New bill has one less safeguard for Wisconsin lakes near high-powered wells

In a move that may pave the way for passage of a bill easing regulation of high-capacity wells, state Assembly members have dropped a provision that would have strengthened legal protections for Wisconsin waters.

By dropping the provision to expand legal rights of people whose drinking water, lakes or streams are harmed by industrial-grade wells, sponsors of the bill introduced Wednesday have wiped away a sticking point that prevented passage of the proposal in the Republican-dominated Legislature last year...