Advocacy
Milwaukee Riverkeeper advocates for a variety of issues that impact our waterways locally and beyond. Learn more about our current and most important advocacy issues below.
Pollution
PFAS
PFAS – Milwaukee Riverkeeper |
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What’s The Issue |
Our Position |
What Can You Do? |
Sign-On Letters & Statements |
| PFAs are a group of “forever chemicals” that break down very slowly. They are currently in the Milwaukee River Basin and exposure to or consumption of them can cause many harmful effects to both human health and the environment. | We advocate for stronger state and federal regulations on the levels of PFAS in our water. We also support government funding for the testing and clean-up of these chemicals. |
Sign Up for Our Action Alerts
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Single-Use Plastics
Single-Use Plastics – Milwaukee Riverkeeper |
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What’s The Issue |
Our Position |
What Can You Do? |
Sign-On Letters & Statements |
| Single-use plastics pose environmental and health risks. With 150 million tons used yearly, their production emits greenhouse gasses and improper disposal creates non-degradable microplastics. Exposure to these plastics causes many harmful effects on human health. | As part of the Plastic FreeMKE coalition, we want to see less plastic in Milwaukee. We also advocate for an Extended Producer Responsibility policy approach for single-use plastics, shifting responsibility to the producer, rather than the consumer. |
Research Alternatives for Single-Use Plastics
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Non-Point Source Pollution
What’s The Issue |
Our Position |
What Can You Do? |
| Nonpoint source pollution does not originate from one specific location, and it discharges over a wide area of land. Stormwater runoff is a type of nonpoint source pollution that often carries harmful pollutants, such as salt, pesticides, and fertilizers to nearby waterways. | Milwaukee Riverkeeper supports the current stormwater permits. We continue to advocate for improved coverage at unpermitted facilities and better monitoring at all facilities. We also want to work towards more discussion and communication by the WDNR of industrial stormwater permittees. |
Properly Dispose of Pollutants
Attend a Smart Salting Workshop
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Oil Spills
What’s The Issue |
What Can You Do? |
Sign-On Letters & Statements |
Our Position |
| Nonpoint source pollution does not originate from one specific location, and it discharges over a wide area of land. Stormwater runoff is a type of nonpoint source pollution that often carries harmful pollutants, such as salt, pesticides, and fertilizers to nearby waterways. |
Research Alternatives for Single-Use Plastics
Support Lake Friendly Businesses
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Plastics Letter to Secretary Haaland Plastic Free President Priority Plastic Actions for Biden’s First Year |
As part of the PlasticFreeMKE coalition, we want to see less plastic in Milwaukee. We also advocate for an Extended Producer Responsibility policy approach for single-use plastics, shifting responsibility to the producer, rather than the consumer. |
Great Lakes
Area of Concern
What’s The Issue |
What Can You Do? |
Our Position |
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As part of the Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement, Area of Concerns were identified through the Great Lakes region as needing restoration. The Milwaukee River Estuary was deemed an AOC in 1987 as it was heavily contaminated with PCBs, PAHs, and heavy metals.
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Stay Up to Date With Milwaukee AOC Project Map |
We work to improve the symptoms of pollution in the waters, with the goal of delisting the Milwaukee River Estuary as an AOC. |
Line 5 & Oil Pipelines
What’s The Issue |
What Can You Do? |
Sign-On Letters & Statements |
Our Position |
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Line 5 is an oil pipeline running from Superior, Wisconsin through Michigan’s Upper Peninsula, and down to refineries in Ontario. However, it runs through the land of the Bad River tribe and poses several risks to the environment, including an oil spill due to years of deterioration.
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Letter to President Biden to Stop Line 3 Construction Public Comment on Review of Nationwide Permit 12 Letter to Prime Minister Trudeau to Shut Down Line 5 Pipeline |
Milwaukee Riverkeeper supports the Tribe’s protection efforts and opposes Line 5 due to its proven risks. We advocate for stricter spill rules, better monitoring of pipelines, and prefer renewable energy investment over new pipelines. |
Infrastructure
Road Expansion and Public Transit
What’s The Issue |
What Can You Do? |
Our Position |
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As part of the Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement, Area of Concerns were identified through the Great Lakes region as needing restoration. The Milwaukee River Estuary was deemed an AOC in 1987 as it was heavily contaminated with PCBs, PAHs, and heavy metals.
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Stay Up to Date With Milwaukee AOC Project Map |
We work to improve the symptoms of pollution in the waters, with the goal of delisting the Milwaukee River Estuary as an AOC. |
Fish Passage
Dam Removal
What’s The Issue |
What Can You Do? |
Our Position |
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As part of the Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement, Area of Concerns were identified through the Great Lakes region as needing restoration. The Milwaukee River Estuary was deemed an AOC in 1987 as it was heavily contaminated with PCBs, PAHs, and heavy metals.
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Stay Up to Date With Milwaukee AOC Project Map |
We work to improve the symptoms of pollution in the waters, with the goal of delisting the Milwaukee River Estuary as an AOC. |