February, 2003
Vol. 7, No. 2

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Table of Contents

CWAC Threatens Suit Against Procter & Gamble for Clean Air Violations

Why Does It Matter?
Budget Cuts Hamper DNR Air Enforcement and Permitting

What You Can Do

Background

What You Can Do

About the Berrymans

CWAC Threatens Suit Against Procter & Gamble for Clean Air Violations

Sometimes we have to do the work ourselves if we want to get it done. 

Clean Water Action Council sent a letter recently to paper products giant Procter & Gamble, Inc., stating our intent to file a lawsuit against that company for violations of its air pollution permit. 

Midwest Environmental Advocates, a non-profit law center, is representing us in our efforts to enforce state and federal laws.

Procter & Gamble operates its Fox River Paper Mill in downtown Green Bay subject to the terms of a Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (DNR) permit issued in December of 2001,under Title V of the federal Clean Air Act.

The permit requires Procter & Gamble to operate its air pollution control equipment in particular ways to prevent excessive levels of dust and particulate matter from escaping from its smoke stacks.  The company was also required to monitor that equipment to ensure that the levels in the permit are being met. 

Public records revealed that on hundreds of occasions over the course of 2002, Procter & Gamble failed to operate its pollution control equipment according to the terms of its permit, or failed to monitor the equipment to ensure that the company did not send dust and particulate matter into the air. 

“Clean Water Action Council simply wants compliance with the law and the protection of public health,” said Andrew Hanson, attorney with Midwest Environmental Advocates, Inc.  “To ensure that, we are willing sue in federal court to demand compliance now and into the future.”

Why Does It Matter?

Air pollution is a major concern for this area of downtown Green Bay, where the DNR and EPA estimate the public cancer risk due to air pollution is 1-in-a-1,000.

In addition, dust and particulate matter can cause or aggravate serious respiratory problems in the young, the elderly, and sensitive individuals.

Brown County’s overall asthma rate is 7% according to the 1997-2000 Family Health Survey by Wisconsin Dept. of Health and Family Services (DHFS).

In 2000 and 2001, Brown County had 674 children age 9 and younger hospitalized due to serious respiratory problems (asthma, bronchitis, pneumonia and pleurisy), according to the DHFS online database, “Wisconsin Health Care Information.”

Of 72 counties in Wisconsin, Brown County had the 2nd highest number of these hospitalizations, after Milwaukee County.

In addition, the average duration of hospitalizations for child respiratory problems in Brown County is much higher than the rest of the state, indicating possible increased severity of the cases.

Last month (CWAC News Jan, 2003) we reported that Brown County ranks 3rd in the state  for toxic pollution linked to respiratory problems in Wisconsin.  From 1987 to 2000, more than 21 million pounds of respiratory toxins were released into Brown County’s air and water according to a report released by the Wisconsin Public Interest Research Group (WISPIRG). 

This equals approximately 617 dump truck loads, and unfortunately  is a gross underestimate of the true total releases.

Air pollution also falls out to become toxic water pollution, with many types of contaminants now coming primarily from the air.

Dust and particulates often carry other contaminants with them.

Budget Cuts Hamper DNR Air Enforcement and Permitting

This case illustrates problems rampant throughout Wisconsin’s Air Management Program.

In December, CWAC joined with several other environmental and 
public health organizations to petition the EPA to withdraw the DNR’s authority to administer the federal clean air program, for failure by the state to collect fees from air pollution sources to properly fund the agency. 

Many environmental, conservation and health organizations called on Gov. Doyle to raise the fees in his new budget --- to allow DNR to hire additional air permit engineers.  Instead, Gov. Doyle cut 11.5 positions from that 100-person unit in DNR’s Air Management Program.

Legislators have also helped discourage the permit fee increase by calling instead for a Legislative Audit of the DNR program.   The audit could take several months, perhaps beyond the time for finalizing the state budget, forcing action to wait another year.   Many of us believe the audit is unnecessary because past audits have already shown work overloads in this branch of DNR.  The turnover rate among DNR air engineers is high, a clear  indication of frustration and job dissatisfaction.

Keep in mind that Governors Thompson and McCallum badly damaged the DNR over the years, with drastic budget cuts, and the elimination of 400 jobs in 1995 alone.  They also implemented several reorganizations that caused chaos and morale problems in the agency. 

The Air Program has repeatedly requested additional staff in past budget cycles to handle the permit workload, but the Republicans in the Legislature and Governor’s Office blocked the additions.   Industry lobbyists have successfully convinced them that DNR is simply “inefficient.” 

It looks like our air problems could get worse before they get better.   It’s a travesty that citizen groups like ours have to take matters into our own hands in order to protect our health.  We pay taxes to support the legislature and DNR, so they will protect us from pollution problems.  Instead, the legislature looks the other way while hundreds of air permit violations continue without penalty.

At the same time, the Wisconsin Paper Council complains about DNR’s “excessive regulation.”

Truly amazing. 

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National Studies Show Risks of Particulate Pollution

More than two dozen  studies since 1987 have linked particulate pollution to reductions in lung function, increased hospital and emergency room admissions, and premature deaths.     Two major studies (by the American Cancer Society and Harvard University) show that people living in more polluted cities had an increased risk of premature death compared to those in cleaner cities. 

The Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) estimates that at current levels of pollution, approximately 64,000 premature deaths from cardiopulmonary causes may be attributable to particulate air pollution each year. That represents 6.5% of all cardiopulmonary deaths, which total 986,000 per year. The national estimate of mortality attributable to smoking is 418,690 for 1990.

The elderly and those with heart and lung disease are at greatest risk of premature mortality due to particulate air pollution. Their lives might be shortened by one to two years on average in more polluted areas. 

Particulates might also aggravate the severity of underlying chronic lung disease, causing more frequent or severe exacerbation of airways disease or more rapid loss of lung function. 

A number of prestigious international panels including a British Committee on the Medical Effects of Air Pollutants and a Committee of the Health Council of Netherlands have concluded that there is a cause-and-effect relationship between particulate pollution and mortality.

Epidemiological studies have reported that the higher the concentration of particles, the greater the effect on the health of populations. 

Effects have been demonstrated at levels well below the current National Ambient Air Quality Standards. 

Scientists have not been able to identify a threshold below which health effects do not occur.

This information is based on “BREATH-TAKING: Premature Mortality Due to Particulate Air Pollution in 239 American Cities,” a May 1996 report by the Natural Resources Defense Council. (www.nrdc.org) 

NRDC’s 1996 findings are still significant. In July 2000, an independent analysis by the Health Effects Institute validated the methods and conclusions of the American Cancer Society study, on which the NRDC risk estimates are based. And a September 2002 National Academy of Sciences report endorsed the approach taken by NRDC in its “Breath-Taking” report.

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Bush to Weaken Clean Water Act

On January 15, 2003 the EPA and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (Corps) published an Advance Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (ANPRM), proposing changes to Clean Water Act regulations. 

Simultaneously, they released a separate guidance memorandum to their field staff regarding Clean Water Act jurisdiction over certain   non-navigable, intrastate waters, that they have termed “isolated” waters.
 Both the ANPRM and the guidance represent attempts to remove federal protection from waters (including many creeks, streams, small ponds, and wetlands) that have been protected by the Clean Water Act for 30 years. 

The guidance will have an immediate impact because it takes effect right away. Plus, the ANPRM marks the beginning of a longer rulemaking process that may result in even more sweeping changes that could severely undermine the health of the nation’s waters. 

The agencies claim that both the ANPRM and the guidance are necessary because of a 2001 Supreme Court ruling (the“SWANCC” case), which held that the presence of migratory birds cannot be the sole reason for asserting federal Clean Water Act jurisdiction over what the court termed “isolated,” non-navigable, intrastate waters. 

The agencies are using this decision as an excuse to call into question Clean Water Act protections for all so-called “isolated” waters and to open the door to further limitations to Clean Water Act protections. 

The Administration’s actions are unwarranted. Congress clearly intended the Clean Water Act to cover all of waters of the United States. The term “isolated” was not defined and it is not used in the Clean Water Act. Furthermore, the Supreme Court did not find that any waters were outside the scope of the Clean Water Act. 

The agencies’ guidance should not go beyond the Supreme Court decision, but instead should reaffirm the Clean Water Act’s protection for all waters of the United States. 

EPA estimates that about 20 million acres of wetlands (20 percent of the remaining wetlands in the lower 48 states) could lose federal protection under the new guidelines.”    Limiting the scope of the Clean Water Act over these wetlands and other waters will have devastating effects. Removing essential federal safeguards against destruction and degradation will:

•  Place community water supplies at risk, and result in more pollution; 

•  Increase flooding, as destroyed wetlands will no longer be able to absorb excess water; and 

•  Harm endangered or threatened wildlife species - 43 percent of which rely on wetlands for survival.

What You Can Do

Please tell the EPA and the Corps how you feel about these Clean Water Act changes. Sending this email will register your comments with the Environmental Protection Agency and will copy your comments to your members of Congress. If you wish to send  your comments by mail, send four copies to:

   Water Docket, EPA
   Mail Code: 4101T
   1200 Pennsylvania Av. NW
   Washington, DC 20460

To view the Federal Register announcement, visit: 
http://a257.g.akamaitech.net/7/257/2422/14mar20010800/edocket.access.gpo.gov/2003/pdf/03-960.pdf

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Bush to Weaken Mining Rules

Deputy Interior Secretary J. Steven Griles spoke at the National Western National Mining Conference where he outlined plans to reform mining laws and open up more federal lands for resource extraction. Griles explained that the administration is committed to mining in the West and is working to permanently repeal the “burdensome” 3809 environmental mining regulations passed by the Clinton administration. 

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Bush Withholds Mercury and Dioxin Reports

A report warning that mercury emissions from industrial sources pose health risks to young children has remained a secret for nine months and the release date still remains unclear.  Not surprisingly,  2000 EPA Toxic Release Inventory (TRI) nationwide  shows the metal mining industry to be the #3 releaser of mercury to air, and #1 releaser of mercury overall.

Similarly, the dioxin reassessment study has been concluded for years, after more than 10 years of study and debate, but George W. Bush is continuing the pro-corporate policy of withholding the report, just as Clinton and Bush Senior did. 

Information is power.

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Bill to Stop Waste Dumping in Waterways

Representatives Frank Pallone (D-NJ) and Christopher Shays (R-CT) introduced legislation that would prohibit the dumping of mining waste into rivers and streams. The lawmakers said the legislation was necessary after a ruling in January that allowed the definition of “fill material” in the Clean Water Act to be expanded to include mining wastes. 

from Mineral Policy Center

The Heat is On
The Science and Policy Surrounding Climate Change 

Free Public Program

The Earth’s atmosphere has a number of important features including a layer of greenhouse gases that keep the earth warm.  Since the industrial revolution, humans have emitted vast quantities of these gases into the atmosphere primarily by burning fossil fuels.  This has increased the warming capacity of the atmosphere and is causing the Earth to become a warmer place. 

This presentation looks at various aspects of global warming.  First, global warming science is discussed along with the trend in the atmospheric concentration of gases and temperature.  Next, potential implications of global warming on human and ecological systems on a global level an in the context of Wisconsin are discussed, followed by the policy responses on the international, national, and state levels. 

Finally, emphasis is shifted to the U.S., with a discussion of the proportion of U.S. gas emissions to the world total and the effect of two major sectors (electricity and transportation) on the U.S. gas emissions profile.  Options for reducing the impact of these sectors (e.g., renewable energy and better land use) are discussed and websites for more information are provided.

Thursday 
March 27
7:00 p.m.

at Brown County Public Library (downstairs)
515 Pine Street, downtown Green Bay

Speaker Background:  The past three years have seen dramatic developments in the field of climate change policy.   Matt Kittell  has followed these developments in the domestic and international arenas as a Research Associate with the Center for Clean Air Policy in Washington, DC. 

Mr. Kittell works with a team of experts on climate change policy and has a thorough understanding of the status of climate change efforts around the globe and the politics underlying those efforts.  He is also familiar with environmental and economic consequences of leading policy options having analyzed policies including the Kyoto Protocol’s emissions trading, joint implementation, and clean development mechanism and the Bush Administration’s carbon intensity standards.  He is also familiar with policy options for regional and state contexts having analyzed renewable portfolio standards and smart growth. 

In October 2002, Mr. Kittell was invited to join the Greenhouse Network, a nationwide network of climate change speakers.  Mr. Kittell holds a Bachelor’s Degree from UW-Green Bay in Social Change and Development and is a candidate for a Master’s Degree from the Univ. of Maryland’s School of Public Affairs.

Sponsored by Clean Water Action Council, phone: 920-437-7304.

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Bush Weakens Clean Air Act

Today, over two million people in Wisconsin breathe unhealthy air. Yet
instead of strengthening the Clean Air Act, the Bush Administration wants
to weaken it.  (For details see the Federal Register:  67 FR 80185 -12/31/2002).

Polluters want loopholes in a key Clean Water Act provision to avoid
installing air pollution controls when they significantly increase their
pollution load - even if they do nothing to control air pollution now.

Unfortunately, the Bush Adminstration wants to grant polluters their wish.

Wisconsin’s air quality is threatened not just from local sources, but also by air pollution from other states. Smog problems from Kenosha to Door County often originate in Indiana,Illinois and elsewhere.      Weakening the NSR program could end clean air improvements in other states, which could make our state’s businesses less competitive if Wisconsin still maintains clean air protections.    Clean air for Wisconsin necessitates strong nationwide air pollution laws. The existing New Source Review (NSR) is crucial to cleaning our air.  Weakening it could lead to even more dirty air flowing across our state line.

Environmental leaders are calling on Governor Doyle to follow the lead of other governors and file a lawsuit challenging the legality of the loopholes proposed by the Bush
Administration.

Background

Since 1977, a provision of the Clean Air Act called New Source Review (NSR) has done more to clean up our air than almost any other single law.  NSR requires that when power plants, refineries and other large industrialfacilities expand or substantially remodel their facilities, they must upgrade the entire facility to meet current pollution standards.

Power plant emissions cause a range of health problems, including asthma,lung cancer and heart disease.    Polluters have been trying for years to undermine NSR because it cuts into their profit margin when they upgrade their facilities.   They claim it discourages upgrades, when the ungrateful cads have actually enjoyed a huge loophole for over 25 years which allowed their old sources to continue polluting unfairly because they were “grandfathered.”   Now those old sources are finally wearing out, and it’s time for them to be upgraded environmentally as well as physically.   The corporate arguments don’t hold up under scrutiny.   The old facilities should have been upgraded 30 years ago when pollution control technology became widely available.

from CWAC, the League of Women Voters, and Sierra Club.

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Factory Farm Giveaway

On February 10, 2003, the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) issued its proposed rule for implementation of the Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP).  The 2002 Farm Bill gave a huge boost to funding for EQIP, but opened the door for huge sums of money to go to the largest animal feeding operations to construct waste facilities that could actually degrade, rather than improve, environmental quality.  It is very important, therefore, that the Rule,which describes how the NRCS plans to implement the program,contain strong language that prevents EQIP from becoming a giveaway to the largest and most damaging operations. 

Please visit www.familyfarmer.org for more information and a sample letter you can send to the NRCS.

from Defenders of Wildlife

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Stealth Riders Find Wings

Certain members of Congress notoriously pass legislation via a mechanism known as the “rider.”  The rider is usually a pet project that can’t pass on its own merits so legislators attach them to other bills, such as the Omnibus spending bill that just passed Congress.  This bill was a hay day for many of the anti-conservation legislators whose campaigns are well funded by the timber and other extractive industries. 

One rider is very disturbing; it allows federal agencies to let private logging companies take over management of parcels of federal forest land and pays them with trees.   Another rider undercuts environmental review for the renewal of the Trans-Alaska Pipeline System in direct defiance of the National Environmental Policy Act - a cornerstone of environmental law. 

The bill also reduced funding for the six-year dedicated Conservation Trust Fund to more than $300M below the dedicated FY03 level and the State Wildlife Grants Program was reduced by $20 million from last year’s amount.  When it comes to
the legacy of conservation during this administration, it will clearly
be “Death by De-funding.”

from Defenders of Wildlife

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Texas Legislator Introduces “Ecological Terrorism” Bill

What is the problem with Texas?

Last week in the Texas Legislature, House member Ray Allen (R-Grand Prairie) introduced H.B.  433, which would designate as“animal rights or ecological terrorists” any “two or more persons organized for the purpose of supporting any politically motivated activity intended to obstruct or deter any person from participating in an activity involving animals or an activity involving natural resources.” 

In addition to activities that are already unlawful, like vandalism, this bill would brand as “ecological terrorism” the photographing or videotaping of operations “with intent to defame,” as well as peaceful protests or boycotts that could be construed as “obstructing the use of an animal or a natural resource owned by the individual.” If passed, the bill would criminalize all such activities conducted with respect to hunting, trapping,
agriculture, research, as well as logging, mining and other forms of
resource extraction.

from Defenders of Wildlife

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West NileVirus Testing Shows Bird Mortality from Pesticides

New York State Wildlife Pathologist Dr. Ward Stone made his bird mortality figures available to the National Audubon Society for dissemination recently. 

More than 80,000 dead birds were submitted to New York State’s Pathology Lab in 2000.

Based on a sample of the birds, necropsies reveal that 31 percent actually tested positive for West Nile Virus; 67 percent tested negative for the virus.  Results for the remaining percentage are pending.  Not all the birds that tested positive for the disease actually died from it.

Pesticides and other chemicals killed over 48 percent of the birds tested.

Causes of death related to pesticides include the following agents: Diazanon, Dursban, Chlordane, Brodifacoum, Propoxur, Avitrol, Carbofuran, PCBs, Dieldrin, DDT, Bromadiolone, and Dimethoate.

Of these pesticides, Brodifacoum and Bromadiolone are commonly used rodenticides that appear as turquoise-colored pellets.  They were the cause of death of several raptors, including Red-tailed, Sharp-shinned, and Cooper’s Hawks.

Diazanon, one of the most commonly used lawn-care chemicals, was
responsible for a large share of the bird deaths.

In some instances, including one in which pesticide was placed in a bird feeder, pesticides have been purposely and illegally used to kill birds.

Avitrol, illegal in New York City, was used to poison pigeons, and killed
at least one Red-tailed Hawk through secondary poisoning.

Some poisonings indicate illegal use of certain pesticides in restricted
areas.  For example, Carbofuran killed several birds in a Brooklyn, NY,
neighborhood where its use is would be prohibited for health reasons.

Some of the pesticides identified (DDT and Chlordane, for example), have been prohibited for use for some years, but continue to persist at toxic
 levels in soil and other areas that birds - and presumably, people
frequent.

Lead poisoning was responsible for the deaths of several score of waterbirds, due to lead shot used by hunters.

The birds killed by pesticides include Red-tailed Hawks, Cooper’s Hawk, Sharp-shinned Hawk, Saw-whet Owl, Great Blue Heron, American Crow,American Robin, Bluebird, Blue Jay, Herring gull, Ring-Billed Gull, House Sparrow, Rock Dove, Canada Goose, and Cowbirds.  Several score mammals, including Grey Squirrels, a weasel, and a house cat, were also killed by pesticide applications or residue.

from National Audubon Society

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Budget Cuts Spare Big Corporations

Gov. Jim Doyle’s plan for closing the  $3.2 billion state budget deficit inflicts real pain on many, but exempts the two biggest funders of state political campaigns from the suffering. 

Under his proposed $49 billion budget, 2,900 state workers - the vast majority of whom do not make campaign contributions - will lose their jobs. University students, hardly big campaign donors, face $350 tuition increases. Another group that doesn’t give much to campaigns - ordinary homeowners - will take it on the chin as $70 million is cut from state aid to local governments and the state’s commitment to fund two-thirds of public school costs is broken. While the ax falls hard on non-contributors, the state’s two most powerful special interests - the big business lobby and the teachers union - aren’t asked to share the pain. 

Wis. Manufacturers and Commerce members don’t have to give up a penny of their corporate welfare. While residential property taxpayers will see higher tax bills, the gigantic property tax exemption for manufacturers’ machinery and equipment is untouched.   Corporations also keep their income and sales tax loopholes. 

The governor’s budget saves about $500 million by breaking the state’s commitment to funding two-thirds of the cost of K-12 education, but it proposes eliminating caps on teacher salaries even as it keeps caps on most school district revenue in place. The result is homeowners will shoulder more of the burden of paying for schools and programs for children will be squeezed, while a major Doyle donor - the Wisconsin Education Association Council - gets rewarded with the proposed end of teacher salary caps. 

DNR will be cut drastically again, losing 142 staff, while the huge Commerce Dept. staff cuts will be less than half that.  Hunting and fishing fees will be increased, but air pollution fees for business will not.

The budget plan appears unbalanced in more ways than just the unequal distribution of pain. It relies heavily on uncertain increases in federal aid and extra payments from American Indian tribes for casino contracts not yet signed. 

from Wisconsin Democracy Campaign (www.wisdc.org)

What You Can Do

Write to your Governor and elected representatives in the state Legislature and tell them what you think about the Budget.

 Governor Jim Doyle
 Room 115 East, State Capitol
 Madison, WI  53702

 Senator                    , 
 P.O. Box 7882 
 Madison, WI  53707

 Rep.   (Last Name, A thru L) 
 P.O. Box 8952 
 Madison, WI  53708

Rep. (Last Name, Mc thru Z)
 P.O. Box 8953 
 Madison, WI  53708

 (If you don’t know who your representatives are,  call the toll-free Legislative Hotline at 1-800-362-9472  on weekdays, between 8 & 5. 

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Clean Water Action Council’s 11th Annual Banquet

We had so much fun with Peter and Lou Berryman as the centerpieces of last year’s dinner and concert, we decided to invite them again!  They’re great fun, and homegrown in the Fox Valley.   They met in highschool in Appleton in the 1960s and from there began a lifetime of musical entertaining, producing 12 recordings, several songbooks, and thousands of performances across the continent.   They’ve been featured on Prairie Home Companion. 

Peter and Lou Berryman Benefit Concert
at the Historic West Theater, corner of Walnut and 
Broadway, downtown Green Bay, just west of the Fox River 

Friday, March 21

5:00 to 6:00  p.m. —- Social Hour and Cash Bar 
6:00 to 7:30  p.m. —- Buffet Dinner, Elections and Awards 
7:30 to 9:30  p.m. ---- Peter and Lou Berryman in Concert

May attend concert only --- concert reservations not required.

The Historic West Theater is a beautiful, refurbished classic. The old stage has been restored, and the front seats removed to install an open dining area (also used for dancing).  We can seat approximately 100 people for dinner, and another 150 in the fixed cushion theater seats remaining further back from the stage.   The Theater is now under new management, and was previously known as the West Pitcher Show.

For this year’s banquet, we offer a buffet prepared by the Theater’s excellent cooks, all you care to eat.  The main dish will be a choice of roast chicken and/or vegan lasagna (no meat, dairy or eggs).  Additional courses include: Italian seasoned baked potato wedges, steamed vegetable medley (broccoli, carrots, cauliflower), warm Italian bread, fresh greens dinner salad with a choice of dressings, fresh fruit,dessert bars, coffee and milk.  Ingredients comply with vegan diets (except milk and dessert bars), with butter on the side for non-vegans.  A cash-bar will be available. 

Please send your reservations right away!  Don’t miss your chance to  see these wonderful performers. 

Reservation Form   ---  11th  Annual Clean Water Banquet & Benefit Concert,  March 21st

Name(s) ___________________________  Date __________________ 
Address ____________________________ Phone (____)__________
City_____________________________  State ______ Zip Code ___________ 

Proceeds to benefit the Clean Water Action Council

Enclosed please find $ ___($25/person, $45/couple, $20/students) for  #___ Banquet Tickets (includes concert)

Enclosed please find $ ___($15/person) for  #_____ Concert Tickets only  (does not include meal). 
(Reservations not required for concert tickets only --- seating on a first-come, first-served basis.)

Mail check or money order to:  Clean Water Action Council, 1270 Main Street, Suite 120, Green Bay, WI  54302. 
Phone: 920-437-7304.   E-mail: cwac@execpc.com   Banquet reservations required by March 18, 2002 

About the Berrymans

Tom Paxton:  When it comes to being funny, I think I’ve spent the first thirty years trying to be as funny as Tom Lehrer and the last part will be trying to be as funny as the Berrymans. They don’t come any funnier than that... 

Matt Watroba, Sing Out!, Fall 2001:  Every new recording is full of material that stretches and explodes with original ideas and fresh musical wordplay. It is that distinctive mosaic of melody and lyric that keeps their fans hanging on every line and sometimes every word.  Lou and Peter Berryman win new fans 
everywhere they go. And the old fans? They keep coming to hear the new songs and to watch the astonished reaction of the folks hearing this delightful duo for the first time.

The San Francisco Bay Chronicle:  Once in a while a song comes along that so successfully crystallizes familiar thoughts that you feel you could have written it yourself...A lot of people feel that way about [Lou & Peter’s] “Why Am I Painting the Living Room”. 

Victoria (BC) Times Colonist: ...Quirky, wry, ironic humor. Peter’s highly literate lyrics and skewed perspective are unique. When enhanced by Lou’s soundscapes, the duo makes magic. By the time the Berrymans encored with their wistful, fumbling love song “We Strolled On the Beach” I was in love too. I’m a fan of this clever duo now. 

The Boston Globe:  Lou & Peter Berryman write very eccentric, very funny satirical songs...delightful Wisconsin performers... If Tom Lehrer had grown up in America’s Dairyland, his songs might sound like theirs. 

Pete Seeger:  Lou and Peter Berryman!  Long may they wave. Their F-Word song  “A Chat With Your Mother” is one of the great American folksongs of the 20th Century. 

Robert J. Lertsema, WGBH, Boston:  It is very rare that I ever put on a recording for the 1st time and actually break out in audible laughter. I thought Lou & Peter’s DOUBLE YODEL was fantastic. 

The Winnipeg Folk Festival:  Sharing a fascination with language and a unique perspective on the world, Lou & Peter Berryman offer refreshing observations on the human condition in a style blending folk music with musical comedy. They  manage to translate it all into hilarious songs that have become instant classics. Songs that feel like they had you in mind when the  words and music came together. 

10# FIDDLE, Lansing, MI:  Their songs and performances are unfailingly wacky, and just as dependably 100% right. No one writes songs like Peter and Lou, but everyone recognizes the truth and the clear vision behind each one. 

The Freight & Salvage, Berkeley, CA:   This once-married duo from the upper Midwest is among the most entertaining acts we’ve ever had at the Freight.   Their songs are crafted from often unpromising raw material (sports headlines, mother love, state pride) but invariably as the lyrics unroll the audience begins to roll on the floor... 

Mike Agranoff, THE FOLK PROJECT, Basking Ridge, NJ:   Peter & Lou Berryman... have obviously achieved a classic level of comedic songwriting in the ranks of Tom Lehrer or Flanders & Swann. Responsible for such gems as “A Chat with your Mother” (the “F”-word song), “The Speculator”, “Why 
AmI Painting the Living Room?” and dozens more, they have identified the exact point where the English language meets the funny bone, with a special flair for songs in which two voices singing entirely different things somehow manage to mesh into one cacophonic, yet clear, message. 

Golden Link Folk Singing Society, Rochester NY:  It is given to few songwriters to make songs that become instant classics; the Berrymans have produced dozens —’ taint fair. No one writes songs like the Berrymans, but everyone recognizes the truth and the clear vision behind each one.