Wisconsin mining bill signed into law
The mining bill that will help jump-start Gogebic Taconite’s iron mine in Northwestern Wisconsin was signed into law by Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker on March 11, completing a months-long campaign to move forward with the project by state Republicans.
The legislation paves the way for the mining project by easing the permitting process, however, environmentalists maintain the measure guts the state’s environmental protections.
“This will do tremendous good for the people of Iron County,” Walker said after he signed a copy of the bill at Joy Global Inc., a Milwaukee facility that makes mining equipment. The county has the state’s second-worst unemployment rate in the state. Backers of the bill say the mine will help create thousands of jobs.
While the passage of the bill is a major hurdle cleared for Gogeic Taconite it does not guarantee that the openpit mine will be built. Gogebic Taconite still must apply and win a state permit. The company also needs federal approval since the mine would impact federal wetlands. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers says that permit process could take up to four years, The Associated Press reported.
Legal opposition could also come from the Bad River Band of Lake Superior. The tribe’s reservation lies just downstream from the proposed site for the mine, and members fear run-off will pollute their water. The tribe’s status as a sovereign nation affords it an array of unique legal rights it could use to protect itself.
Tribal chairman Michael Wiggins Jr. said the band will begin raising money immediately for a lawsuit to stop the permitting process. The tribe plans to solicit private donors, other Chippewa bands and anyone else willing to contribute to its cause.
