A controversial bill that would ease the permitting process for iron ore mines, but leave intact the existing approval process for metallic mining, has been introduced by Assembly Republicans.
The legislation would lighten the regulatory load on matters like water protection and the disposal of waste rock, and curtail citizens’ ability to mount a legal challenge by eliminating from the process a Department of Natural Resources hearing at which mining officials and their experts are put under oath. It is designed to force the DNR to act within 360 days of the filing of an iron mining application.
Environmentalists blasted the measure, which would pave the way for the construction of a $1.5 billion iron ore mine that would occupy sections of Iron and Ashland counties in Northern Wisconsin. Supporters of the mine, which would be built in the state’s environmentally pristine Gogebic region, claim it would create 700 full-time jobs. The mine could also generate business opportunities for Wisconsin-based mining equipment companies such as Bucyrus International, headquartered in South Milwaukee, and Joy Global of Milwaukee.
The mine would be dug to a depth of about 1,000 feet from the Gogebic region’s Penokee ridge. It would be constructed by Gogebic Taconite, which is headquartered in Palm Beach Gardens, Fla., but has an office in Hurley. The company put the project on hold after reviewing the state’s existing mining laws.
Even if the 183-page measure passes and is signed into law, it could take several years for work on the mine to begin. It is estimated that the mine would have a 30-year lifespan.
Assembly Speaker Jeff Fitzgerald, R-Horicon, characterized the measure as one of the largest jobs bills of the current legislative session. It comes at a time when the state’s earlier job-creating momentum has ground to a halt, and the national unemployment rate stands at 8.6%.
The first legislative hearing has been scheduled before the Assembly Committee on Jobs, Economy, and Small Business on Wednesday, Dec. 14, at State Fair Park in West Allis. A committee vote could come as soon as January of 2012.
According to environmental groups, the issues associated with the legislation and the proposed mine include the integrity of the public input process and the mine’s potential impact on ground water and the way of life of Native American communities in northern Wisconsin.
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