Two farm groups have filed a lawsuit alleging that Wisconsin regulators can’t force factory farms to obtain pollution permits before they actually discharge pollutants into state waterways.
Category: Environment
Posted inEnvironment
Wisconsin towns brace for next fight on local control over large farms
A proposed pig CAFO spurred five northwest Wisconsin towns to regulate big farms. After one rescinded its ordinance, others wonder if they’ll face lawsuits.
Posted inEnvironment
Midwest states, often billed as climate havens, suffer summer of smoke, drought, heat
The lingering presence of wildfire smoke has made for an unusual start to summer across the Midwest. It also comes during a near-record drought crisping fields across the Corn Belt and the threat of hotter summers to come.
Posted inEnvironment
At rules hearing, U.S. EPA hears human toll of unaddressed coal ash pollution
“My husband and I had plans when I retired to travel; now he’s in the graveyard,” said the widow of a cleanup worker at the infamous 2008 Kingston, Tennessee, coal ash spill.
Posted inEnvironment
Canadian wildfire smoke threatens Wisconsin air quality. Here’s how to check health numbers.
Wisconsin faces a statewide Air Quality Advisory for fine particulate matter from wildfire smoke until noon on Thursday, June 29.
Posted inEnvironment
Midwest drought: Corn and soybeans suffer as forecasters expect no quick relief for farmers
Arid conditions are expected to persist in eastern Iowa, Missouri, Illinois and Wisconsin. River barges are affected, too.
Posted inEnvironment
With billions on the table for water infrastructure, small communities risk being left out to dry
Water system operators are stretched thin, covering around-the-clock responsibilities to keep water running safely and reliably.
Posted inEnvironment
EPA proposes to expand its regulations on dumps of toxic waste from burning coal
The action was prompted by a lawsuit to close a loophole that left many coal ash sites without federal regulations; some sites will be exempted
Posted inEnvironment
Lost in translation: How USDA barriers leave immigrant farmers and ranchers behind
Federal agriculture funding is a vital resource, but immigrant producers face language and cultural obstacles to benefiting from it.
Posted inEnvironment
Wildfire smoke is new hazard in upper Midwest
Canadian wildfire smoke brought air quality alerts to the Midwest. Such episodes will grow more common as the earth warms, climate experts say.
Posted inEnvironment
Lo que se pierde en la traducción: Como las barreras producidas por el USDA dejan abandonados a los agricultores y los ganaderos inmigrantes
Los fondos federales para la agricultura son recursos esenciales, pero los productores inmigrantes se enfrentan con barreras lingüísticas y culturales que no les permiten sacar provecho de ellos
Posted inEnvironment
Does the Mississippi River have rights?
Black and indigenous organizers from across the Mississippi River basin called to grant the river legal standing at a summit in late May. It’s part of a nascent movement that has won meaningful success abroad and is picking up steam in the U.S., with far-reaching implications.