Defender Fall 2018

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Defender

Fall 2018 we believe everyone deserves clean water and clean air

Clean Wisconsin water program director Scott Laeser opens a recent panel discussion on the new Southwest Wisconsin Groundwater & Geology (SWIGG) study in front of a full crowd in Mineral Point. The event was part of Clean Wisconsin’s La Follette Environmental Speakers Program. (Jon Drewsen/Clean Wisconsin)

Southwest Wisconsin counties launch well water quality study By Scott Laeser Water Program Director

While Game 5 of the NLCS Playoffs was taking place in LA between the Dodgers and Brewers in mid-October, over 75 Southwest Wisconsin residents turned out in Mineral Point to learn about drinking water quality in their communities and a new multi-county effort to protect it.

Drinking water contamination issues continue to surface around the state, and now some Southwest Wisconsin counties are stepping up to get on top of potential well water contamination issues there. Grant, Iowa, and Lafayette Counties have been in discussions for months to initiate and fund a comprehensive study of their private wells.

The Southwest Wisconsin Groundwater and Geology study, or SWIGG, will combine and leverage the resources of Grant, Iowa, and Lafayette County to conduct a broad survey of well water quality in Southwest Wisconsin and then use that data to see if wells are contaminated, where that contamination is coming from, and to identify what could be done to address it and prevent future contamination. Access to clean drinking water in the state is too often taken for granted. Only around 10% of private wells in Wisconsin are tested for contaminants like bacteria and nitrates even though evidence shows that in certain parts of the state, well water pollution is a growing problem. Bacteria and high levels of nitrates in drinking water make people sick, and they can be especially dangerous for pregnant women, babies, and young children and other folks with weaker immune systems. Southwest Wisconsin has some of the highest levels of coliform bacteria pollution in the state. The region also has higher than average numbers of cases of potentially waterborne diseases like Salmonella, E. coli, and Cryptosporidium. With this concerning public health data in combination with the fact that Southwest Wisconsin has cracked bedrock and shallow soils that can allow pollutants to enter groundwater, the counties rightly chose to step up and initiate this important study. The study will look at geological features like the types of bedrock wells are drilled into, how close wells are located to agricultural fields or septic systems, and how wells are constructed to identify where any contamination is coming from. continued on Page 5

Clean Wisconsin challenges EPA over ozone pollution

Clean Wisconsin 634 W. Main St., #300 Madison, WI 53703-2500

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By Sophia Rogers, Legal Intern

Linda, a Kenosha County resident and Clean Wisconsin member since 2003, suffers from asthma. She likes to walk her dogs for 45 minutes twice a day. To avoid exacerbating her asthma on high ozone days, she waits until the sun goes down to walk her dogs the second time. (Sophia Rogers)

Also in this issue

On August 1, 2018, Clean Wisconsin sued the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in federal court, challenging a rule that exposes thousands of Wisconsin residents to ozone pollution. This unjust rule is just one in a series of Trump Administration policies that ignore air pollution at the cost of harm to public health. Ground-level ozone (O3), often called “smog,” is an ambient air pollutant that harms our lungs and makes breathing difficult. Ozone forms from two precursors—nitrous oxides (NOX) and volatile organic compounds (VOCs)— which are emitted by mobile sources (such as cars and trucks) and stationary sources (such as power plants). When these precursors react in hot sunlight—when people are more likely to be outside—they form ozone. Inhaling ozone is particularly harmful for children, the elderly, and people with respiratory conditions. Ozone pollution can exacerbate and trigger respiratory conditions such as asthma, chronic obstructive continued on Page 5

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