Bad River 'Shocked' By Mining Fast-Track
The Wisconsin State Senate’s recent action to fast-track the Assembly’s iron mining bill (AB 426) and disband the Senate’s Special Mining Committee came as a “shocking development” to the Bad River Band of Lake Superior Chippewa, according to Mike Wiggins, Jr., chairman of the Bad River Band.
“We were in the process of working in good-faith and in a respectful and bi-partisan manner with Senators Kedzie, Schultz, Cowles, Jauch, and others to hold formal consultations with them regarding this important policy issue, which is critical to our sovereignty and to our treaty rights under Federal law," Wiggins says. "This is a shocking development that is very troubling to us, and we are hopeful a bi-partisan majority of State Senators will reject this extremist approach and vote against AB 426 if it comes to the Senate floor for a vote.”
Wisconsin leaders from both political parties have had a long tradition of working together to protect the citizens, the environment, and the public trust for the health and enjoyment of current and future generations, an announcement from Midwest Environmental Advocates reads.
According to Attorney Glenn Stoddard, who is one of the Bad River Band’s attorneys, “This recent action flies in the face of that tradition and further undermines a long legacy of open and responsible government in Wisconsin. It is a shame that this has happened. It runs counter to what we took to be sincere invitations from Senators in both parties, who said they wanted to have meaningful consultations on this issue with the Bad River Band.”
Dennis Grzezinski, senior counsel at Midwest Environmental Advocates, and another member of Bad River's legal team, was one of those who spoke at the Joint Finance Committee hearing on Friday.
"The fast-tracking of Assembly Bill 426 is an assault not only on Wisconsin's environment and Bad River's treaty rights, but also an affront to Wisconsin's citizens and communities who are losing meaningful opportunities to have their voices heard and input considered regarding mining,” Grzezinski says.
Little to no input was taken from the communities in the watershed most affected by the proposed mining bill, the statement from Midwest Environmental Advocates says.
“At this point, it’s not clear what kind of process is taking place behind the closed doors of the Senate,” Wiggins says. “We are very disappointed about how this bill could affect us and we are upset that the efforts made by Wisconsin Senators to meaningfully consult with us have been set aside for what seem to be partisan political purposes and the quest for massive campaign contributions from mining interests with no connection to Wisconsin or our region. We will vigorously oppose this bill and any other attempts to undercut reasonable environmental laws that protect our air, water, wildlife and land from irresponsible exploitation.”