MADISON, Wis. (WSAU) — State Representative and Assembly Assistant Minority Leader Katrina Shankland (D-Stevens Point) has been at odds with the Department of Natural Resources over water quality, and now a state audit has revealed that the DNR may not be doing all they can to preserve that quality.
The Legislative Audit Bureau has reported that 94% of wastewater permit violations were not acted upon by the DNR between 2005 and 2014. Rep. Shankland also points to another finding of the Bureau on the lack of consistency with oversight of Concentrated Animal Feeding Operations (CAFOs).
“There aren’t really any runoff testing requirements with CAFOs right now, they’re just required to file self-monitored reports each year to the DNR, but only 36 of about 1900 reports have been submitted and electronically recorded as received,” said Shankland.
Rep. Shankland believes this evidence supports her case to remove the power to simply appoint DNR administrators from the governor’s abilities and instead hire them based on established standards.
“It’s something that the Conservation Congress has put on the ballot this spring, we voted on it. I think that we should have a serious talk about requiring environmental science and natural resource management experience with the top administration in the DNR.”
Shankland questioned whether the DNR has been neglecting their duties unintentionally, or if they have been directed to by an unknown source.
“We deserve clean water, and we deserve access to clean water, no matter where we come from, or what we believe in, that’s just a basic right. I think we need to make sure that the DNR is actually enforcing the standards, so my question is, is someone telling them not to?”
The Audit Bureau’s expects a report with corrections of the inconsistencies from the DNR in November.
