Tribes: Feds have no choice but to stop mining in Penokees

[mojowork_n]

Source: Wisconsin Public Radio

Tribal leaders in northern Wisconsin are requesting federal government intervention to stop mining activity in the Penokees. They’re doing that because they say the clock is running out to protect the ceded territory.

The August 28 letter to President Obama asks to have the Interior Department prepare legal action to protect the ceded territory of northern Wisconsin.

The tribal leaders cite the treaties of 1837, 1842 and 1854 allowing them to hunt, fish and gather, and that the proposed open pit iron ore mine would destroy streams, wetlands, fisheries and wildlife that tribal members need to survive.

Specifically, the tribes say new iron ore mining legislation passed earlier this year takes away environmental protections and strips the Department of Natural Resources of its ability to prevent pollution it says a mine would cause.

Read more: http://www.superiortelegram.com/event/article/id/80502/group/News/

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• This open pit mine would be the largest industrial project in the history of the state of Wisconsin.
  
  
• It's in the worst possible location, on top of one of the most important aquifers in the Midwest, upstream from the "Everglades of Lake Superior" wetlands area.
  
  
• The tailings pile (waste rock) will become the highest mountain in the state, after the mile deep, 4 mile wide, 22 mile long open pit has been blasted out of the earth with explosives.
  
  
• Micro-particulate blast residue in the air from the massive use of explosives has led to major population health risks wherever it's been studied (China, West Virginia)
  
  
• The mountain of waste rock includes sulfide-rich ore that will (slowly, over time, following cycles of heavy rain and snow run-off) turn the geological "bowl of water" (wetlands/aquifer basin) into a humongous vat of battery acid.
  
  
• The overwhelming majority of local residents are opposed to the mine but they were all shut out of the debate in Madison when the Republican administration and legislators approved a bill written by the mining company, which indemnifies the mining company from the consequences of environmental damage they may cause.
  
  
• The Bad River Band of the Lake Superior Tribe of Chippewa Indians are a federally recognized tribe of Ojibwe people. The Republican administration in Madison has attempted to legislate away their treaty rights as well as their responsibility, under those treaties, to provide stewardship and oversight of the land ceded to them.
  
  

Please follow the link below to sign a petition to help the local residents -- member of the tribe and their friends, neighbors and supporters in the area -- and contact your elected representatives in Congress to urge them to support Federal intervention:

http://petitions.moveon.org/sign/tell-scott-walker-to.fb31?source=s.fb&r_by=8719781

[Scuba]

1. Kicked and forwarded. Thanks mojo.

[mojowork_n]

7. Sure thing, here's 2 links with more info. One's very timely -- last day for public input

The Penokee Hills Education Project:

http://www.miningimpactcoalition.org/

...and today is the last day for public input on the mining company's "preapplication"

Read all about it -- and see how this whole fiasco has been stage-managed by those ham-fisted
Republican louts in the state house:

http://woodsperson.blogspot.com/2013/09/the-gtac-preapplication-notification.html

Excerpt:

The first reaction on the part of the mining company and its supporters was denial of the presence of any sulfides. Then they said, “Well there may be some really small amounts of sulfides, but we’ll engineer away that problem.” Then it was shown that even the really small amounts of sulfides (less the ½ of 1 percent) could result in really big problems for – well, forever. Faced with an array of scientific evidence of the presence and consequences of sulfides, GTac simply changed the face of the earth – no small feat.

...In testimony before the legislature and in on-line reports, such as this one entitled “Mining Engineer Debunks Liberals’ Study”, GTac, in the persons of Tim Myers (the engineer) and Bob Seitz (new external relations guy) simply made the deposit twice as thick as it is known to be and the elevation drop from one side of the pit to the other twice as much as is shown on USGS maps and on Google Earth.

[Arcanetrance]

2. Silly natives those treaties only matter when we want something

But seriously I hope something is done to stop the mining

[Warpy]

4. The problem with a lot of this stuff

is corrupt tribal leaders who are just as prone to the temptations of greed as white folks are. Chances are some money changed hands under the table to allow the mining some time ago and the corporations are expecting the tribes to live up to the bargain a handful of corrupt men made.

I've seen what's happened to tribes with uranium mining on their lands. Oh, the money was OK for the miners if they didn't mind dying at 50, but few of them were hired and the land was ruined, the tailings unbelievably toxic.

I hope the treaties are upheld.

[Arcanetrance]

5. Corruption is a human issue knowing no race, creed, or sex

I can imagine those mines turn whatever land they sit on into a toxic zone. I think the government in general needs to put an end to all these toxic processes wherever they may be

[mojowork_n]

8. What? "corrupt tribal leaders" ???!??

That's the farthest thing from the truth, as it applies to the Bad River tribe.

I met a lot of the folks working on this and these are NOT, in any way, people
who should be beaten with the stereotyped "tribal corruption" stick.

I have no idea how your impression was formed, where the uranium was or what
that situation was all about, but it has nothing to do with what's going on up
north, here in Wisconsin.

[strikeforce]

15. the ho chunk nation

in Baraboo,wisconsin own a huge gambling casino their that the parking lots are full all of the time.

one nation leader was fired years ago for unethical behavior.

they have a difficult time turning a profit their.they make hundreds of millions of dollars per year.

[mojowork_n]

20. But they make a profit, the "leader" episode was "years ago," and...

...do they have a more "difficult time" making that profit than you do making a point?

The Bad River tribe in the Penokees are putting up a truly noble resistance against the mining cartel.
The management of the Ho Chunk casino is not part of that attempt to stand up for all the people of
Wisconsin.

[Scuba]

12. Baseless smear. Please consider redacting your offensive comment.

[Orrex]

3. Hell, the Feds should honor these treaties simply for the sake of novelty

It would be a remarkable change of pace, if nothing else.

[RedCloud]

6. Methinks the Koch Bros. et alia are still plotting.

Little wonder they want a pipeline to be their "Line of Demarcation" splitting the USA in two.

[GaribaldiB5]

9. Obama is not out of his mind

The democrats need to carry this state in 2016. No way on Earth is he going to 'Kill Jobs' by stopping this project. The Indians are certainly a true example of the old adage that the only real liberty is the kind that you take and hold at the point of a gun. At the very least you need the WTO to go out and break balls for you if you expect to have a treaty that is useful for something more than wiping your ass with.

[mojowork_n]

10. Obama would be nuts to accept the very limited payback, accepting environmental devastation

This isn't the old style "shaft mining" project, employing hundreds and hundreds of miners.

Open Pit mining relies on massive use of explosives and a few workers operating huge earth-moving equipment,
negating the need for very many employees.

Go to the links and read what's been going on, how this mining bill re-wrote all the protections in place (no one
in the legislature actually sponsored the bill, it was written by the mining company), and how it's been rammed
through minimizing every opportunity for public comment and scientific review.

It's a disaster waiting to happen, all to enrich a lucky few insiders who've bought the politicians in the other
party.

[Scuba]

13. If Obama doesn't stop the mine, it will further erode his support among the base here.

On the other hand, if he stands up for the environment and stops the mine, he will energize the People here.

[pansypoo53219]

11. defeating publikkklans in 2014 should be THE TOP DEFENSE as well.

[strikeforce]

14. thank you

for posting this article.

go dale Schultz !!!!

[underpants]

16. Good for them

BTW we are making THIS and annual tradition in our family

http://www.virginiapowwow.com/native_events/chickahominyfallfestival

[unionthug777]

17. i am from Lac Du Flambeau.

i certainly hope the feds stop the mine.

[donwiener]

18. China buys ginseng, we sell them ore

Hasn't anyone else noticed that Walker took his trade trip to China AFTER the mining legislation was signed. China already imports ore from Canada. Wisconsin, in return, got a commitment they would buy $20 m more of WI ginseng and other products produced in the state. China has a lot of ore, but they are lining up deals on all natural resources, for 10 and 20 years down the road. Coincidence that the previously unannounced trade trip occurred after mining bill became law? Don

[gopiscrap]

19. Welcome to DU

[mojowork_n]

21. I don't think one event had anything to do with the other.

The Weasel-in-Chief of Wisconsin isn't in a position to be offering any long-term deals to anyone.

He may have tried to talk it up, but he's not yet in a position to be able to make any serious proposal.