The upcoming elections are the most important for the people of Wisconsin in many decades. For those who live in Door County the outcome of the elections could very well determine your future health and the health of your children, grandchildren and those yet to be born. The Republican candidates for Governor, Congress, State Senator, and State Assembly are all anti-environment stalwarts and their records prove it. John Gard, Alan Lassee, and Garey Bies have consistently trashed the DNR and have opposed every environmental regulation that was intended to help improve water quality and the environment. Congressman Green has marched in stride with the Bush Administration's anti-environment stance, and is beholden to lobbyists from many polluting corporations.
Approximately two weeks ago, the Republican controlled Rules and Regulations Committee in the Wisconsin Legislature prevented the enactment of a regulation that the Wisconsin DNR had been working on for 14 years. This regulation would have reduced the allowable maximum concentration limit of a toxic herbicide, alachor, known commonly as Lasso, that is used extensively in Wisconsin agricultural operations. Alachor causes cancer in humans and also is associated with anemia, liver and kidney problems, and serious eye and nasal irritation. The Environmental Protection Agency established the maximum concentration level for Alachor at 2 parts per billion parts in drinking water from municipal supplies, although they stated that zero was the objective but technology was not available to achieve this.
During the last 14 years the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources has been investigating the prevalence of alachor in private well water to determine whether restrictions on its use were needed. The findings were astounding. Alachor was found in more than 200,000 private well water supplies throughout Wisconsin, essentially everywhere it is used. As a result of the DNR findings the DNR submitted a regulation that would have restricted the use of alachor to reduce the contamination of drinking water from private wells.
Wisconsin currently has a non-enforceable standard of 10 parts per million for well water, and the new regulation would have established 20 parts per billion, a level that is still 10 times greater that the federal EPA maximum for alachor in municipal drinking water. Private well water is not regulated by any federal or state agency. The well user alone is responsible.
The proposed DNR regulation would have limited the use of alachor, and of course special parties cheered on by THE FOUR HORSEMEN rose to the challenge. Monsanto, the manufacture of Lasso (and the past manufacture of PCB's) objected to the proposed restriction. And guess what. The Republican controlled Committee on Administrative Rules killed the proposed health standard. John Gard, Alan Lassee, and Gary Bies all supported this action, and John Gard who is the Assembly Leader essentially thumbed his nose at the approximately one million private owners of wells in Wisconsin and invited us to have a toxic alachor cocktail on him!
According to the Wisconsin State Journal (Sept.26) the Republican co-chairman, Sen.Glen Grotham R-West Bend, of the Administrative Rules Committee, when questioned about the Republican controlled vote, said the the regulation would have been an undue hardship upon farmers who use Lasso on corn and soybeans. He also said the he was fed up with the DNR's regulatory zeal, and stated that " They're out of whack again. They just don't like people or what people do." The FOUR HORSEMEN Green, Gard, Lassee, and Bies nodded in agreement as about 2 million Wisconsin family members continued to drink toxic, carcinogenic water from their private wells.
The time has come to restore environmental protection to Wisconsin and the federal government. Please join me in a toast to the defeat of THE FOUR HORSEMEN OF THE ANTI-ENVIRONMENT LEAGUE as a big step in this direction. Our health and the health of future generations may well depend upon the outcome of our votes on November 7, 2006. Before you vote make sure you know what the candidate's record or position is on environmental issues. Environmental issues, and political decisions regarding them, will determine the quality of life for all of us now living, and for all future generations.
PS Read my book, A Drinker's Guide to Pure Water--Is Your Water Safe? to understand the seriousness of the drinking water crisis, and what the health consequences are. Information is available at www.safewaterguide.com
My book has been listed on the Forbes Book Club list, and is available on-line and from book stores.
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Zeep
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