 |
 |
 |
||
 |
|
|
||
|
||||
 |
|||||
|
10/7/2005 Green Tier Initiative: Economic Vitality & Environmental Protection By Neal J. Kedzie If you have been following state news stories closely, you may have noticed considerable recent media coverage detailing agreements between the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (DNR) and Wisconsin businesses or business groups. Under the terms of these “Green Tier” agreements, businesses are voluntarily committing to exceed environmental requirements and make even greater strides toward improved environmental performance. In exchange, the DNR will set aside its old command and control mentality of environmental enforcement and will work cooperatively with these businesses toward mutual goals of economic vitality and environmental protection. Eighteen months ago, the Green Tier legislation, which I authored, was signed into law. Shepherding this landmark public policy through the Legislature and having it enacted was monumental and signaled an entirely new era of cooperation between Wisconsin corporations and a state agency, which in the past had been reputed as one likely to create significant bureaucratic hurdles for the state’s business community. Now, we are seeing this new period of collaboration begin to unfold. It is exhilarating to see the prospect for successful cooperation being recognized not just in Wisconsin, but also on a national level. The United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has officially recognized Green Tier by signing an agreement, which links Wisconsin’s program with the EPA’s Performance Track Program. Green Tier is the only program in the nation to have received this recognition by the EPA. In Southeast Wisconsin, a major corporation has already committed to leading the way on environmental sensitivity, protection, and restoration. American Transmission Company (ATC), headquartered in Waukesha has pledged to protect Wisconsin’s environment while at the same time expanding the state’s electricity grid. As a Tier 1 company, ATC will utilize environmentally innovative techniques along with proactive management measures to build systems, which maintain and exceed environmental standards. In exchange, the DNR will provide ATC with specific flexibilities authorized under the Green Tier legislation, a streamlined communication track at the DNR, use of the Green Tier logo for marketing, limited deferred civil enforcement, and a moratorium on fines for environmental violations reported to the DNR and corrected in a timely manner. Green Tier is modeled after the Bavaria Environmental Pact. Last year at about this time, I was able to witness firsthand how practices, which cooperatively promote environmental excellence, economic growth, and healthy communities, prosper in Bavaria through this approach. I was joined by DNR Secretary Hassett and members of his staff, as well as many Wisconsin business leaders on the Green Tier 2004 tour of Bavaria. Those business leaders are now at the forefront of integrating this important public policy into the way their companies or trade groups do business. Joining ATC in leading the way by signing Green Tier agreements are companies, such as, MEGTEC Systems, a manufacturing company headquartered in De Pere and Holsum Dairies, one of Wisconsin’s largest dairy farms located in Hilbert. Additionally, several companies are currently in the process of applying for Green Tier partnerships, those include: Serigraph, a printing company in West Bend, Time Printing Company of Random Lake, and Veridian Homes, the largest residential builder in Dane County. Since I first began work on the Green Tier initiative, I have emphasized that this reform is needed in Wisconsin because it preserves our high environmental standards, rewards companies that meet those standards and penalizes those that don’t. All too often, proposed changes to Wisconsin’s regulatory rules are given a bad name by those who would paint them as either detrimental to the environment or economically harmful. In truth, Green Tier demonstrates that there are changes, which do not compromise the environment, yet still promote a strong Wisconsin economy. As the participation in Green Tier continues to grow, I believe this theory will be proven true time and again. |
|