Milwaukee County, Wisconsin hopes putting bike racks on buses will help settle State’s lawsuit against the County for asbestos pollution

Feb 20, 2008

After being sued by the State for releasing asbestos into the environment during the 2006 demolition of the county courthouse annex, Milwaukee County is attempting to make amends through a “green” act: adding bike racks to buses to encourage commuters to take public transportation and cut down on automobile exhaust. One county official called it a different type of environmental offset–an attempt to balance a harm to the environment with an environmental good deed. The plan to install bike racks was under consideration separate from the asbestos contamination case, however. The county faces possible fines of approximately $30,000 in the asbestos contamination case, and three contractors involved in the same suit have settled with the state for a total of $105,000. The asbestos cleanup at the courthouse annex cost about $1 million. The bike rack plan will cost about $650,000 for initial purchase and installation and another $110,000 a year in maintenance and lost revenue from having the bike racks displace ads on the front of the buses. The county plans to pursue a federal grant and private fund raising to cover much of the costs.

For the full story, go to http://www.jsonline.com.

Latest News Stories