The author, Walt Bresette, is a Lake Superior Chippewa from Red Cliff
Chippewa Reservation. He can be reached by fax: 715-779-3465 or e-mail:
bresette@win.bright.net.
This relates to the recently forwarded article "Happy 1842 Treaty
Anniversary." The acid trains referred to are filled with sulfuric acid
and are travelling through the Bad River Chippewa Reservation (in northern
Wisconsin) enroute to the White Pine mine in the Upper Peninsula of
Michigan. The tracks the trains are using are in very poor condition, with
trees growing through the rails in a few places. In late July and early
August, Walt Bresette helped organize ceremonies on the tracks that
stopped the movement of the acid trains until now.
The threat is not just of an acid spill on the Bad River Chippewa
Reservation but of future acid pollution to groundwater and to Lake
Superior if the acid mineral recovery pilot project is allowed to continue
or expands to full scale operations at the White Pine mine (the Mineral
River that lies near the mine would be poisoned by the sulfuric acid when
the ancient sea that lies beneath the mine and that was breached during
regular mining practices overflows the mine in the next fifty years. The
Mineral River flows into Lake Superior).
The Lake Superior Chippewa retained hunting, fishing, and gathering rights
in this whole area (northern third of Wisconsin, most of the Upper
Peninsula of Michigan, and the arrowhead northeastern portion of Minnesota
as well), when they ceded the land to the U.S. in the 1842 Treaty. If the
land, water, and habitat are poisoned from the acid, these treaty rights
will be abrogated de facto.
Previous messages concerning the acid trains and the White Pine mine have
requested people to contact the President <president@whitehouse.gov> and
Dick Sanderson at the federal EPA, 202-260-4700, to request a full
environmental impact statement (EIS) for both the pilot and the full scale
project.
Date: Tue, 08 Oct 1996 10:41:35 -0500
From: Walt Bresette <bresette@win.bright.net>
Subject: Cut It Off, Shut It Down
URGENT! Acid Trains Resume Across Bad River; EPA Riding Shotgun
Though the Bad River Tribal Government has not yet made any
agreement with the multinational rail company Wisconsin Central, they
began resumption of sulfuric acid transport to White Pine acid mine in
Michigan's upper peninsula on Saturday, October 5th - one day after the
154th anniversary of th 1842 Treaty and 3 day after the US EPA announced
that they have determine it is safe to transport the acid. This is the
same EPA which hasn't yet determined if they should allow the permanent
dumping of 11 billin gallons of sulfuric acid solution in the toxic,
leaky hole five miles from Lake Superior; now they are rail safety
experts? I don't think so. They don't know their acid from a hole int he
ground.
It is also reported the the acid is coming across the Soo Locks or the
Internatinal Bridge at Sault Ste Marie. This is now clearly and
international issue and a threat to the fresh water reserves of both the
United States and Canada.
Please make your voices heard.
I may be in your area in the next days: Wednesday, 10 a.m., Wis Senate
Hearings on Metallic Sulfide Moratorium, Wright Lounge, Student Union,
UW-Stevens Point; Press House, 730 State Street, UW-Madison, 7 p.m.
Wednesday; 12:30 UW-Milwaukee Campus, Leonard Peltier Panel, Thursday; Cut
It Off, Shut It Down workshop, Green Bay, Thursday Evening; MDEQ Marquette
Michigan hdqts, 1 pm Friday; Mechigan Tech, Houghton, Michigan 5 p.m.
Friday; Fight For Justice Sanctuary, Workshop friday eve or Sat morn,
Keweenaw Bay Indian Community, Baraga, Michigan; and, a quick trip to
Sault Ste Marie Intl bridge over the weekend. Give me a call if you have
questions: 715/779-5071