Wisconsin officials travel to Minnesota Tuesday to see how our neighbors to the northwest handle iron mine permitting.
Open pit mining projects are on Wisconsin's radar, and Walkerites have been talking about fast-tracking them - - even embedding in the law a shortened and fixed-term review period, regardless of projects' complexity, consequences and public participation requirements.
I wonder if a month-old letter from the US Army Corps of Engineers will find its way into the Wisconsin officials' field trip reading material, as the federal agency warns Wisconsin not to cut corners when reviewing mine permit applications - - a responsibility shared among state and federal agencies - - under the Clean Water Act and related law.
Summed up, I'd say the letter says open for business should not mean closed to law and common sense.
It strikes me that Walker and his crowd are generally conteptuous of any federal "advice." I doubt that that the Corps will have much influence. Nor will compliance with the Clean Water Act be anything but a burden to this administration. Take a look at the DNR Secretary. Pretty pathetic. Longtime staff are at a new low in morale.
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