Our local economy is tied to our beaches and our waters.  When beaches are closed due to spilled sewage or harmful algae blooms, it trickles down to the hotels and merchants, then the whole area gets a bad rap.  In fact, I had friends from out-of-state here last week that wanted to go kayaking and then found out that the beach was closed due to high coliform.  Local groups have also had to cancel kayak outings due to these types of conditions.

 13 plants are on the DEP’s violation list for non-compliance. Some violations go back years, but the plants remain on the list until they have met all compliancy orders. The violations were compiled from DEP’s latest available public records.The list is after the jump.

With all the problems Milwaukee has with sewage the last thing they need are drunk drivers crashing into sewage treatment plants. Amanda Berth of Sheboygan, WI is real lucky that when she drove her car through a security fence and crashed into the Sheboygan Wastewaster Treatment Plant that all she suffered was a concussion and a broken leg. After all, her accident could've put her on the list below.

Now for the Spills of the week: