Lake protections take big hit in Walker's budget, critics say

RON SEELY | rseely@madison.com | 608-252-6131 madison.com | (7) Comments | Posted: Monday, March 7, 2011 5:45 amshareLake protections take big hit in Walker's budget, critics say

"Tucked away in Gov. Scott Walker's proposed budget are what some consider to be dramatic rollbacks in regulations that control the amounts of weed-growing phosphorus going into Wisconsin's lakes. The budget would also substantially scale back requirements for cities and villages to control polluted runoff from areas such as parking lots, streets and construction sites."

"Critics say the changes would undo years of negotiation and compromise that created workable regulations to reduce the levels of pollutants such as phosphorus. They also charge that the proposed changes would so diminish state clean water protections that the federal Environmental Protection Agency could be forced to step in and implement its own regulations." reports Ron Seely of the Wisconsin State Journal