Legal Victory! Court Dismisses Citation in Shorewood Beach Trespassing Case
Today, a Milwaukee County Circuit Court dismissed a trespassing citation issued to MEA client Paul Florsheim for walking along the Lake Michigan shoreline in the Village of Shorewood. The court found that Mr. Florsheim’s walk was a protected activity under the public trust doctrine and that the Village could not enforce its trespass ordinance against him.
Legal victory! Judge orders release of information about energy use at Meta’s Beaver Dam data center
This week, a Dane County Circuit Court sided with MEA in a dispute over the public’s right to know how the unprecedented energy needs of hyperscale data centers will impact Wisconsin. The court ruled that the Public Service Commission acted unlawfully when it denied a public records request seeking information about energy use at Meta’s Beaver Dam data center and ordered that the information be released.
DNR reversed course on a massive data center after pushback from developers. MEA is fighting for answers.
A new lawsuit filed by MEA on behalf of the Sierra Club shows the extent to which tech companies and data center developers may be influencing decisions that impact Wisconsin’s environment.
Wisconsin Youth Plaintiffs Appeal Dismissal of Constitutional Climate Case
Yesterday, fifteen youth plaintiffs represented by Midwest Environmental Advocates and Our Children’s Trust filed their appeal in a constitutional climate case challenging Wisconsin laws that promote fossil fuels, exacerbate the climate crisis, and violate the constitutional rights of Wisconsin youth.
Circuit Court Issues Order Limiting Pipeline Construction While Line 5 Lawsuit Moves Forward
A Wisconsin circuit court ordered Enbridge Energy to halt pipeline construction at certain locations while it reviews a lawsuit challenging state regulatory approvals for the Canadian energy giant’s controversial plan to build a new 41-mile segment of its Line 5 oil pipeline around the Bad River Reservation in northern Wisconsin.
MEA Files for Judicial Review of Line 5 Permit Decision
Yesterday, environmental groups filed a petition for judicial review of an administrative law judge’s decision upholding state permits for Enbridge’s controversial Line 5 reroute project in northern Wisconsin. The groups also filed a motion seeking an immediate stay on construction activities pending a final decision in the case and a brief in support of the motion.
MEA Files Appeal in Legal Dispute Over Public’s Right to Access Great Lakes Shoreline
On February 12, Midwest Environmental Advocates filed an appeal on behalf of Shorewood resident Paul Florsheim who was found guilty of trespassing for walking along a stretch of the Lake Michigan shoreline north of Atwater Beach. The case could have significant implications for the public’s right to access and enjoy the Great Lakes.
MEA Files Lawsuit to Challenge Secrecy Surrounding Energy Demands of Meta’s Beaver Dam Data Center
MEA is challenging the Public Service Commission’s refusal to release records related to projected energy demand for Meta’s data center in Beaver Dam. The PSC denied MEA’s open records request, claiming the information contained trade secrets and that keeping it secret serves the public interest.
MEA and Milwaukee Riverkeeper Announce Legal Action After DNR Approves Controversial Expansion of West Bend Dairy Farm
MEA initiated legal action after the DNR issued a permit for the expansion of a large dairy farm located in the Town of Trenton in Washington County. DNR approval ignores the farm’s past environmental violations and endangers local groundwater, trout streams and wetlands.
MEA Calls for Increased Oversight of Door County Livestock Operation with History of Environmental Violations
In formal comments submitted to the Department of Natural Resources, MEA outlined serious concerns regarding the agency’s plan to issue a permit for the expansion of Gilbert Farms, a concentrated animal feeding operation (CAFO) near the town of Sevastopol in Door County