Competing proposals would protect “innocent landowners” — those who didn’t knowingly cause pollution — from liability.
Author Archives: Bennet Goldstein / Wisconsin Watch
Bennet Goldstein reports on water and agriculture as Wisconsin Watch’s Report for America representative on the Mississippi River Basin Ag & Water Desk — a collaborative reporting network across the Basin. Before this, Goldstein was on the breaking news team at the Omaha World-Herald in Nebraska. He has spent most of his career at daily papers in Iowa, including the Dubuque Telegraph Herald. Goldstein’s work has garnered awards, including the Associated Press Media Editors award for an explanatory feature about a police shooting in rural Wisconsin, and an Iowa Newspaper Association award for a series that detailed the impacts of the loss of social safety net programs on Dubuque’s Marshallese community. He holds a master’s degree from the University of Wisconsin-Madison.
Posted inBudget Bites, Environment
Wisconsin is still sitting on $125 million for PFAS cleanup
Gov. Tony Evers is proposing more funding to clean up toxic “forever chemicals” known as PFAS, while offering farmers more protections.
Posted inEnvironment
Opting for coexistence: Some Wisconsin landowners learn to live with beavers
Beavers can cause property damage, but research shows they positively impact the environment. Some landowners are ditching traps and dynamite to peacefully manage the nuisance.
Posted inNews about Wisconsin Watch
Dam lucky: How we caught a beaver (on camera)
Experts call it incredibly difficult to document beavers in the wild. Could a team of Wisconsin Watch reporters succeed?
Posted inBill Watch, Environment
Republican bill seeks more local control over wind, solar farms
A bill that would empower Wisconsin municipalities to block the construction of solar and wind farms in their backyards has been introduced a second time.
Posted inEnvironment
An ecosystem engineer’s vision: mock beaver dams to restore Wisconsin wetlands
Beaver-inspired structures could limit flooding and benefit wildlife habitat, but state permitting is arduous.
Posted inGovernment
Photos: What Wisconsin’s democracy looked like on Election Day
Here is the best of Wisconsin Watch’s photography from Election Day, portraits of what we saw and who we met.
Posted inGovernment
‘Nowhere else I’d rather be’: An ordinary Election Day follows town’s extraordinary turmoil
As anxious Americans awaited news of the country’s fate, Westfield, Wisconsin, moved on from local political fights.
Posted inAsk Wisconsin Watch
I’m out of town now. Is there a way to vote in Wisconsin elections online?
During Wisconsin elections, such as the upcoming general election on Nov. 5, regular voters may only cast ballots in person at a polling location or by mailing an absentee ballot.
Posted inEnvironment
Wisconsin town of Eureka sued over large farm regulations
After notifying a northwest Wisconsin town last October of their intent to challenge a local ordinance that regulates livestock farming, two residents last week made good on their promise.
Posted inEnvironment
How many manure spills is too many? St. Croix County residents scrutinize big farm’s new owner
The new owner of a large St. Croix County dairy farm with a history of manure spills is seeking to build trust among watchful residents who worry about deteriorating water quality.
Posted inAsk Wisconsin Watch
What are the health risks of coal piles like the ones in Green Bay?
Locals in Green Bay and lawmakers have long complained about the dust that blows from C. Reiss Terminals’ iconic coal piles. Officials hope to relocate the business.