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Robert M. La Follette
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Last updated:
August 18, 2011



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Wisconsin Style: New Approaches to Regulatory Innovation

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Wisconsin Green and Growing: Green Tier’s coming out party features bus tour, conference

Two days in October 2005 gave content, visibility and momentum to Wisconsin’s new way of achieving greater environmental protection in law while meeting the modern challenges facing businesses and governments. Green Tier charters were signed with two trade groups.

The first Green Tier contract was signed. Holsum Dairies, Veridian Homes, Serigraph and American Transmission Corporation were introduced as the first participants in Tier 1 of Green Tier.

The announcements were the first agreements between businesses and government under Wisconsin’s 2004 Green Tier law, a law grounded in government, citizens and business working together in a “we can” approach to achieve greater results. This legal alternative and collaborative approach complements the traditional approach which remains, a system premised upon a “you can’t” regulatory relationship that achieves minimal results. State regulators emphasized that the old regulatory system remains while inviting qualifying candidates to an approach that aspires to go beyond the minimum.

The Green and Growing days began with tour buses starting in different parts of the state with Madison as their day-end destination. The University of Wisconsin – Madison’s Robert M. La Follette School of Public Affairs and its Baldwin project on environmental regulatory innovation sponsored the bus trips. Corporate sponsors for the events were Alliant Energy, American Transmission Corporation, The Bruce Company, Cave of the Mounds, Cook Composites and Polymers, Cooperative Compliance Program, DeWitt Ross and Stevens, Holsum Dairies, M&I Bank, Madison Gas & Electric Foundation, Inc., MEGTEC Systems, Michael Best & Friedrich, Multi-State Working Group, Samuels Recycling, SC Johnson, Serigraph, UW Platteville – Pioneer Farm, Valley Home Builders Association, We Energies, The Windover Foundation, Wisconsin Energy Corporation Foundation, Wisconsin Builders Association Development Council/ECCODEV, Wisconsin Environmental Initiative, Wisconsin Milk Marketing Board, WisPolitics.com/WisBusiness.com, Wood Communications Group and Xcel Energy.

The buses stopped at businesses that symbolize the developing “Green and Growing” brand of Wisconsin. Some stops showcased achievements under pilot programs that tested the Green Tier concept. Other bus stops brought officials from businesses and government together to sign contracts and charters under the expanded Green Tier law that was signed by Gov. Jim Doyle in April 2004.

At an end-of-the-day reception in Madison, passengers and officials from numerous cabinet agencies gathered to witness the signing of an agreement between the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Protection Agency Region V and to celebrate the unveiling of the Green Tier logo that will be used by program participants.

The agreement recognizes Green Tier and gives it standing, positioning Green Tier businesses as candidates for EPA’s Performance Track program and its business benefits. The logo will become an element in branding a green Wisconsin, the topic of the next day’s workshop, sponsored by the Wisconsin Environmental Initiative, a non-profit business-environmental partnership.

The Green Tier contract and charters provided specificity that state lawmakers, news media, environmentalists, regulators and businesses themselves were seeking throughout the collaborative process that produced the law.
“The combined effect of the announced participation in Green Tier and the agreement signed with U.S. EPA is both symbolic and specific in communicating the new green thinking that’s taking place in Wisconsin,” said DNR Secretary Scott Hassett. “They are commitments, in law, which capture a new attitude about the environment that allows us to move beyond where we are, toward achieving greater economic and environmental results in tandem. The old laws met the challenge of the times and they met it well. They are still needed and will be enforced. The new Green Tier law is a law for the new times for those that are qualified and need it for business reasons.”

These first Green Tier participants were announced during the Green and Growing event:

Green Tier – Charter
Scrap Recycling Industry's CCP Inc.

The scrap recycling industry began developing the first charter with the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources in mid-2004. This cooperative approach was rooted in the earlier Cooperative Compliance Program, which served as a model for such programs in the rest of the nation. The DNR and representatives from the scrap recycling industry continued to work toward a charter that is beneficial to the DNR and to individual members of the scrap metal recycling industry. Their work is grounded in the belief that better relations between government and business are the foundation for superior environmental performance.

Members of the scrap industry are encouraged to join the Charter as Tier 1 or Tier 2 participants in Green Tier. The charter requires each participating scrap dealer to adopt an environmental management system and to identify objectives and targets. Each dealer will be audited against these objectives and targets annually. In addition, a consultant, hired by the industry, will provide training to participants regarding their environmental responsibilities.

Green Tier – Charter
Wisconsin Builders Association Development Council's Environmental Compliance Corporation for Development and Economic Vitality Inc.

The Wisconsin Builders Association Development Council's Environmental Compliance Corporation for Development and Economic Vitality Inc. represents residential land developers from across the state. The group has been working with he Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources to demonstrate its commitment to providing a healthy and sustainable environment, and creating quality, safe and affordable housing.

Through the charter, the Development Council commits to improve: environmental performance; relationships between developers and regulatory agencies; and the performance of others that follow developers at a site, such as builders and homeowners. Each participating member will utilize an environmental management system to continuously help produce superior environmental performance by protecting aquatic habitat, minimizing erosion from development sites and designing building sites so as to minimize their impact on the environment. Members of the Wisconsin Builders Association are encouraged to join the Charter as Tier 1 or Tier 2 participants in Green Tier.

Green Tier - Tier 1 Participant
Holsum Dairies, LLC

Holsum Dairies is a 3,600 head, large-scale dairy farm located in Hilbert, Wisconsin, midway between Lake Michigan and Lake Winnebago. Holsum Dairies will focus on improving its nutrient management and storage, as well as surface and groundwater protection. Through its environmental management system, Holsum Dairies will build environmental sensitivity, environmental protection and environmental restoration into both the design and operation of the dairy.

Green Tier - Tier 1 Participant
American Transmission Co.

American Transmission Co. provides linear infrastructure for the transmission of electricity. ATC’s involvement focuses on improving its electric transmission line project implementation. Through its environmental management system, ATC will build environmental sensitivity, protection and  restoration into the design and construction of transmission lines.

Green Tier - Tier 2 Participant - Contract
MEGTEC Systems

MEGTEC Systems is a manufacturer of air flotation dryers and air pollution control equipment used in many industries including: printing, paper-making, automotive and metals coating. Under the Green Tier contract, MEGTEC Systems will continue to expand its superior environmental performance by working with its supply chain on environmentally preferable products and practices, by encouraging those businesses in their supply chain to develop their own environmental management systems and by sharing environmental improvement results with others. MEGTEC Systems will also minimize the creation of hazardous waste, with the goal of becoming a conditionally exempt small quantity generator.

Green Tier - Tier 1 Participant
Serigraph Inc.

Serigraph Inc. is a privately held screen and sheet-fed lithographic printer. It operates four plants on three sites in West Bend, Wisconsin, and employs 840 people. Serigraph’s Green Tier application is for Plant 4, at 2230 Stonebridge Road, in West Bend. Plant 4 is a 38,000-square-foot screen printing facility that supplies product for the appliance, computer and electronic markets, generally printing on plastic. In the past several years, Plant 4 has reduced its generation of hazardous waste, allowing a reclassification from large-quantity generator to small-quantify generator, and increased the use of low VOC coatings, resulting in a 66 percent decrease in VOCs. Serigraph will expand upon these successes, and its environmental management system will identify additional areas for improvement.

Green Tier - Tier 1 Participant (formal announcement will be made with the Clear Waters Initiative Charter)
Veridian Homes LLC

Veridian Homes LLC is the largest builder of residential homes in Dane County. It has identified aspects of its land development, home-building operations and business processes that have significant impacts on the environment. Veridian commits to include all contracted trade activities at its building sites that have the potential to affect the environment. Veridian will utilize the land development and building industries "first" environmental management system.

In reviewing the agreements and days’ events, Hassett said he was especially enthused about using Green Tier charters to tackle environmental and business challenges that have eluded regulators and firms since the advent of pollution control laws that were largely designed to address larger firms and facilities.

He pointed to the charters signed with the builders and scrap metal industries. “Environmental charters open the door to new partnerships with entire business sectors and peer to peer, self-help arrangements within those sectors. These helping-hand approaches will assist small businesses in their pursuit of environmental goals that in the past were difficult to reach. That assistance will come from those who know the business best.” Hassett said.

“Helping small business achieve and go beyond regulatory compliance has been an elusive challenge for government and business alike. Through the Green Tier law and its charter provision, we have an opportunity to meet that challenge in ways that produce environmental and business value that reach far beyond our wildest dreams.”