Category Archives: Dane

Postpone Request for National Guard: 11 Jan 22 “Open House”

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: January 10, 2022

Contact: Tom Boswell, 608/718-7312

 

Safe Skies Clean Water Asks Air National Guard

and Dane County Airport to Postpone “Open House”

 

Madison – The Safe Skies Clean Water Coalition has called on the Wisconsin Air National Guard and Dane County Regional Airport to postpone an “Open House” scheduled for Tuesday, January 11, at Madison College. The purpose of the event is to update the public on plans being undertaken by the Wisconsin Air National Guard (WANG) and the National Guard Bureau (NGB) to remediate PFAS pollution originating with the Truax airbase.

 

location  https://isthmus.com/locations/madison-college-truax-campus-mitby-theater

 

“This is not the right time to hold this event,” the coalition wrote to Colonel Bart Van Roo, commander of the 115th Fighter Wing at Truax. “We are in the height of another public health crisis. Many of the families who are and will be most impacted by the water pollution and dangerous noise levels of F-35 fighter jets are not likely to further jeopardize their health and safety by attending an indoor event at this moment.”

 

The coalition is one of several groups that has been advocating for the Air National Guard, Dane County and the City of Madison – all designated by the DNR as responsible parties in the water contamination crisis – to be more forthcoming in communication with the public. But Safe Skies Clean Water said “this is not the appropriate time for this event.”

 

Representatives of the NGB and a Maryland-based engineering firm are to present information on the remediation process and progress to date and address questions and comments from the public. The event is scheduled for 6 pm at the Mitby Theater on the Truax campus of Madison College.

 

“We are frankly skeptical concerning the motivation of the Air National Guard and Dane County Regional Airport for scheduling this Open House while the pandemic is peaking, the weather is inhospitable, the students and faculty of Madison College are on winter break, and the event was announced during the winter holiday,” said Safe Skies Clean Water.

“The Air Force, National Guard Bureau and Air National Guard have proven to be toxic neighbors. Now they plan to initiate yet another assault on our public health by foisting F-35 fighter jets on an already compromised community that doesn’t want them. We are asking the Air Force and Air National Guard to be better neighbors. We know you would rather be protecting us from real threats like pandemics and national disasters rather than making war on us. We ask you to postpone this event and to halt the construction at the airbase until the site investigation and PFAS remediation is completed.”

 

Safe Skies Clean Water Wisconsin is a nonprofit coalition of residents and organizations in Madison and Dane County, Wisconsin opposed to the proposed bed down of F-35A fighter jets at Truax Field.

For more,  safeskiescleanwaterwi.org 

“There is a problem.  Let’s put it on the table, get people engaged in it, hold polluters accountable and clean it up.”

  • Dr. Maria Powell, MEJO
  • Brad Geyer, Veterans for Peace, Former WI Air National Guard and US Air Force

WI Environmental Health Network: Forever Chemicals Wisconsin

Madison Environmental Justice: PFAS Related

 

COVID Resources – WI and Dane Co

Resources related to COVID from Gov Tony Evers and Mandela Barnes (14 August 2020)

State of Wisconsin – Resources

Dane County Human Services

“On behalf of the people of Wisconsin, Lieutenant Governor Barnes and I hope this email finds you safe and healthy. As we have done throughout the past several months, we would like to provide you with the most up to date and accurate information available regarding the current public health crisis.

 

As of August 14, Wisconsin has seen over 63,000 confirmed cases of COVID-19. Over one thousand  Wisconsinites have died from COVID-19. I would like to extend my deepest condolences to everyone who has lost someone they love during this pandemic. Our entire state is thinking of you and holding you in our hearts, and our administration will continue to do everything we can to limit the spread of COVID-19.

 

Unfortunately, throughout July we saw a surge in new cases across our state and, although we are fighting the same pandemic, we now find ourselves in a completely different situation. Although our local public health officials and frontline workers have done a heck of a job keeping our communities safe, July’s rise in cases reinforces the reality that COVID-19 does not stop at county or municipal lines. That’s why, on July 30, I declared a new public health emergency and issued Emergency Order #1 to put in place a statewide face covering requirement. Emergency Order #1 implemented the Centers for Disease Control’s recommendations requiring face coverings and masks and allowed Wisconsin to join the vast majority of states in recognizing the importance and effectiveness of face coverings in preventing the spread of COVID-19. If you have questions about the statewide face covering requirement, please consult this list of frequently asked questions. 

We recognize that many Wisconsinites continue to struggle financially. You may find it useful to know that the Public Service Commission (PSC) voted in late July to prohibit utility disconnections until at least September 1 and will meet later this month to determine if a further extension is necessary. You can learn more about this decision and how it may affect you here. We have also included a more comprehensive list of financial resources below:

  1. If you are struggling to pay for groceries, you may qualify for the Department of Health Services’ FoodShare program. 
  2. If you are struggling to afford health insurance, you may be eligible for one or more programs offered through the DHS or the Office of the Commissioner of Insurance. 
  3. If you are struggling to pay your rent, you may be eligible for the Department of Administration’s Wisconsin Rental Assistance Program. 
  4. If you are a low-income parent or are pregnant and low income, you may be interested in the programs available through the Wisconsin Department of Children and Families.
  5. For more general resources, please see the following list available under the 211 Program. You can also call 2-1-1 to be connected to resources over the phone.
  6. If you receive Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) funds, you are not eligible under state law to also receive UI, but you may be eligible to receive Pandemic Unemployment Insurance (PUA). We encourage you to apply online for PUA. Our administration is also advocating for the state legislature to change state law to ensure SSDI recipients can qualify for UI in the future.
  7. If you are a farmer who has suffered economic damages to the COVID-19 Pandemic, you may be able to find financial resources through the Department of Revenue’s Wisconsin Farm Support Program. Applications are due by August 24.
  8. You can also complete the “Request for Assistance” form on my official website. This will connect you with a caseworker within our office.

State of Wisconsin – Resources

Dane County Human Services