DNR's New Crusade and What It Will Cost YOU

In two words: the crusade is "phosphorus removal" and the cost?

Likely $5 BILLION statewide. Or more.

• 10.5 new DNR positions at an annual cost of $773,644
• 70% cost-share for milkhouse management systems and manure storage facilities: $9,312,500
• Private sector cost for same: $2,800,000
• Increased costs for controlling solids runoff in highway and road reconstruction: $30,915,000 to $46,352,250 annually. Wow.

You note that the FIRST thing is "more DNR employees."

But that's not the big numbers.

Chris Shaw, Deputy Director of Utilities for Appleton testified Monday that the cost of the new regs to Wisconsin wastewater plants would total $1 to $2 billion, with estimates as high as $5 billion.

And, of course, that cost will be passed on to ............guess who?

Why so much?

Wastewater plants in the Fox Valley are being asked (told) to decrease their phosphorus discharges by a factor of 10!

The largest single sewage outfit in the State is MMSD. (Thanks again to Mayor-Ette Bloomberg for putting ALL Brookfield residents into the MMSD tax structure, regardless of watershed...)

Which brings up the question: what will MMSD spend on the phosporus boondoggle?

HT: JoE