FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
September 21, 2026
Contact: Lorri Pickens, lorri@citizensagainstgambling.com | 920-659-4489
CAEG to Menomonee Tribe: What Else Did You Miss?
Last-Minute Change to Kenosha Casino Plan Raises New Questions About Environmental Review
Kenosha, WI – A last-minute change to the Menominee Tribe’s proposed Kenosha casino plan raises new questions about the environmental review of the project and whether the public and federal officials have been given a complete picture of the proposal.
The change occurred after the Tribe and its supporters had assured the BIA and the public that the project would not result in any significant environmental impact. The proposed revision removes a 10.55-acre parcel from the federal trust request, citing environmental concerns.
Citizens Against Expanded Gambling’s (CAEG) concern is not simply that the plan changed, but when and why it changed, what information prompted it, and whether the entire proposal has ever received the appropriate level of environmental scrutiny required. “ If the original review was sufficiently complete, what prompted a material change after public comments had closed, and what additional analysis was conducted before the revised proposal moved forward, ” asked Lorri Pickens, Executive Director of CAEG.
CAEG has filed a Freedom of Information Act request with the Bureau of Indian Affairs seeking the complete public-comment record on the draft Environmental Assessment, state and local consultation materials, communications between BIA and the Menominee Tribe concerning the project, and documents relating to the August 2026 site-plan revision.
CAEG also is asking for disclosure of the information underlying the Tribe’s explanation for the change.
“If the tribe’s professional environmental assessment completely missed a major environmental problem with storm water runoff, the BIA must require a full Environmental Impact Study to ensure that all potential environmental concerns are identified and addressed,” Pickens concluded.
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