Bad River, Milwaukee Voices At Mining Hearing

Numerous individuals and businesses testified at the Assembly Committee on Jobs, Economy, and Small Business public hearing held in West Allis Wednesday.

Among those speaking was Bad River Chairman Mike Wiggins, Jr., who referred to the mining legislation recently proposed by the state's Assembly GOP as “GTAC's Cline Mine Bill.”

Wiggins said his reference was made because the proposed bill “is clearly special-interest legislation drafted for the sole benefit of GTAC [Gogebic Taconite, LLC] and the Cline group, rather than for the people of Wisconsin.”

Along with criticizing the legislation, Wiggins commented on the legislative process.

“This is the worst kind of legislation, as it is being rushed through without responsible consideration and without public hearings on the proposed bill in the areas of the state that will be most directly affected by it,” Wiggins said. “Moreover, it has been drafted with no meaningful consultation with affected Indian Tribes or other interested parties.”

Wiggins also discussed the purpose of the legislation.

“No one should be fooled by the claim that this bill is about jobs. It is really about deregulation for a specific mining project being proposed by GTAC. The economic evaluation of mining is incomplete,” Wiggins said, continuing that, “If anything, iron or taconite mining in the Bad River watershed near Lake Superior will probably destroy more existing local jobs in the tourism, forestry, fishing, and natural resources sectors than it would ever create.”

Gogebic Taconite, LLC has proposed to operate a taconite mine in the Penokee Range of Ashland and Iron counties of Wisconsin.

Ultimately, Wiggins said that the underlying intent of the bill “designates mining as the most important activity which could be conducted anywhere within Wisconsin. To provide blanket exemptions for mining-related activities from the state's laws greatly harms neighboring private property owners, nearby communities, and the state's air, water, and soil resources.”

Also speaking at the West Allis hearing was Metropolitan Milwaukee Association of Commerce President Tim Sheehy, who said opening Wiconsin's Iron Range to mining would have a positive economic impact in Milwaukee.

“It's going to take Milwaukee steel and Milwaukee shovels made by Milwaukee workers to mine northern Wisconsin iron,” Sheehy said.

Sheehy noted that, while much of the mining bill debate has focused on its impact on northern Wisconsin, the potential impact of the legislation extends statewide.

“If Wisconsin is truly going to be open for business, we need to be open to the mining business. This bill is the single most significant piece of job creation legislation lawmakers will address this session,” Sheehy said. “Now more than ever, our economy needs the boost Iron County miners using tools and equipment manufactured in Milwaukee will give it.”

Wiggins' full statement is attached below, courtesy of the Bad River Band.