Chippewa Herald-Telegram from Chippewa Falls, Wisconsin • A2

A2 Weekend, January 4-5, 2020 The Chippewa herald 00 1 Just shy of two years ago, this column explored the height-ened importance of open government when public health is at risk. Multiple examples showed the government was not shar- ing timely information with the public, or even other branches of government, on issues such as clean drinking water and chronic wasting disease. Some progress may be on the horizon, however. A bipartisan group of legislators has introduced a bill, AB 700, which would require the state Department of Natural Resources to notify counties within seven days when a water discharge permit-holder has violated groundwater quality standards. It also directs the de- partment to create a cation system for other interested par- ties, such as residents, regarding the same violations.

Known as the Water Pollution cation Act, the bill aims to prevent what happened in La Crosse in 2016. Then, La Crosse County health offi cials worked in vain for months to get information from the DNR about potential groundwater pollution from a local Concentrated Animal Feeding Operation. It turned out that pollution had been ongoing for years. The co-author, Rep. Jill Billings, D-La Crosse, worked with county and DNR offi cials to draft the bill.

intent of this legislation is not to go after Billings told Wisconsin Public Radio. It merely ensures that people who live near prob- lem wells be ed that they can test their wells and make sure that they have clean This makes sense, and it is in keeping with the ideal of maximum transparency. As one county offi cial expressed, make decisions based upon the best information that we have available at any point. So there cannot be a decision made to no- tify the public if not aware of a The bill is not limited to farm contamination; it would require disclosure of contaminants from industrial or other sources as well. The bill is co-authored by Rep.

John Nygren, R-Marinette, whose district has experienced groundwater pollution from a class of contaminants called PFAS, and who has criticized withholding information about groundwater pollution. A similar bill was proposed in early 2018 but failed to pass. hope this bipartisan eff ort fares better in 2020. Sadly, not everyone agrees that sharing information about groundwater contamination is a good idea. Offi cials in Lafayette County were roundly criticized in No- vember for proposing to prose- cute media and discipline board members who reported results from a three-county groundwa- ter study in a manner not favored by county offi cials.

While that sweeping proposal did not pass, a scaled-back ver- sion received approval from a county committee, and some county offi cials still supported releasing results only to local media. Scientists working on the study pushed back against the county proposal. are public employees and our work is public said state geologist Ken Bradbury. cannot choose to release some data to some parties and not to the spirit. Informa- tion about clean drinking water and clean air is of fundamental importance to the public.

That alone is reason for proper com- munication about testing re- sults, instead of trying to with- hold studies that taxpayers are funding. We hope policy makers re- solve in 2020 to bring additional transparency to matters of pub- lic health. your right to know is a monthly column distributed by the Wiscon- sin Freedom of Information Council (wisfoic.org), a group dedicated to open government. Christa Wester- berg, an attorney at Pines Bach law rm in Madison, is the co- vice president. The woman is pressed against the wooden di-vider, separating her from the man she has waited in line to meet.

But before he gets to her, he moves in the opposite di- rection. She reaches out and grabs the hand with obvious force. The man reacts angrily, tries to pull his hand away, and then slaps the woman so release her grip. The look on his face is a mixture of exasperation and annoyance. In any other context, this ex- change could be chalked up to bad manners and impatience.

But this was not just any con- text. It took place in St. Square, and the exchange was between a pilgrim and Pope Francis. As things tend to do these days, the video of this momen- tary interaction went viral, spurring thousands of social media posts and coverage from the national and foreign press. The pope incorporated an apology for the incident in his New address.

times we lose our he said. do, too, and sorry for bad I was particularly aff ected by the video of the pontiff reac- tion, for personal reasons. In 1984, I lived in Rome. Every Wednesday, I would take the No. 64 bus to the Vatican from my apartment to attend the public papal audiences at St.

Six years into his cate and three years after the assas- sination attempt, Pope John Paul II had become one of the most beloved and charismatic international gures. Never once did I see John Paul turn away from anyone in either anger or impatience. He had almost been killed by an assas- bullet, and yet refused to retreat behind a self-imposed wall of fear. He was always welcoming, always willing to reach out and be embraced, especially by children. I have also been in proximity to Pope Francis.

When he came to Philadelphia during the World Meeting of Families in 2015, I sat six rows from him when he spoke at Independence Hall. He, too, had charisma. He, too, interacted with the crowds. And while I often agree with what I see as his hyper- partisan view of morality in this world, I respect him as the in- fallible representative of Christ. But that infallibility relates only to church doctrine.

It does not automatically give him a pass for bad behavior, even when he acknowledges that behavior with an apology. Pope Francis has been very outspoken about protecting the rights of refugees, marginalized communities, and being strong stewards of the environment. He has been critical of big cor- porations, building walls, and has famously said, am I to when dealing with the LGBT community, indicating a willingness to be more inclusive. He has earned a reputation for compassion. why the sight of him slapping a hand and then grimacing struck such a discordant note.

You could excuse him for his age, or the fact that he was tired. Christian blogger Matt Walsh tweeted in defense of Pope Francis: sure all the people giving Pope Francis a hard time have lots of experi- ence dealing with adoring mobs and have never once lost their patience while being physically accosted by a crazed Problem is, the video show a It shows a woman who waited patiently for what was perhaps her only chance to ever touch the leader of her church. And, to be blunt, adoring mobs go with the terri- tory if you are the Vicar of Christ. I applaud the pope for ac- knowledging his mistake and apologizing publicly. It is hon- orable of him to seek forgive- ness.

I understand that papal infallibility does not mean moral perfection. Francis may be representative on Earth for my people, but he is still a human being. But John Paul, now a saint, was once a human being as well. And instead of clips showing him slapping a hand, you will nd photos of him shaking the hand of his at- tempted assassin. truly being Christlike.

Pope Francis should channel forgiveness Pollution records must be open OPINION One last look before visions of 2020 I hope you had a great holiday season. We have no choice but to move on into 2020. Because I do not want to think about 2020 quite yet, I decided to let my brain off my holiday leash and let it go wan- dering. So in no particular order: I can always tell when the frac- sand industry is doing well. Living on 40th Avenue, the Union runs a lot of sand trains.

Not many trains lately. Once again we are taught a valuable lesson. Frac sand appears to be going the way of the lumber industry in the Chippewa Valley. Hopefully there is enough money in escrow to reclaim the land, but I have my doubts. There is a saying going around: you ate today, thank a farmer; if you ate at home, thank a trucker; if you ate in peace today thank a To all of you, thanks.

But I want a thank-you back. I buy local, pay my taxes and support the mil- itary. So farmers, truckers and soldiers, you are welcome. You do your job and I will do mine. I got a call last week from someone pretending to be my Mother in Sedona, Arizona.

I know it my Mother because she died in 1993. According to the caller, it ap- pears my Mother got herself into trouble with the Sedona Police Department and needs a $1,000 to pay off a ne. Mom must be doing that medical marijuana again. I told her to lay off the weed but she would not listen. I would love to help her but rst I have to call the Social Security Offi ce and get straight with them.

It appears that my Social Security has been shut off Meanwhile Mom, since I have not spoken to you since 1993, I guess you will just have to wait until our next I really would like to reach out and touch the scammers who do these things. The Chippewa Valley lost a great guy when James Campbell Senior passed a few weeks ago. He was a co-community col- umnist and wrote extensively about the history of the Chip- pewa Falls area. His love of life and gentle humor have been passed down to his children and grandchildren. James had a big smile and al- ways brought you up to speed on what was happening in his life.

He is well represented by his namesake James junior who shares his big smile and humor. Another person I would like to give shout out to is Ron Stein- metz of the Town of Hallie. Ron was awarded the Kiwanis Ag- ricultural Friend of the Year for 2019 in December. I have known Ron since 1980 and he is really a very nice man. Ron has farmed in the town of Hallie since the late 1950s, I believe.

The only part of the article telling the community about the award was that the article referred to Well, his wife is Darlene Steinmetz and anyone who has grown up on or near a farm knows very well that wife, or Mom or is at least or more of the operation. Congratulations, Darlene and Ron. The award is well deserved. The Jayme Closs investigation has been closed. The man who committed the crimes against her and her fam- ily has been convicted.

Indeed that man is now in a New Mexico prison. I would hope for the sake of Jayme Closs and her family we will let them live their lives in peace. What the Wisconsin De- partment of Justice has released does nothing to bring closure to this matter. It just keeps stoking the re. Wisconsin uses the ERIC Vot- ing System.

Through the website states can compare of- cial data on eligible voters such as voter and motor vehicle registrations, U.S. Postal Service addresses, and Social Security death record to keep voter rolls more complete and up to So ERIC is making a list, checking it twice, gonna nd out naughty and nice. ERIC sees when you are sleep- ing, knows when awake, knows if been good or bad so be good for goodness sake. With such a magic computer Wisconsin should be able to vote by mail soon. Oh well, it is time to take the tree down.

Founded 1865 a Lee enterprises newspaper 321 Frenette drive, PO Box 69, Chippewa Falls, WI 54729 COMMUNITY COLUMNIST YOUR RIGHT TO KNOW In 1986, hit the big screens, the Chicago Bears won the Super Bowl hopefully for the last time and 1.44-megabyte oppy disks were hit- ting the market. It was also the last time regu- lations enforc- ing one of our most important envi- ronmental laws the National Environmental Policy Act were updated. A lot has changed in technol- ogy, sports and culture since 1986, so why regulations that impact the infrastructure our economy depends on being updated with the times? The environmental policy act was signed into law in 1970 as one our rst broad frameworks for protecting our environment. The goal, a able and important one, was to ensure proper environmental consid- eration be given to construction projects. Proposals such as building airports, highways, military bases and other developments trigger assessment require- ments to evaluate the environ- mental impact of these projects.

Unfortunately, the NEPA process has become bogged down in needless and often du- plicative red tape. It has also of- ten been used as a tool to block development regardless of the actual environmental impact of a project. The problem with NEPA its goal of protecting the envi- ronment. Instead, the failure of the federal government to update the implementing regulations. This failure leads to wasted time and money, delayed projects and no addi- tional environmental protec- tions compared to what could be achieved if we were to bring these NEPA regulations into the 21st century.

According to a recent U.S. Department of Energy report, the average time it takes to complete the review process for a NEPA assessment has reached a mind-boggling 70 months, or nearly six years. At an average cost north of $4 million, environmental goals the problem, the red tape block- ing the process from working. In Wisconsin, seen the NEPA process play out in ways that have delayed projects and caused costs to unnecessarily increase. The St.

Croix River Crossing project connecting Houlton and Stillwater, is a great ex- ample. Replacing the congested, accident-prone and deterio- rating two-lane Stillwater Lift Bridge had been ed as a priority as early as the 1970s. However, opponents success- fully used the NEPA process and a series of lawsuits to delay this project for 40 years. It took an act of Congress in 2012 to clear the project for construction and the bridge nally opened to traffi in 2017. time to update environmental policy act CHRISTINE M.

FLOWERS CHRISTA WESTERBERG PAT GOSS JOHN R. ANDERSEN.