The commission that oversees the Milwaukee Metropolitan Sewerage District has authorized an audit of Veolia, the company that runs the MMSD's two wastewater treatment plants. MMSD and its operations will also be investigated.
On Monday, the commission voted unanimously for a third-party audit in response to issues raised by whistleblowers.
The MMSD and Veolia have been mired in controversy since April 30. That’s when whistleblower Steve Jacquardt spoke out, alleging Veolia is mismanaging the MMSD’s wastewater treatment plants.
Jacquardt held a high position at MMSD for nearly 20 years, as intergovernmental coordinator.
For weeks, he and members of the advocacy group Common Ground have been calling for an audit of Veolia.
Their wish came true when commission chair Corey Zetts signaled a special MMSD commission meeting.
The commission voted to set an independent, third-party audit in motion.
That means the firm chosen to audit how things are managed, and the advisory committee it reports to, have no ties to MMSD or Veolia.
“Personally, professionally, we want to ensure that they are truly independent and can be objective. We also want to bring in some statewide expertise to really help us ask some of the technical questions and make sure we’re understanding the audit, but also some very ‘on the ground’ community members,” Zetts says.
Zetts described the path ahead as critical to “our water, to our democracy, to our community’s well-being.”
No one spoke during the public...
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