1996 CPEO Military List Archive

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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