Sign On Letters & Statements
Amplifying Our Collective Voice
Support, Commentary, Statements, & Testimony to Drive Better Policy
As one of the largest, most active watershed conservation organizations in Wisconsin, we actively use our voice on a local, state, and federal level to:
- Support policy positions
- Increase pressure on lawmakers
- Draw attention to key issues
- Secure funding for key projects
With our network of subject matter experts, conservationists, and advocates, we draft, sign, send, and support a wide range of advocacy initiatives. These communications fall into two categories:
Official Statements from Milwaukee Riverkeeper:
Official language and commentary directly from the Milwaukee Riverkeeper group.
- Official MRK Statements
documentation prepared for our local and state governments to draw attention to municipal issues and needs.
- Official MRK Comment Letters
a document sharing MRK’s official standing on key issues used to help drive decision-making and shape public opinion.
- Official MRK Testimony
official statements by MRK and MRK representatives made in court to support policy and law updates.
Collaborative Sign-On Letters
Official communication drafted by our partner organizations that Milwaukee Riverkeeper signs on to, in order to publicly express our unified support for a specific policy or cause.
- Petition
a document signed by a group of people to formally request an action on a specific issue from decision-makers
- Letters of Support
an official statement by MRK expressing backing for a project or cause being spearheaded by another organization or entity.
- Request Letters
an official request in letter form asking the government, individual, or body to take a specific action
Our Key Priorities
Making Change Across Five Key Pillars
We focus our efforts on the needs of the communities and the waters we serve. Because everything that happens upstream eventually makes its way downstream, we work with a wide network of advocates to address issues early, draw public awareness, and identify possible solutions. These pillars include:
Pollution & Public Health
Pollution and public health are deeply interconnected with the health of our waterways, as clean, fresh water is essential for survival. However, historically marginalized and intentionally excluded communities often face the greatest impacts of pollution, making its prevention not just an environmental issue, but a matter of justice and equity.
Infrastructure & Climate Resiliency
Helping communities prepare for extreme weather and flooding is essential to protecting healthy waterways. By improving stormwater, drinking water, and wastewater systems—such as storm drains and green infrastructure—we can enhance water quality, promote environmental justice, and safeguard public health.
Safe & Equal Access
Clean water and healthy ecosystems depend on community involvement. Ensuring safe, equitable access helps build a stronger, more engaged public, leading to better-informed policies, community-driven projects, and a stronger cultural connection to water conservation.
Healthy Habitats & Ecosystems
A river is only as healthy as the ecosystems that support it. Protecting and restoring habitats like forests, wetlands, riverbanks, and aquatic (underwater) ecosystems—ensures clean water, biodiversity, flood resilience, and long-term river health.
Great Lakes Preservation
The health of local rivers, streams, and wetlands is directly tied to the health of Lake Michigan and the entire Great Lakes system. Protecting and restoring the Great Lakes means safeguarding the health of local rivers, ensuring clean drinking water, supporting communities, and preserving ecosystems for future generations.
Key:
Government Reach:
Federal
State
Local
Key:
Government Reach:
Federal
State
Local
Pollution & Public Health
2025
Target: Wisconsin Natural Resources Board
PFAS Groundwater Standard Rulemaking Scope
Testimony in support of the Wisconsin DNR’s proposed groundwater standards for six PFAS chemicals (PFOA, PFOS, PFBS, PFNA, PFHxS, and GenX). PFAS contamination poses serious risks to public health, wildlife, and water quality, accumulating in human tissue and linking to cancers and autoimmune diseases. Despite scientific consensus on the dangers of PFAS, Wisconsin has failed to pass these groundwater standards in two previous attempts. With a significant portion of the state relying on groundwater for drinking water, establishing state-level regulations is critical, as no federal standards currently exist. PFAS pollution has already impacted water supplies in Milwaukee, West Bend, and other areas, with contamination spreading from industrial sites and firefighting foam usage.
Target: Towns of Plymouth, Lyndon, Mitchell & Sheboygan County
Responding to (ATC Application to Construct a New Transmission Line)
American Transmission Company’s (ATC) proposed Plymouth Electrical Reliability Project is concerning due to potential impacts on Nichols Creek, the North Branch of the Milwaukee River, and surrounding wetlands, floodplains, and forests. The justification for the project lacks transparency, with limited consideration of alternative routes or renewable energy options despite available federal funding. The project threatens coldwater streams, designated Outstanding Resource Waters, and critical habitats by removing significant forested areas, increasing water temperatures, and affecting floodplain integrity. Additionally, construction poses risks to endangered species, state-protected wildlife, and sensitive wetland ecosystems.
Target: U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
Responding to (Docket ID No. EPA-HQ-OAR-2018-0794 )
The Environmental Law & Policy Center and 19 Great Lakes and Midwest partners strongly oppose the United States Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) Proposal to roll back the 2024 rule regulating mercury and other hazardous air pollutants from Coal- and Oil-Fired Electric Utility Steam Generating Units (EGUs or power plants) under Section 112 of the Clean Air Act (the MATS rule). These organizations, which collectively have thousands of members, work throughout the Midwest Region and Great Lakes states to protect public health and the environment from toxic air pollution, including mercury and other air toxics such as arsenic and nickel.
Target: U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers
Responding to Dkt. ID EPA–HQ–OW–2025–0093
The Waters of the US defines when the federal government can require permits to protect rivers, wetlands, lakes, estuaries, and other waterbodies from pollution and destruction under the Clean Water Act. The proposed rule would further restrict the number of water bodies with protection, including wetlands that are not continuously connected to navigational rivers and intermittent/ephemeral streams.
2024
Target: Wisconsin Dept of Natural Resources
Responding to (WIPDES Permit Application)
Milwaukee Riverkeeper is concerned about the environmental impacts of Rob-N-Cin Farms’ planned expansion to over 2,500 animal units by 2028, significantly increasing manure and wastewater production. The farm lacks the required manure storage capacity, raising concerns about runoff pollution affecting local rivers, wetlands, and groundwater. Additionally, Rob-N-Cin Farms has allegedly been operating as a Concentrated Animal Feeding Operation (CAFO) without proper permits for at least two years, violating Clean Water Act regulations. This noncompliance has denied residents the opportunity to weigh in on the expansion’s effects, setting a troubling precedent for unregulated farm growth that could threaten water quality and public health.
Target: Wisconsin Legislature
Responding to (FY24 Budget Surplus)
Without statewide investments, water utilities will either need to delay needed upgrades that leave families vulnerable to contamination, or substantially raise water rates to cover costs. This could make it even harder for Wisconsin families to pay their utility bills, a particularly concerning prospect when those same families are the ones facing contamination-related health costs. Using the $4 billion surplus, we urge you to make a substantive investment in our drinking water infrastructure.
Petition to Government (Pursuant to the Administrative Procedure Act (“APA”), 5 U.S.C. §§ 553I and 555I)
A legal petition was submitted to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), calling on the agency to monitor for the presence of microplastics in drinking water under specific provisions of the Safe Drinking Water Act. The petition was filed by the national advocacy organization Food & Water Watch and co-signed by 175 groups across the county, including Milwaukee Riverkeeper.
- Community Letter on EPW’s Sackett v. EPA Hearing
- Comments of Environmental and Community Organizations on the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration’s Proposed Rule (8/16/2023)
- Sign-On to Urge President Biden to Answer UN Secretary General’s Call to Take Real Climate Action in Line with Science and Justice (6/15/23)
- Letter Urging EPA to Set Strong Wastewater Treatment Standards for Coal-Fired Power Plants (5/27/23)
- Letter to EPA Supporting PFAS Drinking Water Regulations (5/30/23)
- Sign-On Letter Urging EPA to Adopt Coal Ash as a National Enforcement and Compliance Initiative for 2024-2027 (3/13/23)
- Petition on Lead Levels for Bottled Water, Food Contact Materials, and Certain Foods (Docket No. FDA-2020-P-2276) Support Letter (2/1/23)
- Designate PFOA and PFOS as Hazardous Substance (Docket ID No. EPA-HQ-OLEM-2019- 0341) Support Letter (10/24/22)
- Letter to EPA from 121 Public Interest Groups asking for Coal Ash Rulemaking (8/1/22)
- Plastics Letter to Secretary Haaland (8/25/22)
- Sign on to Urge EPA to Protect Environmental Justice Communities from Impacts of Factory Farms (7/19/22)
- Sign-on Letter Urging President Biden to Follow Through on the Designation of PFOA/PFOS as Hazardous Substances (7/27/22)
- Letter to the U.S. Senate’s Environment and Public Works Committee Calling for Action to Get PFAS Out of Our Drinking Water (6/22/22)
- Clean Water Act Financial Capability Guidance 2022 Proposal (4/25/22)
- Official MRK Comment Comments to US EPA on Public Comment Draft of the EPA Strategy to Reduce Lead Exposures and Disparities in U.S. Communities (3/16/22)
- Official MRK Testimony Testimony on Adopting PFAS Standards for Drinking, Ground and Surface Water (2/23/22)
- Official MRK Statement Updated MRK Comments on Komatsu Oil Spill on Menomonee River (1/11/22)
- Official MRK Statement MRK Comments on Komatsu Oil Spill on Menomonee River (12/10/21)
- Official MRK Comment Comments on Docket No. CEQ–2021–0002, Council on Environmental Quality Notice of Proposed Rulemaking, National Environmental Policy Act Implementing Regulations Revisions (11/22/21)
- Letter to CHPAC urging group to immediately recommend that EPA: (1) make fundamental necessary changes to the Lead and Copper Rule (11/1/21)
- Lead and Copper Rule Revisions (LCRR) Virtual Engagements Docket No. EPA-HQ-OW-2021-0255 (7/30/21)
- Petition for Rulemaking to Remove Methane and Ethane from “Negligibly Reactive” Volatile Organic Compounds List (4/06/21)
- Official MRK Comment Comments on Hazardous and Solid Waste Management System: Disposal of Coal Combustion Residuals From Electric Utilities; Legacy CCR Surface Impoundments, Advanced Notice of Proposed Rulemaking, Docket ID No. EPA–HQ– OLEM–2020–0107 (2/12/21)
- Official MRK Comment Comments on Hazardous and Solid Waste Management System: Disposal of Coal Combustion Residuals From Electric Utilities; Legacy CCR Surface Impoundments (2/12/21)
- Clean Water Act Organizational Sign On Letter (2/25/21)
- Official MRK Comment Comment on EPA’s draft guidance, titled “Applying the Supreme Court’s County of Maui v. Hawaii Wildlife Fund Decision in the Clean Water Act Section 402 National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System Permit Program.” (1/11/21)
- Official MRK Comment Emergency Rule Comments Relating to regulating firefighting foam that contains certain contaminants (12/17/20)
- Plastic Free President Priority Plastic Actions for Biden’s First Year (12/08/20)
- EPA Vessel Incidental Discharge National Standards of Performance (11/25/20)
- Official MRK Statement Milwaukee Riverkeeper Comments on WDNR PFAS Action Plan (10/31/20)
- Official MRK Testimony Milwaukee Riverkeeper Testimony to National Resources Board on Firefighting Foam (10/28/20)
- Financial Capability Assessment for Clean Water Act Obligations (10/19/20)
- Letter of Support for the Federal Break Free From Plastic Pollution Act of 2020 (2/11/20)
- Official MRK Comment NCEL Comments to Administrator Wheeler on Proposed Coal Ash Rules (1/20/20)
- Official MRK Comment Milwaukee Riverkeeper Comments to WDNR on revisions to NR500 to 520 on coal combustion residual landfills and surface impoundments (1/14/20)
- Joint Letter from Environmental Groups to National Resources Board on Emergency Ruling Delay (8/26/20)
Infrastructure & Climate
2025
Target: Towns of Plymouth, Lyndon, Mitchell & Sheboygan County
Responding to (ATC Application to Construct a New Transmission Line)
American Transmission Company’s (ATC) proposed Plymouth Electrical Reliability Project is concerning due to potential impacts on Nichols Creek, the North Branch of the Milwaukee River, and surrounding wetlands, floodplains, and forests. The justification for the project lacks transparency, with limited consideration of alternative routes or renewable energy options despite available federal funding. The project threatens coldwater streams, designated Outstanding Resource Waters, and critical habitats by removing significant forested areas, increasing water temperatures, and affecting floodplain integrity. Additionally, construction poses risks to endangered species, state-protected wildlife, and sensitive wetland ecosystems.
Target: Wisconsin Natural Resources Board
Responding to: PFAS Groundwater Standard Rulemaking Scope
Testimony in support of the Wisconsin DNR’s proposed groundwater standards for six PFAS chemicals (PFOA, PFOS, PFBS, PFNA, PFHxS, and GenX). PFAS contamination poses serious risks to public health, wildlife, and water quality, accumulating in human tissue and linking to cancers and autoimmune diseases. Despite scientific consensus on the dangers of PFAS, Wisconsin has failed to pass these groundwater standards in two previous attempts. With a significant portion of the state relying on groundwater for drinking water, establishing state-level regulations is critical, as no federal standards currently exist. PFAS pollution has already impacted water supplies in Milwaukee, West Bend, and other areas, with contamination spreading from industrial sites and firefighting foam usage.
2024
Target: Wisconsin Dept of Natural Resources
Responding to (WIPDES Permit Application)
Milwaukee Riverkeeper is concerned about the environmental impacts of Rob-N-Cin Farms’ planned expansion to over 2,500 animal units by 2028, significantly increasing manure and wastewater production. The farm lacks the required manure storage capacity, raising concerns about runoff pollution affecting local rivers, wetlands, and groundwater. Additionally, Rob-N-Cin Farms has allegedly been operating as a Concentrated Animal Feeding Operation (CAFO) without proper permits for at least two years, violating Clean Water Act regulations. This noncompliance has denied residents the opportunity to weigh in on the expansion’s effects, setting a troubling precedent for unregulated farm growth that could threaten water quality and public health.
Target: President Biden
Responding to: Lake Oahe Easement
190 groups urge the US Army Corps of Engineers (Army Corps) to deny the Lake Oahe easement, permanently shut down the Dakota Access Pipeline (DAPL), and leave the piping in place in alignment with federal law. The Dakota Access Pipeline violates the Clean Water Act, the National Historic Preservation Act, the 1868 Treaty of Fort Laramie, and Indigenous sovereignty.
Responding to (FY24 Budget Surplus)
Without statewide investments, water utilities will either need to delay needed upgrades that leave families vulnerable to contamination, or substantially raise water rates to cover costs. This could make it even harder for Wisconsin families to pay their utility bills, a particularly concerning prospect when those same families are the ones facing contamination-related health costs. Using the $4 billion surplus, we urge you to make a substantive investment in our drinking water infrastructure.
Target: President Biden & US Army Corps of Engineers
Responding to: MVP-2020-00260-WMS
“Line 5 poses catastrophic risks to the Treaty protected lands, pristine natural areas, valuable freshwater sources (including 400 rivers, streams, and wetlands), and farmland that it cuts through. The pipeline – which is decades past its lifespan – is currently pumping 23 million gallons of crude oil and natural gas liquids daily, illegally in trespass. Despite the Bad River Band’s direction that Enbridge remove Line 5 from their reservation and the Bad River Watershed, Enbridge has moved forward with an invasive reroute project just outside of the reservation’s borders.”
Target: US EPA Administrator Michael Regan
Legislation: Docket ID: EPA-HQ-OW-2022-0678-0001
“We recommend that the U.S. EPA strengthen its proposed regulation with better protections for local governance and oversight, require earlier and guaranteed public engagement, and add affordability standards and safeguards. The following comments reflect our commitment to uplift the inequities and injustices experienced by communities when their voices go unheard and unheeded.”
- Official MRK Comment Comments on Draft Rules Regulating Great Lakes Diversions (10/12/2023)
- Letter Supporting Improvements to Lead and Copper Rules in Safe Drinking Water Act (9/19/2023)
- Letter to Prime Minister Trudeau Urging Canada to Withdraw its Invocation of the 1977 Pipeline Treaty and Shut Down Enbridge’s Line 5 Pipeline (5/15/23)
- Letter to Secretary Buttigieg to Ban the Transportation of LNG by Rail (4/23)
- Letter to House and Senate Agriculture Committee Leadership Urging Them to Protect the $20 Billion for Climate-Smart Ag and Conservation in the 2023 Farm Bill (2/27/23)
- Letter on Builder Final Act (2/27/23)
- Letter to the Interior Dept. Outlining 9 Concrete Steps to Take to Align with President Biden’s Climate Promises (1/11/23)
- National Climate Adaptation and Resilience Act NCARS Local Support Letter (9/14/22)
- 132 Groups in Support of Climate-Smart Agriculture and Conservation Funding in the Inflation Reduction Act (8/4/22)
- Letter from 650+ Groups Opposing Fossil Fuel Projects and Proposed Permitting Reforms (8/24/22)
- Organizational Sign on Letter to Biden and Schumer to Hold the Line Against Fossil Fuel Expansion (7/29/22)
- Sackett VS EPA: Brief of Waterkeeper Organizations as Amici Curiae in Support of EPA (6/19/22)
- Official MRK Comment Public comment on Docket ID No. COE-2022-0003 and Review of Nationwide Permit 12 (5/27/22)
- Official MRK Comment Comments on the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (Commission or FERC)’s draft 2022 Natural Gas Certificate Policy Statement2 (2022 Certificate Policy) and 2022 Greenhouse Gas Policy Statement3 (4/25/22)
- Petition for Rulemaking to Add Dams and Reservoirs as a Source Category Under the Greenhouse Gas Reporting Program (3/21/22)
- Official MRK Comment Public comments on the Village of Somers’ application to divert 1.2 million gallons per day from Lake Michigan to a portion of the Village outside the Great Lakes Basin (11/30/21)
- Feedback to WDNR on the Draft Rule Incorporating Federal CCR Requirements into Wisconsin Regulations Governing CCR Landfills, Reg. No. WA-17-18 (11/4/21)
- Official MRK Comment Comments to WDNR on Economic Impact Analysis for Coal Combustion Residual Landfills and Surface Impoundments (7/25/21)
- Official MRK Comment Comments in response to EO 13990 and proposed rule 86 FR 23876, docket number DOT-OST-2021-0036 on I-94 Expansion & Equity (6/4/21)
- Official MRK Comment Comments on the Proposed Orchard Ridge Eastern Expansion-Southern Unit Landfill in the Village of Menomonee Falls (5/26/2021)
- Letter to Buttigieg urging US DOT not to reissue the old, out-of-date Record of Decision (ROD) for the stalled I-94 East-West expansion and reconstruction in Milwaukee, Wisconsin (3/16/21)
- Letter to President Biden urging swift action to revoke the Line 3 tar sands oil pipeline’s permits and stop its construction (3/8/21)
- Animal Agriculture Reform Policy Recommendations for Biden-Harris (12/15/20)
- Executive Order on Averting the Climate Emergency (12/15/20)
- Official MRK Statement OP-ED: We Oppose I-94 Expansion (11/18/20)
- Official MRK Comment Milwaukee Riverkeeper Comments on I-43 Wis-DOT Project (2/3/20)
Equal & Safe Access
2025
Target: Town of Cedarburg Plan Commission, Town Board, Town Administrator
Responding to Proposed Gauthier Pond Project in the Town of Cedarburg
Milwaukee Riverkeeper has raised significant concerns about the proposed 13.2-acre Gauthier Pond project in the Town of Cedarburg, citing zoning inconsistencies, unclear long-term land use, and major environmental risks tied to withdrawing tens of millions of gallons of water from Cedar Creek and a new private well. This memo highlights potential impacts on residential wells, stream flow, water quality, wetlands, and sensitive species, as well as safety issues related to flood events and long-term pond maintenance. It urges the Town to delay approval until thorough groundwater, hydrologic, ecological, and safety analyses are completed and reviewed.
Target: Towns of Plymouth, Lyndon, Mitchell & Sheboygan County
Responding to (ATC Application to Construct a New Transmission Line)
American Transmission Company’s (ATC) proposed Plymouth Electrical Reliability Project is concerning due to potential impacts on Nichols Creek, the North Branch of the Milwaukee River, and surrounding wetlands, floodplains, and forests. The justification for the project lacks transparency, with limited consideration of alternative routes or renewable energy options despite available federal funding. The project threatens coldwater streams, designated Outstanding Resource Waters, and critical habitats by removing significant forested areas, increasing water temperatures, and affecting floodplain integrity. Additionally, construction poses risks to endangered species, state-protected wildlife, and sensitive wetland ecosystems.
2024
Responding to: Bill H.R. 8916
We strongly oppose the Clean Water SRF Parity Act, which would allow for-profit water corporations to access the Clean Water State Revolving Fund (CWSRF) and take federal funding away from local government wastewater systems. This legislation would allow large for-profit corporations to access the $12.7 billion in funding to the CWSRF from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and funding from any future increases to the program.
Responding to: MVP-2020-00260-WMS
“Line 5 poses catastrophic risks to the Treaty protected lands, pristine natural areas, valuable freshwater sources (including 400 rivers, streams, and wetlands), and farmland that it cuts through. The pipeline – which is decades past its lifespan – is currently pumping 23 million gallons of crude oil and natural gas liquids daily, illegally in trespass. Despite the Bad River Band’s direction that Enbridge remove Line 5 from their reservation and the Bad River Watershed, Enbridge has moved forward with an invasive reroute project just outside of the reservation’s borders.”
Responding to: Appropriations Bill FY 2025
“On behalf of our members representing thousands of communities across the country, climate experts, and the larger environmental and climate justice movement, we strongly urge you to oppose this dangerous bill that has tacked on more than 80 highly political, poison-pill policy riders, that will only exacerbate rather than improve the climate crisis and environmental injustice.”
- Support Letter for Fiscal Year 2024 Federal Trails Funding (6/6/23)
- Official MRK Comment Letter to OMB Supporting Drinking Water Standards (1/19/23)
- Letter to CEQ Supporting Drinking Water Standards (1/19/23)
- Letter to EPA Supporting Drinking Water Standards (1/19/23)
- Official MRK Comment Comments on the Draft July 2022 Clean Water Loan Program Intended Use Plan for FFY 2022 Funds for the SFY 2023 Funding Cycle (8/29/22)
- Official MRK CommentWaterkeeper Alliance Comments on Revised Definition of “Waters of the United States,” Docket ID No. EPA-HQ-OW-2021-0602 (2/7/22)
- Letter to US EPA RE: Equitable Implementation of New SRF Funding Provided by the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act of 2021 (1/14/22)
- Official MRK Comment Comments to WDNR on NR 216 rule changes (4/30/21)
- Official MRK Testimony Wisconsin Task Force on Climate Change (7/15/20)
- Official MRK Comment Bureau of Land Management Proposed Rulemaking Changes Comment Letter (7/2/20)
- Bureau of Land Management Proposed Categorial Changes Confirmation (7/2/20)
- Support Funding for Lead Service Line Replacement (7/23/20)
Healthy Habitats & Ecosystems
2025
Target: Town of Cedarburg Plan Commission, Town Board, Town Administrator
Responding to Proposed Gauthier Pond Project in the Town of Cedarburg
Milwaukee Riverkeeper has raised significant concerns about the proposed 13.2-acre Gauthier Pond project in the Town of Cedarburg, citing zoning inconsistencies, unclear long-term land use, and major environmental risks tied to withdrawing tens of millions of gallons of water from Cedar Creek and a new private well. This memo highlights potential impacts on residential wells, stream flow, water quality, wetlands, and sensitive species, as well as safety issues related to flood events and long-term pond maintenance. It urges the Town to delay approval until thorough groundwater, hydrologic, ecological, and safety analyses are completed and reviewed.
Target: U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers
Responding to Dkt. ID EPA–HQ–OW–2025–0093
The Waters of the US defines when the federal government can require permits to protect rivers, wetlands, lakes, estuaries, and other waterbodies from pollution and destruction under the Clean Water Act. The proposed rule would further restrict the number of water bodies with protection, including wetlands that are not continuously connected to navigational rivers and intermittent/ephemeral streams.
Target: Towns of Plymouth, Lyndon, Mitchell & Sheboygan County
Responding to (ATC Application to Construct a New Transmission Line)
American Transmission Company’s (ATC) proposed Plymouth Electrical Reliability Project is concerning due to potential impacts on Nichols Creek, the North Branch of the Milwaukee River, and surrounding wetlands, floodplains, and forests. The justification for the project lacks transparency, with limited consideration of alternative routes or renewable energy options despite available federal funding. The project threatens coldwater streams, designated Outstanding Resource Waters, and critical habitats by removing significant forested areas, increasing water temperatures, and affecting floodplain integrity. Additionally, construction poses risks to endangered species, state-protected wildlife, and sensitive wetland ecosystems.
Target: Wisconsin Dept of Natural Resources
Responding to (WIPDES Permit Application)
Milwaukee Riverkeeper is concerned about the environmental impacts of Rob-N-Cin Farms’ planned expansion to over 2,500 animal units by 2028, significantly increasing manure and wastewater production. The farm lacks the required manure storage capacity, raising concerns about runoff pollution affecting local rivers, wetlands, and groundwater. Additionally, Rob-N-Cin Farms has allegedly been operating as a Concentrated Animal Feeding Operation (CAFO) without proper permits for at least two years, violating Clean Water Act regulations. This noncompliance has denied residents the opportunity to weigh in on the expansion’s effects, setting a troubling precedent for unregulated farm growth that could threaten water quality and public health.
- Official MRK Comment HR2 Clean Water Comment Letter (6/29/20)
- HR2 Restoring Work, Wildlife & Public Lands Provisions Support Letter (6/29/20)
- Congressional Wildlife Stimulus Sign On Letter (5/18/20)
Great Lakes Preservation
2024
Responding to: MVP-2020-00260-WMS
“Line 5 poses catastrophic risks to the Treaty protected lands, pristine natural areas, valuable freshwater sources (including 400 rivers, streams, and wetlands), and farmland that it cuts through. The pipeline – which is decades past its lifespan – is currently pumping 23 million gallons of crude oil and natural gas liquids daily, illegally in trespass. Despite the Bad River Band’s direction that Enbridge remove Line 5 from their reservation and the Bad River Watershed, Enbridge has moved forward with an invasive reroute project just outside of the reservation’s borders.”
- FY 2025 Great Lakes Restoration Funding (6/10/2024)
- Great Lakes Groups Request for Extension and Public Hearings (10/28/20)
- Official MRK Comment Great Lakes and Midwest Groups comments on EPA Supplemental Strengthening Transparency in Regulatory Science Proposal: Docket ID No. EPA–HQ– OA–2018–0259 (5/18/20)
- Official MRK Comment 58 Great Lakes and Midwest Groups Comment Letter on Update to the Regulations Implementing the Procedural Provisions of the National Environmental Policy Act (3/10/20)
- Official MRK Comment Milwaukee Riverkeeper Comments to WDNR on Dredged Material Management Facility Alternatives Analysis (1/9/20)
