From: | olah@speagle.com |
Date: | 25 Nov 1996 15:33:01 |
Reply: | cpeo-military |
Subject: | Community Says NO to BAAP Reindusrialization |
From: Laura Olah <olah@speagle.com> Subject: Community Says NO to BAAP Reindusrialization Community Campaign to Block Reindustrialization in Full Swing On September 18, 1996, Olin Corporation held a public meeting to announce its Strategic Plan for reindustrialization of the Badger Army Ammunition Plant under the Armament Retooling and Support Initiative, (ARMS). The news couldn''t have been worse -- Olin announced they are initiating an aggressive marketing scheme to bring pulp & paper industry, varnish, paint and lacquer manufacturers, perfume, ethanol and nitrogenous fertilizer plants to our community. In response to these proposals, CSWAB hosted a community meetings on September 30 and again on October 28, bringing together over 75 concerned area residents. By consensus, we agreed on the following position and goals: Process. The Army's contractor (Olin) did not follow its own rules for public participation. According to guidance documents for the ARMS program, public meetings should be held during the active strategic planning process and further, public/community concerns are to be incorporated and considered in the strategic plan. Olin held public meetings only after the strategic plan for reindustrialization of Badger was finalized. The community -- including township, village and Sauk County governments, county and local Planning and Zoning -- was excluded. Moreover, Badger Army Ammunition Plant is federal property and is public domain. No public meetings were held during the entire 9-month Strategic Planning process. The community should have a voice in directing programs such as ARMS that are supported exclusively by federal tax dollars. Planning and Zoning. The proposed facility-wide plan is inconsistent with the county-wide land use planning and zoning, and priorities for land use in the county were not incorporated in the Strategic Plan. Sauk County and many of the local communities have already invested significant resources in county-wide land use planning. Environmental Impacts. Olin, indemnified from subsequent environmental damage caused by new industry, has little incentive to protect and preserve the priorities of the community, including its environmental health. No consideration has been given to adjacent properties and the ecological treasures they support including Devil's Lake State Park Wisconsin Power & Light wetlands, the Ice Age Trail, Parfrey's Glen, Lak Wisconsin, Nature Conservancy lands, Baraboo Bluffs, and the Lower Wisconsin -- an Exceptional Water Resource. The Badger plant itself lies primarily on the terrain of the former Sauk Prairie and oak savanna grasslands south of the quartzite bluffs known as the Baraboo Hills. Sixteen remnants of natural communities including prairie, oak savanna, dry forest, southern hardwood swamp and sandy meadow have been identified. The base is also home to a wide variety of animal species including some that have been classified as rare, endangered and threatened. Reindustrialization of the Badger plant threatens this rebirth. Many of the proposed industries will import and discharge carcinogenic chemicals exacerbating the environmental catastrophe already plaguing our community. And finally, environmental regulators including the WDNR and the USEPA, were not included in the strategic planning process. Cleanup. As there is no integrated planning between cleanup and reuse, the potential for conflict is high. If new industry is polluting, for instance, and is on or near contaminated soils or water, how will we track the environmental impact? This lack of planning and foresight exemplifies the recklessness of this process to date. Populations at Risk. The Strategic plan also ignores impacts on populations at risk, some as close as Badger's front gate. Bluffview is a residential and retirement community; older people are more susceptible to pollution and additional health risk. How will reindustrialization effect the nearby Bluffview community? How will this effect them economically? Will increased property values and/or taxes force them out of their homes? Tourism. Tourism plays a significant role in many Sauk County communities -- again, not considered in the strategic planning process. The potential long term impacts of a resurgence of heavy industrial activity on tourism in an area surrounded by the Wisconsin River, the Baraboo Bluffs and Devil's Lake State park could be considerable, particularly in terms of lost dollars and jobs. The strategic planning process excluded secondary industries and local businesses that may in turn be affected by lost tourist dollars. Water resources. Protection and nurturing of surface water and groundwater resources, including the Wisconsin River, have not been prioritized in the strategic planning process. Issues such as additional waste loads on the river, the inferiority of existing wastewater treatment facilities at the plant, and impacts to the water table have been essentially ignored. According to a Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources March 29, 1994 internal memo: "Badger Army Ammunition Plant currently has a WPDES permit to discharge treated groundwater to Lake Wisconsin. BAAP is in the process of expanding their existing pump and treat system (called the IRM) and will need to discharge greater quantities than they do now. Additionally, BAAP is trying to entice industries into contracting with Olin Corporation, the facility operator, to use various parts of the plant for manufacturing purposes. This will result in the need for more surface water discharge capacity which raised several concerns by staff from our Wastewater section..." The area of the Wisconsin River below BAAP's discharge pipe has been classified as an Exceptional Water Resource, and supports protected species including the Mississippi paddlefish and the American Bald Eagle. Moreover, no assimilative capacity exists in this part of the river because of dips in dissolved oxygen levels that occur during the summer months. Economic impacts. There has been no consideration of primary and secondary impacts on housing, schools, the local labor market and taxes. Reindustrialization plans have not evaluated the additional burden placed on the community''s human and supportive services such as police, hospital and fire. The potential for a 'boom-bust' economic cycle exists as new civilian industry will be forced to leave in the event Badger reactivates for military production. Additionally, the land and buildings located at Badger are essentially exempt from local and County taxes. This creates a financial incentive and subsequently unfair competition with private industries and enterprises. Transportation. The primary and secondary environmental impacts of overwhelming increases in rail and heavy truck traffic in and around Badger has been overlooked. As all railroad lines and highways into Badger pass through the heart of surrounding rural communities, the risk of chemicals spills and incidents will increase as transport of toxic materials and liquids to Badger increases. Future use. Additional contaminant burdens on our soils, surface water and groundwater resources will assuredly preclude future use that is desired and needed by the community. If farmland is ever sold back to the private sector, additional metals contamination will make this land useless for farming and increase the cumulative effect on the food chain and on the ecology as a whole. Quality of life. Clean air, clean water and a safe, healthy environment has long been the goal of the community -- a community that historically has suffered and sacrificed its quality of life to serve the military''s mission. We have finally come to a time and place where we can repair and heal our communities and our environment. This is an opportunity to begin anew, and not repeat the mistakes of the past. LONG TERM GOALS: * To close the Badger Army Ammunition Plant * To improve and enhance the quality of life for ourselves and the generations to come * To nurture and protect our natural resources OBJECTIVES: * an immediate moratorium on reindustrialization activities related to Badger * a comprehensive, community-directed Environmental Impact Study * compliance with local planning and zoning authority * empowerment of the community in the decision-making process SUCCESSES SO FAR: * Townships of Merrimac, Sumpter and Spring Green have passed resolutions opposing the proposed reindustrialization of the Badger plant. * Sauk County Planning and Zoning approved a resolution opposing reindustrialization until a comprehensive EIS (environmental impact statement) has been completed. * Sauk County Natural Beauty Council has passed a resolution opposing reindustrialization. * Resolutions opposing reindustrialization are on the agenda for over a dozen local boards. * Newspaper and radio coverage has increased community awareness of the issues * The Secretary of the Wisconsin DNR issued a letter expressing serious concerns about the potential negative impact on nearby natural resources including the Baraboo Bluffs and the Lower Wisconsin Riverway. Note: CSWAB will be posting a letter shortly asking folks to sign-on. | |
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