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Rep. Callahan Signs-on to Wildfire Complaint
One Wisconsin lawmaker has joined the formal, international complaint over Canada’s on-going wildfire smoke.
Rep. Calvin Callahan, R-Tomahawk, joined lawmakers from Iowa, Minnesota, and North Dakota in a formal complaint to both the US EPA and the International Joint Commission.
"Our skies are being choked by wildfire smoke we didn’t start and can’t control. Last Thursday, six of the ten worst air quality readings in the entire country were right here in Wisconsin. That’s not only frustrating, but it’s a threat to our health and way of life. Our workers, families, and kids can’t afford to breathe toxic air day after day," Callahan said in a statement. "Canada needs to step up and take responsibility before more Wisconsinites suffer.”
The International Joint Commission is a special authority, created by the Boundary Waters Treaty of 1909, to deal with disputes over the shared waters and air quality along the border between the United States and Canada.
“Enough is enough,” Callahan added. “If Canada can’t get these wildfires under control, they need to face real consequences. We won’t sit back while our air becomes a health hazard.”
Wisconsin has been under an Air Quality Alert since July 31st. That Alert was supposed to last just a few days, but was extended again on Tuesday and into Wednesday.
Callahan and the other lawmakers want a response from both the EPA and the International Joint Commission in 30 days. But it is unclear what the two can do.
Canada’s wildfires have burned for the past couple of summers, and fire officials in Canada say lightning started this year’s fires.
Still, Callahan isn’t the only Wisconsin leader calling for action.
Northwoods Congressman Tom Tiffany earlier this week suggested a tariff on Canada until they do something about the fires and the smoke that is wafting across the border.
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