March 2005

Welcoming New Staff
Midwest Environmental Advocates is pleased to welcome our new Development Director / Advocacy Coordinator, Sarah L. White.  Sarah earned her BA at Wellesley College and her PhD in history at Columbia University, where she studied rural social and political movements. A Minnesotan with a demonstrated commitment to sustainable development overseas and environmental justice in the Midwest, Sarah brings to MEA more than a decade of experience in nonprofit management. She has also logged hundreds of miles exploring the upper Mississippi with her three dogs, and cultivates chemical-free roses in her Madison backyard.

Sarah will be working to meet MEA's fundraising needs.  Also, as our Advocacy Coordinator, Sarah will be the first point of contact for people looking for legal representation.

Working for a Clean Lake Michigan

In October of 2004 Midwest Environmental Advocates, on behalf of the Sierra Club, filed a lawsuit to force Emmpak Foods, an industrial slaughterhouse, to stop its illegal dumping of oil, grease and animal parts into Milwaukee's sewerage system.  Emmpak had over 71 documented violations of its Wastewater Discharge Permit since May of 2000.  Oil and grease can clog sewer pipes and increase the likelihood of sewer overflows into the Menomonee River and Lake Michigan.

SUCCESS!  On February 8, 2005, MEA successfully settled its lawsuit with Emmpak.  In response to our legal action, Emmpak installed the technology necessary to control their illegal pollution.  Additionally, the settlement provides $30,000 to two Milwaukee-area community groups who will use the funds to help promote environmental education.

To read a Milwaukee Journal Sentinel article about the settlement, click here.

Speaking Out For Clean Air

Midwest Environmental Advocates needs your help to protect rural Wisconsin from toxic odors and air pollution from livestock factories.  To the disappointment of many rural Wisconsin residents, last year the State Legislature passed the Livestock Facilities Siting Act.  This new law stifles local governments' ability to protect public health and safety by forcing them to adhere to statewide standards for livestock factories when granting local permits.

These statewide standards are currently up for public hearing.  Now is the time to voice your support for strong standards to address the significant odor and air pollution generated by large livestock factories.  Afternoon and evening hearings will be held around the state from March 14th  - March 24th.  To find the location nearest you, click here.

To find out more about the proposed statewide standards, and for talking points for the upcoming hearings, click here.

To read a Milwaukee Journal Sentinel article about the standards, click here.

Advocating For Safe Drinking Water

Midwest Environmental Advocates continued its fight for clean and safe drinking water when it filed a motion to intervene on behalf of the Treml family in Kewaunee County circuit court.  Last winter, liquid manure from Stahl Farms, a 900 cow livestock factory contaminated the Treml's well and a nearby stream.  Every member of the Treml family became seriously ill.  The Treml's filed a lawsuit against Stahl Farms in federal court, while the State filed a lawsuit against Stahl Farms in state court. 

SUCCESS!  On February 11, 2005, Judge Mleziva ruled that the Tremls were entitled to intervene in the State's lawsuit against Stahl Farms.  In its ruling, the Court likened the Treml's intervention to a "victim's rights" issue in a criminal case, where the victim has the right to participate in the prosecution of the law.

To read the transcript of the Court's ruling, click here. 

Stopping Polluting Facilities

In November of 2002, a group of residents in Preston, Minnesota formed a community group, Southeastern Minnesotans for Environmental Protection (SEMEP) to fight a proposed tire burning facility named Heartland Energy & Recycling. If built, Heartland would become the largest tire burning facility in the United States, incinerating 10 million scrap tires annually, and would be located within a half-mile of a grade school and a nursing home. Despite the potential significant environmental impact the tire burning facility poses, the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA) refused to require an Environmental Impact Statement that would provide a comprehensive analysis of the air pollutants emitted by Heartland.

In September of 2003, SEMEP began legal action against MPCA’s approval of an air permit for Heartland.  Midwest Environmental Advocates' Impact Litigation Fund is helping to cover one-third of the costs of SEMEP's legal fight. 

SUCCESS! Thanks to the excellent legal representation provided by Peters & Peters, in April of 2004, Olmsted County District Judge Joseph Wieners ruled that construction on the tire burner should stop temporarily while the MPCA reconsiders the environmental impacts.On January 25, 2005, after hearing hours of testimony, the MPCA Board agreed with SEMEP that a full Environmental Impact Statement must be conducted before this proposed tire burner can be approved.

To read a Minneapolis and St. Paul Star Tribune article on the MPCA decision, click here.