Question No. 5: Gregg Underheim Response
Gregg Underheim did not respond to this question by the deadline. A comment appears below.
posted by Miles Maguire at 1:57 PM
Monday, October 04, 2004
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2 Comments:
This is the response that Gregg Underheim submitted on Oct. 8:
Let me begin with what I support
1. I support the Job Creation Act
2. I support sufficient funding for positions in the DNR so that the agency can investigate and enforce the law
3. I support the Governor’s efforts to deal with invasive species in Lake Winnebago
4. I support efforts to control run off and non-point source pollution
5. I support regulations to protect our waters against high capacity wells
The Job Creation Act (JCA), passed by the legislature and signed by the Governor is a model for bipartisan cooperation. The business community and individuals identified several issues. Those issues were distilled to problems with the permitting process and issues of cost to comply with regulations. The legislature worked with the Governor to pass legislation that fosters economic development and protects the environment.
The problems that were most important to the business community concerned the timeliness of the permit process. Manufacturers complained that permits that could be obtained in European countries in a week frequently took months or longer to obtain here. Furthermore, there was hostility to business on the part of the DNR. Governor Doyle said it best when he asserted that the DNR should be overjoyed to issue a permit because it meant that the applicant had met our environmental standards and that we were creating economic development in Wisconsin.
The JCA changes the air and water permitting process. It creates no new permits it only makes the use of current law easier and more likely. In both air and water permits there are currently individual permits, general permits and exceptions to permits. Individual permits are the most difficult to obtain. They require the DNR to make a determination about a specific project or the building of a specific building or the addition of a specific piece of machinery. General permits are for a wide array of machines or activities that are acceptable to the DNR. There are also in the law exemptions from permits. It also requires a rapid turn around time on the part of the DNR.
Under the new law those categories still exist. The DNR is required to write rules that determine the manner in which activities take place. For example, if someone were to put rip rap on a shoreline he would have to do it in a manner that the DNR specifies in the rule and limit it to the extent that is allowed. That is true of all exempt categories. It is also true of the general permit as well. So, even when the DNR no longer issues a permit the activity that an individual undertakes must be done consistent with DNR rules. That is true in both air and water permitting.
Another important change that the JCA makes is in the administrative rules process. Under previous law when a rule was promulgated several steps needed to be followed. Under the JCA 5 different agencies could be required to provide an economic impact statement. The statement would consider the economic impact of regulations promulgated by different agencies.
There are other policy areas that merit attention as well. The legislature and the governor have agreed on several other environmental proposals also. We passed legislation to regulate high capacity wells in Wisconsin that the Governor signed. We passed legislation to curb run off and non-point source pollution as well. The governor also signed these proposals.
There is great concern about the appearance of invasive species in Lake Winnebago. The Governor has created a panel to determine whom best to deal with these issues. I support his efforts. I also support the education efforts to aimed at boaters to keep their crafts clean of zebra mussles.
On the energy front the governor and the legislature have also agreed. Wisconsin faces the prospect of energy shortages if we do not act to increase our energy production and energy transmission. The legislature and the Governor agreed to speed up the process of siting power plants and transmission lines. The new lines would be added to already existing poles and built on the same right of ways.
Additionally, we have required the state to be a purchaser of “green” energy so that there will be a market for it. Wind power is becoming more and more economically viable. It is important that the state support it.
There has been significant bipartisan cooperation in environmental issues. I expect that cooperation to continue.
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