Mining

The WSN and the broad  mining coalition successfully blocked the proposed Crandon mine - a HUGE Victory.  The WSN is currently working to strengthen the state's weak mining laws.  

Latest Documents:

(Note: many of these files are now archived on another site. If you find a link that does not work, please email the WSN webmaster@wsn.org Thanks!)

Current Actions:

Links to Other Mining Sites

THANKS FOR THE WORK, WISCONSIN
The Wisconsin Stewardship Network Hubs want to thank all the citizens across Wisconsin who worked so long and hard in the effort to pass the Mining Moratorium bill.  It was a big battle and a big victory for a very diverse coalition of interests.  We also want to thank the key legislators who had the foresight and fortitude to keep plugging away, representing the wishes of their constituents and showing concern for protecting the state's natural resources.

If you feel so moved, you can send a thank-you message to Rep. Spencer Black and Rep. Bill Lorge, the sponsors of the bill in the Assembly, and to Sen. Kevin Shibilski, the author of the Senate version.  Thanks are also due to Sen. Rob Cowles and Sen. Dale Schultz, who joined with Sen. Shibilski in a bipartisan effort and sponsored the key Senate Amendment that plugged the loopholes created by the Assembly passed bill.

Of course, Gov. Thompson has yet to sign the bill.  You may also want to send him a note urging him to do so.

 THE LADYSMITH GOLD/COPPER MINE AS SEEN FROM THE AIR
The Flambeau Mine and Flambeau River from the air

This is a photograph of the first mine in the new Mining District that multinationals are planning for Northern Wisconsin.  It was taken in September 1994 when the Flambeau River was in flood stage and came very near Kennecott's Flambeau open pit copper and gold mine in Rusk County.  This mine as shown is about 1/3 of its completed depth - it's finished depth reached 230 feet in early 1997.   The mine has now been closed and all of the "waste rock" is being backfilled into this unlined pit.  The Wisconsin DNR assures us that there will be no adverse impacts to the river or the groundwater.

As mines go, this is tiny.  The mine proposed by Exxon south of Crandon, Wisconsin would remove approximately 10 times this volume of ore and would be a deep shaft mine that would go 1/2 mile deep.  No one has been able to find one example of a successfully reclaimed massive sulfide metallic mine of this type anywhere on the Planet Earth that has not caused major pollution.
 

Documents
 

Gallery:

Mining art by Bill Krupinski, the Sign Wizard.  Call him at 414-674-6282 for more!


Mining Links: