Wisconsin: Wide-ranging bill pits business against green interests

[Scuba]

http://www.jsonline.com/news/wisconsin/bill-pits-business-vs-green-interests-132505693.html

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Environmentalists say wide-ranging legislation that gets a public hearing on Wednesday in Madison would weaken air and water protections and serve as a backdoor attempt to ease mining regulations in Wisconsin.

The impetus: a proposed $1.5 billion iron ore mine in Iron and Ashland counties that proponents say would be a catalyst for the region's economy, but which environmental groups warn could cause damage to waters stretching to Lake Superior. Gogebic Taconite put its mining project on hold in June until Wisconsin could provide a more certain regulatory picture.

As for mining, environmentalists said the changes would ease the way for Gogebic Taconite to construct an open pit mine in the Penokee range between Upson and Mellen.

Examples: Limiting the number of so-called areas of special natural resource interest, such as trout streams, could make it easier to build on sensitive land. The mine would be located in an area of extensive wetlands, streams and rivers.


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emphasis mine

One version of the so-called "budget repair bill" prohibited the DNR from assessing or commenting on the information mining companies provided in their environmental impact statements. The Urinal/Sentinel tried to obscure the threat of this bill by leading with envirommentalist objections to using the internet in lieu of newspapers to issue public notices. Polluting trout streams is near the bottom of the article.


The sooner we recall this crook, the less damage he can do! The threat of recall is having a positive effect (see bolded text).

Here's two venues for volunteering labor or money....

http://www.unitedwisconsin.com/volunteer

http://www.wisdems.org/RecallHQ



edited for html error