La Crosse landfill, Xcel incinerator situation with Climate Alliance’s Schlesinger, Nichols

Dr. Tom Schelsinger and Nick Nichols joined La Crosse Talk PM on Tuesday. They’re from Climate Alliance for the Common Good out of La Crosse. We discussed some recent news about La Crosse County’s landfill becoming a “land-full,” and how that relates to the Xcel incinerator on French Island. We also talked recycling in Wisconsin.

La Crosse Talk PM airs weekdays at 5:06 p.m. Listen on the WIZM app, online here, or on 92.3 FM / 1410 AM / 106.7 FM (north of Onalaska). Find all the podcasts here or subscribe to La Crosse Talk PM wherever you get your podcasts.

Schlesinger has a Ph.D. in Political Science specializing in health care policy, and a master’s in international environmental policy. Nichols is the former La Crosse County sustainability coordinator. The two also put on a mid-show clinic on how to clean up spilled beer.

In regards to the incinerator, Tony Gibart, the executive director with Midwest Environmental Advocates out of Madison, came on for a bit to add to that conversation, including a possible dilemma with PFAS waste.

We also discussed, with the Climate Alliance pair, some problems with recycling in Wisconsin. Nichols brought up the difference with recycling in Wisconsin — where about 35-40% of cans/plastic bottles get recycled — versus Oregon, where 98% of those items are recycled. 

Part of that discussion also included Republicans in the state Legislature passing legislation on a gas powered engine ban ban — essentially banning local governments from regulating things that use gas. It’s not all that dissimilar to what the state did under former Gov. Scott Walker, prohibiting localities from banning plastic bags.