Bad River Band Chippewa's ramped up its push Wednesday to stop a proposed iron mine in WIS

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http://www.forbes.com/feeds/ap/2011/09/21/general-wi-mining-tribe_8693284.html


Wis. tribe ramps up opposition to mine plan
By TODD RICHMOND , 09.21.11, 05:16 PM EDT

MADISON, Wis. -- A northern Wisconsin American Indian tribe ramped up its push Wednesday to stop a proposed iron mine, meeting with Gov. Scott Walker to voice their fears the mine would destroy their way of life.

The Bad River Band of Lake Superior Chippewa's tribal council held a 90-minute news conference before meeting with the governor and his aides behind closed doors at the state Capitol, telling reporters the mine presents an imminent threat to their air and water quality.
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"This is our land. This is where we live. We just can't pack up and move," council member Frank Connors said. "Our land is our culture, our history, which runs deep. We came here to protect it."

Gogebic Taconite wants to mine a stretch of the Penokee Range in Iron and Ashland ( ASH - news - people ) counties just south of the Bad River's reservation. The first phase calls for mining a 4 1/2 mile stretch of the range, which would entail blasting down to the ore and creating a massive open pit.

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1. Recommend

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2. Corps of Engineers questions Wisconsin rewriting mining laws

A U.S. Army Corps of Engineers official has told Gov. Scott Walker's office that efforts to rewrite state mining laws could effectively draw out the review process that pro-business interests are seeking to shorten.

Tamara E. Cameron, regulatory branch chief for the Army Corps' regional office in St. Paul, Minn., said in a letter to a top Walker aide that changes to Wisconsin's mining laws could force Wisconsin and the Army Corps to work independently on environmental impact statements for mining projects.

An environmental impact statement is a large, often complex, document detailing the ecological effects of a project.

The information is vital for the Department of Natural Resources and the Army Corps when making a final decision on whether to approve a mine.

The two agencies often work together on such documents, but it is not imperative; DNR officials say they might hire a third party for a proposed open pit iron ore mine in northern Wisconsin.

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3. "STREAMLINE THE PROCESS".....

Mining Committee To Be Formed in Wisconsin

Posted at: 09/19/2011 7:45 PM
By: Katey Rusch

Wisconsin State Senator Bob Jauch said a committee will soon be formed to discuss mining laws in Wisconsin.

Its all because of a proposed iron ore mine in the in Ashland and Iron counties. Gogebic Taconite bought the land last spring but have run into some snags in the permitting process. GTAC is hoping the committee will streamline the permitting process. Opponents say the mine may harm the environment. Jauch said he doesn't expect any definitive decision from the committee until next spring.


http://www.wdio.com/article/stories/S2291461.shtml?cat=10335

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4. ......especially its call to limit public input into the process.

Gogebic Taconite shouldn't rush mining bill process


Written by
Bill Lueders



Over the past six months, Gogebic Taconite LLC spent $114,883 lobbying state officials in support of its proposal to open an iron ore mine in northern Wisconsin.

While that's a significant lobbying expense, it amounts to less than 1/100th of 1 percent of the mine's estimated $1.5 billion cost.

Still, to state Sen. Bob Jauch, D-Poplar, whose district includes Iron and Ashland counties, where the mine would be located, this lobbying outlay was "a complete waste of money."

Jauch argues that Gogebic and its hired allies "ended up alienating the public and confusing the Legislature," by demanding too much on too short a timeline.


http://www.greenbaypressgazette.com/article/20110831/GPG0706/108310590/Guest-column-Gogebic-Taconite-shouldn-t-rush-mining-bill-process

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5. Mining laws need updating, Natural Resources Secretary Stepp says

Natural Resources Secretary Cathy Stepp said Tuesday the state's mining laws are "very old" and need to be updated.

Stepp said the agency would play only a technical role in new mining legislation - it will be up the Legislature to decide whether mining laws need to be rewritten.

A mining bill is expected to get attention this fall after a draft that circulated this year met with strong resistance from environmental groups and others. Gogebic Taconite, a mining company with plans for an iron-ore mine near Hurley, says Wisconsin's mining laws must be changed to give companies more certainty that the mining-review process will not drag on for years.

Stepp, a former state senator and member of the Natural Resources Board, was a critic of the DNR before she was named secretary by Gov. Scott Walker. Before she joined the DNR, she said the agency was "broken in systemic ways."


http://www.jsonline.com/news/128720878.html

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6. Petition Begins To Maintain Wisconsin Mining Laws

Initiated by the Bad River Watershed Association


In response to efforts to change mining laws in Wisconsin, the Bad River Watershed Association has initiated a petition to maintain environmental regulations in the state's mining law, with hopes of delivering it to all state lawmakers by the end of September.

“We’ve already seen an effort to quickly pass legislation with no public input and no transparency in the process,” says Bad River Watershed Association Executive Director Michele Wheeler. “In a nutshell, we want legislators to know that we all need the assurance of enough clean water.”

The petition states that companies seeking to establish mining operations in Wisconsin should meet requirements protecting water quality and supply, while providing an opportunity for public input on the mining operations.

"Current environmental regulations should not be weakened," the petition says.


http://ashlandcurrent.com/article/11/08/31/petition-begins-maintain-wisconsin-mining-laws

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8. Haiving read more EIS about more things than I care to remember, I can state that they are

Lengthy.

For many reasons, I would like these statements to be more pertinent. And to involve and include direct testimony from members of the community most affected, who usually understand issues that those writing the EIS overlook.


For often the conclusions they draw are not pertinent. Often they generalize whatever conclusions they arrive at, rather than look at the situation that is involved in that particular EIS.

For instance, I remember when there was an EIS about cutting down a whole lot of the eucalyptus groves in West Marin County, Calif.

According to the EIS, the birds and rodents and other critters could just seek shelter somewhere else. Even though in many places, the eucalyptus trees were the only trees within miles of the area where the clear cutting was to occur. There were also no thoughts about mitigation for wildlife concerns about habitat related to birthing and nesting events. If the clear cutters came in during spring months when baby squirrels or baby owls might be in the nests of the trees, so be it.

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7. Gogebic Taconite LLC (GTAC)

http://gogebictaconite.com/project.html


Estimated amount of ore: More than 2 billion tons

Location:
The ore body is a continuation of the Ironwood Iron Formation encountered in Michigan and continues west beyond the City of Mellen in Ashland County. The lease contains a 22-mile-long portion of the ore body. The First Phase of the project will be focusing on a 4 to 5 mile section located east of Mellen.

Life of the mine:
The first phase of mining operations is estimated at 35 years, but the ore body is large enough to sustain a considerably longer life.

Mining Process:
The benefication process to extract the iron from the ore is a mechanical process using water and magnets, not a chemical process like some other mines.

Permitting Information:
The mine cannot operate without the necessary permits. In order to obtain those permits, GTAC will have to demonstrate that it can meet a wide variety of stringent federal, state and local requirements and regulations that protect the environment and public health and safety.