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 The MWFPA Bulletin is underwritten in part by Focus on Energy | | |
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| Climate Change May Be Next For Feds | |
With the national health care debate ended, some political observers think Congress may next look to address climate change.
Senators John Kerry (D-MA), and Joe Lieberman (I-CT) unvieled their 987 page American Power Act, in May calling for a 17 percent reduction in carbon pollution from 2005 levels by 2020; 42 percent by 2030 and 83 percent by 2050. Power plants will face the first restrictions, followed six years later by energy-intensive manufacturers.
The bill's sponsors have predicted a full Senate debate as early as late June. They have persuaded three major oil companies, a number of electric utilities, and interest groups ranging from the U.S. Chamber of Commerce to the Christian Coalition either to support the bill or not campaign against it.
However, with renewed attention being given to immigration reform, the upcoming Supreme Court nominee hearings, the Gulf oil spill and the need to address a number of tax and jobs bills, Congress might want to forgo a contentious and raucous election year debate on climate change. But one lesson to be learned from the health care saga is that no reform bill is ever completely dead in this Congress.
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| BPA In Cans Report Plays Same Old Song | | | Recently, environmental health advocates released a report about canned foods containing BPA titled, "No Silver Lining, An Investigation into Bisphenol A in Canned Foods," that detected levels of the chemical in cans from consumers' shelves. Unfortunately, the report trots out the same old "evidence" and accusations that have been plaguing the BPA debate for more than two years.
MWFPA has opposed efforts in Minnesota, Wisconsin and Illinois to enact BPA bans. We continue to work at the federal level too, most recently in opposing efforts by Sen. Feinstein (D-California) to pass a BPA ban. In all the hysteria generated by the media regarding this matter, what fails to be emphasized is that scientists, regulators and legislators in Europe, Australia, and Japan have rejected the "evidence" as methodologically flawed, badly conducted or irrelevant while acknowledging that banning the chemical might in fact endanger the public health.
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| WI Rep. Kind, Del Monte Tout Healthy Choices Act | |
In May, Rep. Ron Kind (D-Wis.), along with representatives from Del Monte Foods, the Grocery Manufacturers Association, American Heart Association, and the YMCA, unveiled the Healthy Communities through Helping to Offer Incentives and Choices to Everyone in Society Act of 2010 (Healthy CHOICES Act).
The bill (HR 5290) attempts to establish a comprehensive national approach to addressing obesity in the United States. It authorizes an array of grants, attempts to improve child nutrition, access to physical activity for adults and children, access to nutritional information and healthy foods, change transportation policies to promote healthy lifestyles, and establish research and assessment tools.
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| Obesity Task Force Recommends Marketing Restrictions | |
The U.S.'s childhood obesity task force issued a report in May calling on food marketers to institute wide-ranging changes in the way food is marketed to children. The move is part of an overall effort by first lady Michelle Obama to reduce childhood obesity. The report advocates developing standard nutrition labels for food packages, limiting the licensing of popular entertainment characters to healthy food and beverage products and restricting all forms of marketing to children, either voluntarily or through consideration of federal regulation.
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| Obey, Longest Serving WI Congressman Retires | | |
Wisconsin's longest serving U.S. Congressman, Rep. Dave Obey (7th Congressional Dist.) announced his retirement in May. Obey had been in the House of Representatives since 1969 and was most recently chair of the powerful Appropriations Committee.
Obey's retirement impacted the Wisconsin Legislature as State Senator Julie Lassa (D-Stevens Point) will take on either Republican frontrunner, Ashland County District Attorney Sean Duffy, or his GOP primary opponent, organic farmer Dan Mielke.
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| MWFPA Files Amicus Brief in WPDES Case | |
The essence of the brief is that the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (DNR) should not have to determine whether individual permit terms violate federal regulations implementing the federal Clean Water Act.
Read the Appeals Court decision here.
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| Illinois Legislature Adjourns With Budget Out Of Balance | |
The Illinois State Legislature has adjourned temporarily leaving the state with a $13 billion deficit.
Legislative leaders gave no indication of when they might return to fill the massive budget hole. The current budget expires on June 30th. Some legislative observers think no substantive work will be accomplished until after the November elections.
The decision to adjourn followed a House action voting down a proposal to borrow $3.7 billion so the state could make its required payment to its troubled government pension systems. That obligation represents one of the largest holes in the budget. Even if the pension borrowing had passed, it was estimated that the budget would have been at least $2 billion out of balance.
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| Activist Challenges Emmer In MN GOP Governor's Race | |
Longtime environmental activist Leslie Davis announced plans in May to force an Aug. 10 Republican primary by running against State Rep. Tom Emmer, the GOP party-endorsed candidate for governor.
Davis, 73, said he's made runs for governor and U.S. senator since 1998 as an independent candidate. The Army veteran and Minneapolis public-access TV show host has also written a book about former Mn governor Jesse Ventura titled "Always Cheat." Davis has never held elected office.
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| MN Independence Party Picks Horner for Governor | |
The Minnesota Independence Party endorsed public relations executive Tom Horner for governor.
Horner, 59, of Edina and a former aide to Sen. Dave Durenberger, has never held public office. He is a Minnesota Public Radio political commentator.
Horner defeated four other candidates for endorsement at the IP state convention in Bloomington in May with 68 percent of the votes on the first and only ballot. The other candidates were Chris Pfeifer of Gemmell; Rob Hahn of St. Paul; and Jim Koepke and John Uldrich, of Minneapolis.
Hahn and Uldrich plan to challenge Horner in the Aug. 10 primary. Top of page |
| MN Stormwater Permits Issued | |
The Minnesota Pollution Control Agency issued the Industrial Stormwater Multi-Sector General Permit on April 5, 2010. Up to 10,000 facilities will now have to apply for permit coverage or re-certify for No Exposure.
This permit requires industrial facilities with potentially-hazardous materials, wastes or processes to manage stormwater runoff. Because this permit is so new, many thousands of municipalities, business owners and facility operators may not know their facility, or its primary activity, falls under state permit requirements.
To find out more about these requirements, click here and here.
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| WI GOP Selects Johnson for U.S. Senate Race | |
In a surprise move, the Republican Party of Wisconsin endorsed Ron Johnson for the U.S. Senate, picking him over Dick Leinenkugel, the former state commerce secretary, and Terrence Wall, a Madison-area developer who had courted delegates for months.
Johnson, 55, an Oshkosh businessman with no political experience, entered the race less than one week before the GOP state convention. The endorsement came after Leinenkugel unexpectedly pulled out of the race and backed Johnson as the candidate to face Democratic U.S. Sen. Russ Feingold in November. Since then, Wall too has pulled out of the race leaving Johnson to face Watertown businessman Dave Westlake in the September primary.
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| The MWFPA Bulletin is underwritten in part by Abbott Company and FoxJet | | |
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| Faribault Receives Green Business Award | |
Faribault Foods has received the Green Business and Environmental Management award from the Minnesota Environmental Initiative (MEI).
The award recognized Faribault for its energy-saving heat recovery systems retrofit for its bean cannery in Faribault, MN.
In order to address environmental impacts at the cannery and increase efficiency, Faribault, Thermo-Environmental Systems, and Xcel Energy worked in partnership to develop a system to recover and reuse 100% of the process heat. This allowed Faribault to decrease its heat-energy per can by 25%, decrease water use by 20% and sewer flow by 25%, and account for 13% of Xcel Energy's business customers' natural gas savings in 2009.
The award was presented at a banquet sponsored by MEI -- a nonprofit organization which promotes environmental responsibility within Minnesota. Those in attendance voted for the 2010 Partnership of the Year -- which Faribault also won. It is the highest environmental award in the State of Minnesota.
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| Welcome New Members! | |
Help us welcome our newest Association Member!
Find out more about this company by clicking the company name and visiting their website.
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| Fundamental Research Seeks Acquisition of Food Processor | |
Fundamental Research, Inc of Cherokee, IA is seeking the acquisition of a Midwest food processor on behalf of a possible buyer.
If MWFPA members know of a company considering a possible sale, contact:
Charles Peterson
President
Fundamental Research, Inc.
402 Indian St.
Cherokee, IA 51012
Phone: 712-225-5992
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| MWFPA Calendar of Events | |
June 3, 2010: MWFPA Annual Member's Golf Outing Plan to join us at Trappers Turn in Wisconsin Dells, WI. More information and online sign-up is available on our website, www.mwfpa.org.
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June 8-9, 2010: GMA Food Labeling Workshop Designed to teach food company personnel and others involved in label design the skills they need, whether they are responsible for labeling compliance, food product marketing or product development. Click here for more information.
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June 22-24, 2010: How to Implement and Sustain Lean in Process Industries: Fundamentals of Lean --Part 2, held in Madison, WI. Applying the tools and techniques taught in this course will enable process industries representatives to better understand how to implement and sustain Lean in a process industry to reduce lead times, improve product quality,reduce inventories,improve customer service levels, and overall equipment effectiveness. Click here for additional information.
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June 28-29, 2010: Advanced Summit on Food Safety Regulatory Compliance, Millennium Knickbocker Hotel, Chicago, IL. MWFPA and the American Conference Institute are providing a forum for in-house regulatory and government affairs, food safety and compliance officers. This conference will put relevant stakeholders in the food industry - both in-house and government - in one place for two days of knowledge-sharing, policy shaping and strategy development. To learn more or to register, click here.
_______________________________________________________________ Nov. 30-Dec. 2, 2010: 106th MWFPA Annual Convention and 83rd Processing Crops Conference Mark your calendar for next year's annual convention, to be held at the KI Convention Center in Green Bay, Wis.
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This newsletter is published twice monthly and as developments warrant, and is intended for a general audience of manufacturers and suppliers of food and agricultural products. |
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