Monday, March 12, 2012

Open-Pit Mine Neighbors: Your "Flexibility" Is Demanded

This is the key to DNR Secretary and Scott Walker cheerleader Cathy Stepp's pro-mine and partisan argument:

It [the bill] does, however, recognize that the ore body is located where it is. As a result, some flexibility is needed to change the landscape to get at the ore deposit.
As I said a while ago, how would this bill's need for "flexibility" be welcomed, say, in Waukesha's Lake Country, which is the heart of the state GOP and its upper-income property owners?

How would they like their landscape "changed" [Sic[?

Stepp is from rural Racine County. Would she ask that water-rich region to be "sited," as she's fond of word-smithing it, for an open-pit mine, with toxic tailings and run-off, from a 'site' 1,000 feet deep, two miles wide, and four-and-a-half miles long - - with another 17.5 miles of ore deopsits potentially to be "sited?"

4 comments:

Max b said...

Sure she'd be all for it. She could develop a subdivision next to it and market as 'Future Lake Front Property.'

Paul Berge said...

For Cathy Stepp (and most of Darth Snotwalker's crew) the environmental impact concerns begin and end with "Will they stay off my lawn?"

Gareth said...

I still say Waukesha County could use some of those wonderful sand mines that have metastasised over the Eau Claire county region.

I am hearing first hand that people up there are becoming extremely irate, not Birkenstock wearing Hippies, but farmers and other land owners. You know, people who would normally vote Republican. There's nothing like getting a face full-of-sand on a windy day to make you reevaluate the way mining is being regulated in this state.

Anonymous said...

My response to this lady:

If you want to call for the residents of the Ashland area to show "flexibility," perhaps you should show some courage, or civility, or basic decency by posting your column to the Ashland Current or other local site instead of here.

Mrs. Stepp, this is a new low for you.