Sunday Nov.1,1992
john coleman colemanj@calshp.cals.wisc.edu or colemanj@macc.bitnet
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News Release For Immediate Release November 1, 1992
CONTACT: Evelyn and Roscoe Churchill 715-532-3865
Bob Schmitz 414-499 3075
Carolyn Parker 715-356 5646
Fred Ackley 715-478-3230
REGIONAL ALLIANCE COMES TOGETHER AGAINST SULPHIDE MINING
Tomahawk, WI -- "Wisconsin's clean water is being held hostage by mining
interests and the Wisconsin Natural Resource Board" said Bob Schmitz,
president of the Wolf River Watershed Alliance. Schmitz spoke to more than 100
people attending a conference October 30 - November 1 at the University of
Wisconsin-Stevens Point Treehaven Center.
The regional conference, 'Stop the Plunder of Native Lands; Coming Together to
Protect the Flambeau, the Willow, and the Wolf', brought together
environmental groups and Native American tribes to protect waterways from
sulphide mining. The conference focused attention on the mines proposed by
Kennecott/Rio Tinto Zinc on the Flambeau River near Ladysmith, by Noranda,
Inc. on the Willow River near Lynne, Exxon/Phelps-Dodge near the Wolf River
near Mole Lake, and Great Lakes Minerals on Michigan's Keweenaw Penninsula.
"This is the largest and broadest alliance ever formed to protect our pristine
waters from the threat of sulphide mining" said Carolyn Parker, secretary-
treasurer of Environmentally Concerned Citizens of the Lakeland Area. "We have
now united the environmental groups and tribes who have been organizing
against mining for the past two decades."
"We would like to see clean drinking water for our future generations", said
Mole Lake Sokaogon Chippewa Tribal Judge Fred Ackley, chairman of the Tribal
Mining Impact Committee. "Exxon's plans would forever destroy the fish, wild
rice and natural habitats guaranteed by our treaties," said Ackley.
A key topic of discussion was the proposed Outstanding Resource Water (ORW)
designation for over 200 lakes and streams throughout Wisconsin. Many of the
groups attended the October 28 meeting of the Natural Resources Board
providing testimony and support for adopting the Wisconsin Department of
Natural Resources ORW recommendations. Eight-term Rusk County Supervisor,
Roscoe Churchill said, "County Boards are being deceived by the mining
companies and the Wisconsin Association of Manufacturers and Commerce into
believing that ORW would threaten agriculture, logging, and recreational
activites. In fact, ORW status would only apply to direct waste water
discharge; they know they can't mine and keep our waters clean." The Resources
Board tabled the issue, "until they could better assess the political
climate," said Churchill.
Other topics covered were the contamination of lakes and streams by sulphuric
acid and heavy metal leaching, sustainable economic alternatives to mining,
and inadequate mining laws covering the generation, disposal, and importation
of waste. "Wisconsin's present mining laws legalize and set the stage for mine
sites to end up as back-door waste dumps for fly ash and other hazardous waste
imported from elsewhere, "said Karen Harvey, council member of Upper Great
Lakes Green Network.
Other speakers were Chairman Tom Maulson of the Lac du Flambeau Reservation,
Red Cliff Chippewa Walt Bresette of the Lake Superior Greens, Evelyn Churchill
of the Rusk County Citizens Action Group, Al Gedicks of the Wisconsin Resource
Protection Council, Robin Goree of the Great Lakes Indian Fish and Wildlife
Commission, Jim Wise of Ecologically Concerned Citizens of Lakeland Areas, and
Menominee tribal member, Michael Sturdevant.
Other groups attending were the Midwest Treaty Network
(Wisconsin/Minnesota/Illinois), Lac Courte Oreilles Chippewa Reservation,
Northwoods Alliance, Wa-Swa-Gon Treaty Association, the Upper Great Lakes
Green Network, Wisconsin Wildlife Federation, the Wisconsin Greens, Anishinabe
Niijii (Hayward area), The Madison Treaty Rights Support Group, and the
Association Working Against Keweenaw Exploitation .
The Wisconsin Resources Protection Council (Al Gedicks) 608-784-4399 has
offered to serv as a information clearinghouse for the new coalition against
mining.
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