Documents Confirm Extent of Possible Pollution from Northwoods Mine |
News - Articles for State & Local |
Written by Clean Wisconsin |
Thursday, 15 August 2013 10:06 |
http://www.newiprogressive.com/images/stories/S5/strip_mining_s5.jpgBoundaries of GTAC's proposed mine site include confirmed presence of toxic pollutants. MADISON - With concerned citizens gathering in Hurley, Wis. today for the first of potentially only two required hearings regarding Gogebic Taconite’s application to mine iron ore from the Penokee Range, the company’s initial application materials are a huge cause for concern about the future of Wisconsin’s Northwoods. “The volume of waste rock they will generate is enough to bury the entire city of Green Bay under 10.5 feet of waste,” says Tyson Cook, staff scientist at Clean Wisconsin, the state’s largest environmental organization. “And to make matters worse, we now know the exact areas they will mine, areas where the presence of mercury, arsenic, asbestos-like minerals and acid-causing rock has been confirmed.” Gogebic Taconite (GTAC) recently submitted its pre-application to strip mine almost 7,000 acres in Ashland and Iron counties and its plan to sample the rock in the area, called “bulk sampling,” to the state Department of Natural Resources. The pre-application raises many red flags, but Clean Wisconsin is particularly concerned about the following:
While GTAC’s pre-application outlines the area it seeks to mine, the 62-page document is otherwise scarce on details regarding its operations and how the company will protect the area’s air, water and public health. For instance, the pre-application says nothing of how GTAC is going to control problems like acid mine drainage, how it will deal with the massive amounts of waste rock it will generate, even where it will get the water it needs to operate the mine. “GTAC has provided bare minimum information about many of the most critical aspects of its plan that could have grave impacts on our natural resources and the health of Wisconsinites in the region,” says Elizabeth Wheeler, staff attorney at Clean Wisconsin. “In reviewing the pre-application, we’re left with many questions and even more concerns about the future of Northern Wisconsin’s landscape.” Additional information on the GTAC mine: www.cleanwisconsin.org/enviropedia/gtac-mine ### Clean Wisconsin, an environmental advocacy organization, protects Wisconsin’s clean water and air and advocates for clean energy by being an effective voice in the state legislature and by holding elected officials and polluters accountable. On behalf of its 10,000 members, supporters and its coalition partners, Clean Wisconsin protects the special places that make Wisconsin such a wonderful place to live, work and play. 608-251-7020, www.cleanwisconsin.org. |
Last Updated on Thursday, 15 August 2013 10:25 |