A Special Thanks to
Jean McGraw
by Barry Thomas
For more years than I can remember, Jean McGraw has served as our legislative
watchdog, keeping us abreast of legislative and environmental issues. She did
this through her timely, informative and well written articles in the "Southeast
Sierran" and through her involvement as Political Chair. Jean was one of the
pioneers in establishing the Southeast Gateway Group and has consistently been
an active, involved member over the years. Many of us have enjoyed hearing her
no nonsense assessment of environmental issues and politicians at our monthly
membership meetings. Now that Jean is moving to Hawaii, I would like to thank
her for her many years of involvement and offer her our best wishes for her life
in Hawaii.
[Photo: Jean and her son]
From the Chair…
by Barry Thomas
As we approach the critical November elections, some of you have indicated that
you would like to get more involved in supporting Sierra Club endorsed
candidates. Our Political Committee Co-chairs, Barb Meyocks, Kenosha, and Betsy
Georg, Racine, are in the process of interviewing local candidates through a
questionairre so that we have a basis for making endorsements. Because the
candidates had until July 15 to declare themselves, no local endorsements have
been made at this time.
Barb, Betsy and I have discussed a number of ways that we might involve you in
the political process. Suggestions include a letter writing campaign, posting
yard signs, and participating in rallies, literature drops and other activities
organized by the campaigns of Sierra Club endorsed candidates. It isn't
necessary to join the Political Committee to participate in these activities but
we would like to develop a corp of activists we could call upon when
opportunities for involvement occur. Because events change and develop rapidly,
we need a quick response form of communication to keep you informed. To me the
most expedient way to do this is through e-mail. However, we can make phone
calls for those who don't use e-mail. The e-mail list will only be used by the
Political Committee and will not be given to any candidates or political
parties. It will only be used to notify you of opportunities for involvement,
not for distribution of campaign literature. If you would like to become a
political activist, please e-mail or call one of the people listed below:
Barry Thomas; bthomas6 @ wi.rr.com; (262) 859-2960
Barb Meyocks; dflath1 @ wi.rr.com; (262) 654-2208
Betsy Georg; bgeorg @ hotmail.com; (262) 884-4376
The June 26 SEGG Canoe Outing brought these
Sierrans to Lulu Lake: John Berge, Delores Fisher, Bob Gericke, Dana Huck, Al
Sommer, Mary Ann Ortmayer, Betty Gericke, Nancy Hennessy and Mary Schroeder.
June 19, Hikers on the Third Saturday Hike, June 19, in
the Southern Kettle Moraine State Forest.
2005 Sierra Club
Calendars Available…
Once again the Sierra Club calendars for 2005 will be available through the
Southeast Gateway Group. Sales help to support our groups' many projects. These
sales are one of our main fundraisers.
The calendars are printed on a heavy stock with a different truly beautiful
color photo for each month. The Wilderness Wall Calendar is $11.00 and the
Engagement Calendar is $12.00
Please call Dian Sorenson at (262) 633-6974 for information.
Thanks, Paul
Whether it was to save trees or to save money, Representative Paul Ryan,
Republican from the First District, voted along with all the other Wisconsin
Representatives to support the Chabot-Andrews Amendment to the Interior
Appropriations Bill. This amendment removed $35 million dollars which had been
put into the bill to build lumbering roads in the Tongas National Forest in
Alaska -- America's temperate rain forest. This $35 million dollars would have
added an additional 1000 miles to the 5000 miles of roads that the Forest
Service has already built in the Tongas, subsidizing the lumber industry to the
tune of one billion dollars since 1982.
Unfortunately, this one environmental vote must be compared to Rep. Ryan's
previous 0% rating on environmental issues, according to the Sierra Club’s
records.
WE Energy Borrows to Cut Pollution
by John Berge
On June 14, Wisconsin Electric Power Company (WEPCO) applied to the Public
Service Commission (PSC) for permission to issue almost half a billion dollars
worth of environmental trust bonds to finance several pollution cleanup programs
which resulted from either court order or their consent agreements with the
Department of Natural Resources. The programs and their accompanying capital
costs are as follows:
1. Nitrogen oxide (NOX) abatement at Wisconsin Electric's Pleasant Prairie Power
Plant Unit 2. Estimated cost through 2006 is $129,420,000.
2. Manufactured Gas Plant (MGP) cleanup at a number of sites throughout
southeast Wisconsin. Those in the Southeast Gateway Group area include
Burlington, Kenosha and three sites in Racine. Other sites are in Appleton, Fort
Atkinson, Neenah, Port Washington, Watertown and Waukesha. Estimated cost
through 2006 is $35,229,000.
3. Desulphurization on Units 1 and 2 and Selective Catalytic Reduction on Unit 1
at the Pleasant Prairie Power Plant. The removal of sulfur oxides (SOX) is to be
done with limestone-based, forced oxidation on the wet flue gases. The estimated
total capital cost is $259,904,000.
4. Presque Isle units 7, 8 and 9 TOXICON(TM) project. This is a full-scale test
of a process to significantly reduce mercury emissions from coal-fueled power
plants, while at the same time reducing particulate matter. Estimated total
capital cost is $25,296,000.
5. Retirements at the Port Washington old coal-fired Generating Station (PWGS).
The estimated total capital cost is $55,800,000.
6. Continuous Emission Monitoring System for Particulate Matter (PM CEMs).
Wisconsin Electric plans to install a total of ten PM CEMs on a number of
coal-fired generating units by April 1, 2006. The estimated total capital cost
through 2006 is $3,273, 000.
7. Installation of Particulate Control Baghouse at Presque Isle Power Plant
Units 5 and 6 in Marquette, MI. Estimated total capital cost is $28,543,000.
These costs add up to over $537,000,000, but the "Wisconsin jurisdictional
portion" totals approximately $490,000,000. Wisconsin Electric's plans to clean
up their pollution, are laudable but late. These are projects that should have
been in place years ago but only now are being provided for under federal court
and state pressures. It would be fitting if these projects could be paid for out
of executive bonuses and company profits, but unfortunately, the bonds will be
paid off by WEPCO’s customers. WEPCO will argue that if their profits are
reduced, they can’t build the new power generating plants, Wisconsin will run
out of electricity and jobs will be lost. The PSC will make the decision and
they have historically sided with the utilities.
The pre-hearing conference for this application (6630-ET-100) was held in
Madison on July 6 and the hearing date has been set for Wednesday, September 1,
2004, at the PSC Building in Madison.
Symbols of Recycling
by John Berge
Have you ever wondered about the symbol in the lower left corner of the front
page of this newsletter? What does it mean? Who, when and where did it come
from? How does one describe it?
According to an article in the Spring 2004 edition of "Chemistry", this
traditional recycling symbol was created by Gary Anderson, a senior at the
University of California-Los Angeles. He designed the winning symbol in a
contest sponsored by the Container Corporation of America in 1970 in the
aftermath of the original Earth Day. It is essentially a Mobius strip (named
after its creator August Ferdinand Mobius) divided into three folded arrows in a
closed triangular loop. They symbolize the three major steps in recycling: (1)
collection and processing, (2) reuse to make new consumer products, and (3)
purchase and use of the products.
Contrary to popular opinion, the symbol means "recyclable" not "recycled" unless
the symbol is placed inside of a circle. It is of no surprise that the paper in
a newsletter is recyclable. That is why we print below the symbol that this
newsletter is printed on recycled paper. Some paper products put a percentage
number inside the triangle to indicate what fraction of the paper is recycled.
The three arrow triangle is also used by the plastic container industry to
indicate recyclability with a number inside to indicate the type of plastic in
the container. Sometimes there is an abbreviation below the symbol. Number 1 is
polyethylene terephthalate (PET or PETE), 2 is high-density polyethylene (HDPE),
3 is polyvinyl chloride (PVC), 4 is low-density polyethylene (LDPE), 5 is
polypropylene (PP), 6 is polystyrene (PS), and 7 is everything else and blends
or mixtures of the first six. An R before the abbreviation indicates that the
container is made with recycled material. It is of absolute importance in
recycling these materials that each type is segregated from each of the others.
This is done by the recycler. I have seen large cartons or drums full of
shredded plastic thrown into the dump because of a very minor contamination.
Recycling is important, but it is the third option indicated by the three R's:
Reduce, Reuse and Recycle. Reduce the amount of packaging and other materials as
much as you can, reuse whatever you can and recycle the rest. Those blue bags or
bins in front of your house prove you are recycling, but too many prove you are
not using the first two options to the optimum.
Orchids on the Prairie
Article and photo by Gary Zumach
I've been visiting the Chiwaukee Prairie at somewhat irregular intervals this
year, searching for something new to observe and photograph.
On July 14, I made another trip to the prairie. Although the bloom on the
prairie has, in my mind been a bit restrained this year, perhaps because of the
cool wet weather, I did notice some new colors as I drove to the parking area. I
exited my vehicle, camera at the ready.
I walked north, then west into the knee-high vegetation. There were nice stands
of prairie phlox and coneflowers, worthy of a few photos. I looked a bit west
and noticed a single white flower rising above the grasses. What a find--a white
prairie fringed orchid! Carefully circling the lone plant at a distance, I fully
documented it with the camera. I looked about for another one, but this was the
only one in this area.
I walked south, into the more frequently visited parts of the prairie. A new and
very well-worn trail led to another orchid, which was marked by a yellow plastic
flag. This poor orchid is being loved to death, well, I hope not to death, but
it's having more visitors than it ought to. Looking west, I found, unmolested,
another orchid. I documented this one also, and was pleased that there was no
well-beaten path leading to this one.
Considerable searching failed to turn up any more orchids, but I'm sure there
are more.
