{"id":1659,"date":"2005-10-02T14:53:00","date_gmt":"2005-10-02T14:53:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/sustainablog.greenoptions.com\/2005\/10\/02\/wisconsin-scrap-recyclers-builders-sign-green-tier\/"},"modified":"2005-10-02T14:53:00","modified_gmt":"2005-10-02T14:53:00","slug":"wisconsin-scrap-recyclers-builders-sign-green-tier","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sustainablog.org\/articles\/wisconsin-scrap-recyclers-builders-sign-green-tier\/","title":{"rendered":"Wisconsin Scrap Recyclers, Builders Sign “Green Tier”"},"content":{"rendered":"
From the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel<\/em>, news<\/a> of “pioneering efforts at collaborative regulation” between Wisconsin’s scrap recyclers, builders and the state’s Department of Natural Resources: Green Tier<\/a>.<\/p>\n The heart of the deals is that the industries agree to more ambitious environmental programs and goals in return for more flexible regulation.<\/p>\n In the case of the scrap companies, each of 71 facilities in the state will move to an environmental management system. They will accomplish that through a new corporation set up to provide the training and programs on the new system.<\/p>\n Best management practices will attack levels of mercury, lead, fluids and what’s called shredder fluff. The scrap will be looked at as an asset rather than a waste.<\/p>\n In return, the industries will be able to satisfy storm water prevention requirements in a more flexible manner and will have a single point of contact with the DNR.<\/p>\n Green Tier companies that discover and report violations will be given time to correct the problem. It’s called “deferred civil enforcement.”<\/p>\n The builders will also get a single point of DNR contact and 90 days to fix reported problems.<\/p>\n In return, the builders have promised to do a better job with such issues as erosion on construction sites, post-construction storm water runoff, with green building techniques and siting.<\/p>\n It is important to repeat over and over that no standards are lowered for either industry. <\/p><\/blockquote>\n Green Tier isn’t stopping with these two industries, either — the printing industry is also negotiating a similar agreement. While the liberal in me immediately questions “flexible regulation,” this seems like a win-win situation: government sets standards, but allows the private sector to engage its ingenuity to meet the standards. Paul Hawken describes such a relationship between government and business in The Ecology of Commerce<\/a> (affiliate link); perhaps these ideas are catching on.<\/p>\n Categories: environment<\/a>, regulation<\/a>, government<\/a>, business<\/a>, recycling<\/a>, builders<\/a>, Wisconsin<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" From the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, news of “pioneering efforts at collaborative regulation” between Wisconsin’s scrap recyclers, builders and the state’s Department of Natural Resources: Green Tier. The heart of the [ … ]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":56,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"yoast_head":"\n