Pictures Put Proposed Wisconsin Mine Into Perspective

Because a mining bill is still under consideration, let's do some comparison between what we know was being proposed for an open-pit iron mine dug with mountain top removal technology in the Penokee Hills near Ashland with the dimensions of the Hull-Rust Mahoning open-pit iron ore mine in Minnesota - - 

- - described as the "Grand Canyon of the North" and world's largest operating open-pit iron ore mine:

Three miles long, two miles wide and 535 feet deep.

Statistics cited in this Journal Sentinel article indicate the proposed dimensions of the GTAC open-pit iron ore mine in Northern Wisconsin:

4.5 miles long, up to 1.5 miles wide and 700-1,000 feet deep.

Or, easily on the scale of the Minnesota mine.

Here is some descriptive information about the watershed that the proposed Wisconsin mine would influence:

Has the comparison with the Minnesota mine had a high-enough media profile? Here is another site with comparative photos. Also - - There are more photos and information copied here about the Minnesota mine from Bemedji State University faculty to help you project it into a Wisconsin setting: The photo [below] from shows a close-up of a drilling rig (as close as possible without working in the mine. The photo [below] has arrows pointing to three pieces of equipment. The left arrow is pointing to a red and white shovel that loads taconite, the center arrow is pointing to a drilling rig, and the right arrow is pointing to a black and yellow shovel that loads overburden.