Statement from MMSD
RE: Common Ground Allegations of Veolia Mismanagement & Request for Audit
The Milwaukee Metropolitan Sewerage District (MMSD) attempted to start an audit of Veolia last week using a Wisconsin law firm that reached out to Common Ground with the email below:
From: Emily Gnam
Sent: Tuesday, May 5, 2026 5:05 PM
To: bconnolly@jamescompany.com
Cc: Lazarski, Katherine <klazarski@mmsd.com>
Subject: MMSD to Common Ground – Proposal for Preliminary Investigative Interviews
Hi Bob. Thanks for speaking with me today.
As we discussed, MMSD has retained me and my firm to assist with investigation of Common Ground’s recent comments about whistleblower allegations against MMSD and/or Veolia. MMSD is interested in better understanding the nature of the whistleblower allegations Common Ground has received, and any other allegations of wrongdoing by MMSD and/or Veolia in the performance of their contractual relationship. MMSD’s goal at this phase is to identify the specific issues of concern to the whistleblowers so that they can be effectively addressed.
At this point, we are proposing a preliminary investigation to help determine the scope of any subsequent audit or investigative activities, by interviewing the individuals who have raised concerns to Common Ground. To promote trust and full disclosure of information, the interviews would be conducted under the following limited parameters:
- Interviews will be conducted in person at a neutral site and at a time and date to be agreed between Common Ground and MMSD.
- The interviews will not be recorded in audio or video format, but attendees will be allowed to make notes.
- Common Ground will identify the witnesses willing to speak to me and invite each of them to be interviewed.
- To avoid any potential for retaliation, I have been instructed by MMSD not to disclose to MMSD leadership or anyone else any personally identifiable information about witnesses identified by Common Ground. However, I will be permitted to ask witnesses their employer’s name, dates of employment (by year), and the general nature of their work, as background to help understand the nature of the information shared, and to ask follow-up questions related to the information shared.
- I will be authorized and instructed to provide MMSD with a summary of the information shared during the interviews, including the nature of any allegations of wrongdoing, without sharing identities or identifiable information about the witnesses.
- We propose that the interviews to take place between May 6 and May 22, 2026.
Let me know your response to this proposal. Thanks again.
Emily Gnam (guh-Nahm) (she/her)
Attorney
Lake Effect HR & Law, LLC
Common Ground Response:
May 8, 2026
Emily Gnam, Attorney
Lake Effect HR & Law, LLC
10 E Doty St, Suite 502
Madison, WI 53703
Dear Ms. Gnam,
Common Ground does not accept your proposal. First and foremost, we do not believe this proposal is a good faith effort to discover and report the full truth to the MMSD Commissioner and the public.
Because you have been hired by MMSD, you are not independent. You are on management’s side; on your LinkedIn page, you describe yourself as an expert in “management-side employment law.” You also lack technical expertise in wastewater management.
We want a thorough, independent investigation of the allegations by an expert with a full report to the Commission and the public. However, as you state in your email, you have been hired to make the whistleblowers’ concerns go away: “MMSD’s goal at this phase is to identify the specific issues of concern to the whistleblowers so that they can be effectively addressed.” Furthermore, in public statements, Kevin Shafer has been defending the work of Veolia, leading us to conclude that MMSD is not really interested in determining the truth of what our whistleblowers—now totaling 25, with more coming forward every day—are saying. You have been hired to do “damage control.” We want the truth.
Finally, to uncover the truth, current and former MMSD and Veolia employees must trust that their identities will be protected. Common Ground leaders and many of the whistleblowers do not believe this proposal would guarantee anonymity. You are not independent of management and therefore cannot be trusted.
We will not be party to a process that handles a few issues privately, when a full-investigation and public airing of the facts is needed to truly get to the roots of the problem.
Sincerely,
Robert Connolly
Co-Chair
Common Ground Water Team
(414) 751-0755 | 1105 N. Waverly Place, Milwaukee, WI 53202 | www.commongroundwi.org
NOTE: This press release was submitted to Urban Milwaukee and was not written by an Urban Milwaukee writer. While it is believed to be reliable, Urban Milwaukee does not guarantee its accuracy or completeness.
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