Facts About Metallic Sulfide Mining
and the Proposed Exxon Mine

Wisconsin conservationists are concerned about the impact metallic sulfide mining poses to our waters, northwoods economy and outdoors tradition.

Background about Exxon's proposed mine:

  • In 1975, Exxon Minerals discovered one of the 10 largest zinc-copper sulfide deposits in North America, near Crandon adjacent to the Mole Lake Reservation and situated at the headwaters of the Wolf River.
  • The ore body is a vertical slab about one mile in length, averaging 200 feet in width, extending to a depth of 2800 feet
  • In 1986, after a decade of strong opposition, Exxon Minerals withdrew its application to construct a mine at the Crandon site
  • In 1993, Exxon & Rio Algom Corporations formed the Crandon Mining Company (CMC) and in 1994 filed a permit to extract 55 million tons of zinc copper sulfide ore.
  • The pristine Wolf River, is classified by the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources as an "outstanding resource water"

Pollution Concerns about the mine:

  • The mine would produce more than 44 million tons of waste, containing such heavy metals as cadmium, mercury, lead, zinc, copper & arsenic
  • The mine waste would constitute the single largest toxic waste dump in Wisconsin, the size of 350 football fields, 90 feet tall.
  • Sulfide rock mining unlike iron mining, can produce sulfuric acid, as well as high levels of poisonous heavy metals. Acid mine drainage is regarded as potentially the single largest cause of negative environmental impacts resulting from mining
  • Exxon plans to build a 38 mile pipeline across northern Wisconsin where they will pump up to 1 million gallons per day into the Wisconsin River, outside of Rhinelander. They are building a pipeline because the wastewater will be too polluted to legally dump into the Wolf River
  • Groundwater drawdown over the 25 yr life of the mine could upset the hydrological balance of the area; effecting Rice Lake, Lake Lucerne, Little Sand Lake, & Lake Metonga.
  • In 1995, American Rivers (a national conservation group) added the Wolf River to its list of the nation's 20 most threatened rivers, due to the pollution threat posed by the Exxon mine.

Threats to Native American Cultures

  • The harvesting of wild rice and other natural resources is central to many Native American cultures including the Chippewa and Menominee tribes. The name "Menominee" or "omaeqnomenewak" means "wild rice people." The proposed mine could cause water drawdowns and acid pollution, harming local wild rice beds and lake & river ecosystems which tribes are dependent upon.

    • The Mining Moratorium Bill

  • The bill places a moratorium on metallic mining in a sulfide ore body until it has been demonstrated that a mine has operated and been reclaimed in the U.S. or Canada for 10 years without polluting surface or ground waters.

    • Mining Moratorium is Common Sense

  • It is not a ban on mining in Wisconsin
  • It places the burden of proof where it should be: on the companies who stand to profit, rather than on Wisconsin taxpayers
  • Neither Wisconsin DNR nor Exxon has found an example of a metallic sulfide mine within an ore body similar to the Crandon deposit which has ever been operated without causing significant acid pollution
  • Mining companies claim that new technologies will prevent sulfide mining disasters in the future; but these technologies are unproven. A hard rock gold mine in Colorado (Summitville) which opened 10 years ago, was shut down because of the serious water pollution; despite state of the art technology. Estimated costs of cleanup are $100-150 million dollars
  • Clean, safe water is one of our most precious resources

    • Wisconsinites Support a Mining Moratorium

  • At the 1996 Conservation Congress 95% voted in favor of the mining moratorium.
  • In Rhinelander on May 4th, 1000 people protested the proposed mine
  • Over 95 candidates and more than 60 conservation groups support a mining moratorium.

    • A Measure to Protect Wisconsin

    The Mining Moratorium Bill would ensure that no sulfide mine would be permitted in Wisconsin without proof that such mining had been done safely elsewhere in North America. We support the Mining Moratorium Bill as a common sense measure to ensure that our waters and outdoor tradition are protected for future generations.