MADISON - New rule revisions designed to reduce manure groundwater contamination, specifically in the northeast section of the state, take effect July 1.

The changes, under the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources' ch. NR 151, Wis. Adm. Code, relate to Silurian bedrock, which are areas where the soil depth to bedrock is shallow and the bedrock may be fractured.

"The main purpose of this targeted performance...

The recent rescue incident at the Hi-Crush facility in Whitehall released 10 million gallons of (primarily) water, silt, clay, and sand from a retaiing pond at the site. The release flowed through a local creek and into the Trempealeau river, depositing silt and mud on local farmers fields in the process. Hi-Crush has been removing the silt from the farms and other properties in the path, a...

On 5/25 Midwest Environmental Advocates filed a suit to challenge the recent DNR approval of diverting water from Lake Michigan to suppy the upcomfing Foxconn project.  The gist of the suit is that the DNR mis-interpreted the provision in the Great Lakes Compact allowing water diversions. The compoact requires that water diversions be made for public water supply purposes. Racine had argued that since the city primarily uses residential water that the diversion was appilcable. MEA (and a lot...

The spill from the pond at Hi-Crush yesterday is currently moving down the Trempealeau River toward the MIssissippi and is reportedly still visible. 

I spoke with Andrew Savagian at the DNR office in Madison this afternoon about the spill. The processing water from the pond was apparently very thick, which explains the need to drain the pond at Hi-Crush (since the driver of the bulldozer could not be found underwater) and perhaps why the spill is not disappearing as it flows down the...