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May 12 to the Assembly's Environment Committee. Welter is the Vice-Chair of the Wisconsin Trout Unlimited State Council. |
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Good Afternoon. I represent the State Council of Wisconsin Trout Unlimited, a group of almost 3000 dedicated trout anglers in 21 chapters around the state. The mission of Wisconsin Trout Unlimited is to "Protect, enhance and restore the cold water resources of this state." To that end, our members work hard in their local area in stream improvement projects, in educational programs and to help the public become aware of threats to our resources. Our members have fished throughout the American west and have seen the tragic aftereffects of mining on trout streams -- leaking tailings ponds, acid drainage -- and don't want to see those things happen here. We are concerned about the effects on groundwater as well, and believe that present mining proposals must assure that NO ADVERSE EFFECTS will result to our streams and groundwater from any metallic sulfide mining operation. Right now, we have no such assurance. We join with the conservationists across the state who voted overwhelmingly -- by a vote of 851 to 13 -- at the April Conservation Congress hearings to urge you to pass AB 70 and put this moratorium into place. There should be no rush to approve mining permits presently being considered. Those ore bodies will stay in place unless they are removed by mining. They can wait while the state and its citizens require full protection of our resources from any mining operation. Our concerns about the environmental threat posed by metallic sulfide mining lead us to urge your support of Assembly Bill 70, as overwhelmingly passed by the State Senate, and to urge that the Assembly make a strong statement in supporting the bill as well. Thank you. |
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John Welter can be reached at 2211 Frona Place, Eau Claire, WI 54701 or by calling 715-833-7028 |
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