailed page.

Is Picking A Fight With New York State The Best Way For Walker To Get Waukesha's Diversion Application Approved?

September 13, 2011 by The Political E...

I can't imagine that they are turning handstands today at the Waukesha Common Council and Water Utility offices after reading that Gov. Walker and two Republican gubernatorial allies have picked a fight with Andrew Cuomo, New York state's Governor.

Cuomo has put into place tough rules to control the movement of invasive species that hide out in Great Lakes freighters' ballast water.

Everyone agrees that something must be done to halt the onslaught of invasive species entering the lakes via contaminated ballast tanks on overseas freighters sailing up the St. Lawrence Seaway. But the states can't agree on just how much regulation the shipping industry should be forced to endure.

New York took the lead when it developed a state ballast discharge rule far more stringent than any other Great Lakes state, and now a group of governors -- including Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker -- is calling on New York to relax its regulations, which aren't scheduled to take effect until the middle of 2013.

Urgency On Stopping Great Lakes Carp; Less So Slowing Falling Lake Levels

September 1, 2011 by The Political E...

Good to see that a growing number of Attorneys General are pressuring officials to act and prevent the movement of destructive Asian carp into the precious Great Lakes.

But let's not forget another major issue facing the Great Lakes - - the precipitous drop in water levels that can be addressed, but at substantial cost.

That effort seems more complex, more politicized and slower moving.

Efforts to keeping the Great Lakes clean and sustainable are well worth the cost, and that includes paying to fight invasive species, and financing upgrades to regional sewage system repairs and other anti-pollution measures.

This is a perfect example of why we need governments - - local, state, and federal - - with adequate revenues (taxes) to engage in large-scale public works projects that can guarantee clean drinking water and the jobs upon which business, commerce and entire industries depend.

Without focused and coordinated government action from Minnesota to New York state, with a large region and Canadian provinces in between, the country's largest supply of fresh surface water will continue to be degraded.

Major Great Lakes Neighborhood Development Conference Upcoming

August 31, 2011 by The Political E...

The ambitious and energetic folks running the grassroots Great Lakes Urban Exchange are planning an exciting conference about neighborhood development next month in Pittsburgh.

Details below:

Green-Lighting Neighborhoods: GLUE's 4th Annual Conference Pittsburgh, PA :: September 15-17, 2011