A Tale of Two Wardens

Early to Rise, Late to bed...

A warden s days are filled with a variety of activities. Lets take a look at one recent day for environmental warden Tom Krsnich, Green Bay.

4:30 AM - Start the day by having breakfast, playing with my dog, getting ready for work, checking my equipment and heading for a nearby town to try to interview a former employee of a painting company.

7:00 to 7:45 AM - Try to make contact with a former employee of a painting company that is allegedly dumping paint waste on the ground behind their building. The former employee wasn t home so I will have to check in later or on another day; maybe on the weekend.

7:45 to 8:15 AM - Drive to the regional office in Green Bay. On my way into Green Bay a local deputy sheriff calls me and asks to meet to talk about someone that he knows I have been looking for. He also wants to find him to arrest him on an outstanding arrest warrant.

8:15 to 9:00 AM - Complete a report based on an interview with a witness. The interview was done by telephone yesterday evening.

9:00 to 9:30 AM - Check e-mail messages and respond to my supervisor s request for information.

9:30 to 9:40 AM - Call an Assistant Attorney General regarding an asbestos case that he is prosecuting. The Assistant Attorney General called to schedule a meeting with me and the defendant in the case.

9:45 to 10:15 AM - I review a case that was being closed because of a lack of information. I decide to wait to close out the case until I can make one more contact with the complainant.

10:15 to 11:15 AM - Review a hazardous waste case that is currently under investigation. Make up a "to-do" list of things that need to be done to complete the investigation.

11:15 to 1:00 PM - Set up a surveillance to watch a painting contractor s business to document employees and operation of the painting service. Ate lunch in the car while watching employees of the painting company.

1 PM to 1:30 PM - Back to the office. Reviewed mail and training bulletins.

1:30 PM to 3 PM - Worked on a legislative proposal for a new law to address environmental contractor fraud. I also spent a few minutes working on a training program that is being given to our new wardens.

3:00 PM to 5:00 PM - Worked on the final preparations for an asbestos case being referred to the United States Environmental Protection Agency for federal prosecution.

5:00 PM - On my way home I recheck to see if the former employee of the paint company is home yet and available for an interview. The guy isn t home so I head home for the day.

5:30 PM - Home for dinner. I m making spicy chicken and sugar snap peas.

7PM - By now the dishes are done and the dogs have been out.

7 PM to 10 PM - Go for a run and do some reading. I should do some laundry but I m too tired so it will have to wait until the weekend. After the 10 PM news I need to let the dogs out again and head for bed; 4:30 AM will come soon!!

Well, that was my day! It may not have been tremendously exciting, but the work that was done will protect Wisconsin s environment.

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Read about Environmental Warden Tom Krsnich.