President Trump announced last week that Taiwan-based Foxconn is going to look at Wisconsin to create a 1,000-acre campus. Since then, legislators have laid out the benefits the state will gain from this, as well as the potential detriments. One area of concern as of late is the push back of environmental regulations presented in the latest Foxconn bill.
Bill Davis, director of the John Muir Chapter of the Sierra Club, said he sees no upside for Foxconn for having environmental laws waived. The bill eliminates the need for an environmental impact statement for the DNR.
“The bigger a project is, the more valuable an environmental impact statement is because it is the one document that analyzes all aspects and all environmental impacts and looks at the alternatives,” Davis said. That can be an incredibly useful process Davis said.” “The EIS brings to light things that may be kept in the dark through public input
The EIS can be an incredibly useful process, Davis said, because public input can bring things to light that may be kept in the dark, leading to fewer environmental impacts.
“I see no upside for Foxconn for having these environmental laws waived,” Davis said.
Listen to hear the full program to hear from Brian Merchant, who’s recently released “The One Device“ discusses Foxconn’s plants and impacts, as well as Alder Rebecca Kemble to get the local perspective.
