Tribal Chairman Trying To Bring Science To Mining Debate
Give Bad River Band Chairman Mike Wiggins Jr. credit for trying to get to the public - - before the Legislature enables an open pit mine at the reservation's doorstep - - relevant data about potentially-toxic rock content overlaying taconite (iron ore) deposits targeted for mining.
Tuesday night update: Wiggins spoke eloquently at a South side Milwaukee church rally about the value to Northern Wisconsin and Lake Superior of an unpolluted Bad River watershed - - jeopardized by the proposed GTAC mine.
Wiggins knows that millions of tons of sulfide-bearing rock (pyrite, or fool's gold) above the taconite will be blasted into the air as a massive mountain top mine gets excavated for miles in the Penokee Hills and produces acidic runoff on to and into the tribe's land, drinking water. and rice-growing estuaries a stone's throw from Lake Superior.
About which there has been ample testimony.
Two problems:
* Ore samples are the mining company's private property right now;
* There is general disregard for science in the GOP-led Legislature, where there is probably belief among the the controlling caucus rushing a pro-industry bill to adoption that hunters rode trained dinosaurs on wolf hunts in Northern Wisconsin 6,000 years ago.
6 comments:
In southern Spain there's a region infamous for sulfide pollution from mining: the Rio Tinto region. Some of the creeks there are polluted from mines that last operated in the era of Julius Caesar. Sulfides can really be the gift that keeps on giving.
Great info 3:25! Here's the deal - the Republicons don't give a rats behind about passing a legitimate bill. They just want it passed and let the lawyers line up. You can bet Walker has some law firm in mind to defend this attempt at an environmental rape. Let the taxpayers pay for the litigation. More money down the drain. Millions of taxpayer money will be spent defending this.
walker will use the latest job report, with the media's support, to proclaim, "We have no choice -- we need jobs!"
This is more of his divisive politics -- actually deadly politics.
The media continues to lie -- as if there's nothing "controversial" or divisive about destroying our ecology, making people sick, and actually directly or indirectly killing people.
This is a very sick situation -- all made possible by gerrymandering and election fraud.
If it is appropriate to use science to demonstrate mining is dangerous (and it is), then it is appropriate to use science to demonstrate our elections are not honest.
The link above demonstrates that Republican vote shares increase (lines slope upward) while Democratic shares decrease (slope downward) at the same rate. This is an indicator of likely vote switching. It happens each year -- and there is a link to the data analysis in the link above).
No wonder they think they can kill us with "divide and conquer".
Walker/GOP continues to destroy our economy. The media supports this. Our elections cannot be demonstrated to be honest -- in fact, they are rigged 2 ways:
1. gerrymandered
2. election fraud
Here's a rule of thumb for those voting on the bill: if you would not want an open pit mine above the your own home, discharging waste into the watershed you drink from, then don't inflict this mine on the Bad River tribe.
I live in the Penokee Watershed and I will place my life on the line to protect the water.
Gov. Falker will not mine my life.
WTF! science?!?!?!
Who needs SCIENCE!
We need jobs jobs jobs jobs!
And if walker is lying about the number of jobs this will create -- so what, BOTH SIDES do it, right?
Now excuse me while I drink some cheap beer -- BUUUUUUURP!
(thwaaaaaaaaaaaart -- ooops, please excuse the gas)
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