today. The bill labeled LRB 3520/1 is 183 pages long and according to the
Wisconsin League of Conservation voters was written behind closed doors with
mining lobbyists.
>From Wisconsin League of Conservation voters:
Assembly Mining Bill (LRB 3520/1):
1. The Assembly Mining Bill and the process by which is it being rammed
through the legislature cuts the public out of the process:
• LRB 3520/1 is 183 pages long and was written in secret behind closed doors by
mining company lobbyists. The bill has been immediately scheduled for a public
hearing in a remote part of the state with only a few days notice.
• LRB 3520/1 is just the latest of many bills that seeks to rewrite our laws
for the direct benefit of special interests at the expense of Wisconsin
families. It comes on the heels of The Polluters Over People Bill which cut the
public out of decisions that impact all waters in our state.
• LRB 3520/1 eliminates the right of citizens to protect their health and
communities by challenging the mining company or to ensure that the DNR is
enforcing environmental laws.
2. The Assembly Mining Bill rewards special interest campaign contributors at
the expense of Wisconsin families. In this bill, mining companies – unlike
other industries – are given a free pass on the water, land and public health
protections that every other industry in the state of Wisconsin follows.
• LRB 3520/1 forces the state of Wisconsin to issue a mining permit even if
they know it will endanger public health, safety or welfare.
• LRB 3520/1 explicitly states that groundwater contamination by a mining
company is acceptable.
• LRB 3520/1 explicitly states that the DNR must allow a mining company to take
high volumes of water from rivers and lakes and streams that are not located
within their property or immediately next to it, even if it will draw down
rivers, lakes, and streams.
• LRB 3520/1 allows mining companies to dump toxic mining waste in sensitive
wetlands that protect local communities from flooding and water pollution if
the company restores wetlands anywhere else in the state, no matter how far
away.
3. The Assembly Mining Bill takes science and accurate information out of
decision making, giving mining companies full reign to provide only the
information they choose to provide.
• LRB 3520/1 does not allow the state of Wisconsin or citizens to challenge the
information provided by the mining company in any of their documents, even
though these are the documents that all the permits will be based on. This
bill eliminates all accountability, giving the mining company free reign in the
quality and accuracy of the information they submit to the state.
• LRB 3520/1 creates arbitrary deadlines for when decisions have to be made by
Wisconsin without giving the DNR any staff to evaluate proposals or enough days
to conduct actual field tests.
• LRB 3520/1 treats all mining projects the same and does not allow the DNR to
consider the scale of the proposed mine or what other resources, communities or
other things are in the area that might be impacted.
• LRB 3520/1 says that mining companies no longer have to make their records
about their mining available to the public.
Personal message from me, Joe, to e-democracy readers:
If you've gotten this far in this message, this bill should be an indicator of
why you might consider signing the recall petition. It doesn't recall the Gov.
or Senators by signing. BUT it does ask them to come forward once again to the
public to give Wisconsinites an opportunity to decide if this is what they
really want and need.
I've attached the wonderful said bill for your reading enjoyment.