For immediate release
Contact: Debi McNutt (Madison) 608-246-2256
Kenneth Fish (Keshena) 715-799-5620
Carrie Benscheawall (Chicago) 312-563-6060 x. 204
JUNE 28 CHICAGO RALLY AGAINST
PROPOSED EXXON MINE IN WISCONSIN
On Saturday, June 28, at 11 am, the Wolf Watershed Educational Project
will sponsor a rally against Exxon's proposed Crandon mine at the
Wisconsin Travel Information Center at 342 North Michigan Avenue (corner
of Wacker) in downtown Chicago, south of the Chicago River bridge. The
rally supports the efforts of Northern Wisconsin citizens to stop Exxon's
proposed Crandon zinc-copper sulfide mine, at the headwaters of the Wolf
River, about 100 miles northwest of Green Bay.
"Many Chicagoland people love to escape to the clean environment of
Northern Wisconsin, including the pristine Wolf River. They want to
support people in Wisconsin who are fighting to protect the Wolf River and
its tourism- based economy from Exxon's proposed mine and toxic waste
dump," said Bill Ahrens of Pearson, representing the Wolf Watershed
Educational Project.
"There are 8 to 12 possible mine sites in Northern Wisconsin, which
together would form a new mining district," added Debi McNutt of Madison,
representing the Midwest Treaty Network, "We know that if this happens,
many tourists would prefer to go elsewhere for their recreation."
Kenneth Fish, director of the Menominee Treaty Rights and Mining Impacts
Office in Keshena, will speak at the rally on the mine as an issue of
environmental racism, including impacts on the Wolf River (which runs
through his reservation), Native American sacred sites and wild rice
beds. Ahrens and McNutt will speak about the environmental and economic
impacts of the proposed mine. They will bring water from the Wolf River
to symbolically pour into the Chicago River. They will be joined by
representatives from the Chicago Whitewater Association and Chicago
Greenpeace.
Mine opponents fear that sulfide mining will leak sulfuric acid into the
Wolf River, which is a state Outstanding Resource Water and in one stretch
is a National Wild and Scenic River. Fishermen, canoeists, kayakers, and
cottage vacationers enjoy the Wolf River for its pristine qualities, and
fear the mine will drain away groundwater from the riverway. The Crandon
proposal led the national American Rivers group to recently name the Wolf
as North America's fifth most endangered river. This Spring, the Wisconsin
State Senate passed a moratorium on sulfide mining, which is now being
considered by the Assembly, and citizens of a township covering part of
the mine site voted out a town board that had signed a mine agreement with
Exxon. The Crandon mine is considered the number one state environmental
issue.
The Wolf Watershed Educational Project (WWEP) was initiated by the Midwest
Treaty Network two years ago, to educate citizens along the Wolf-Fox and
Wisconsin rivers on the threat of sulfide mining to the environment and
tourism economy. The WWEP has helped together Native Americans and
sportfishing groups, who previously had been at odds on treaty-backed
fishing rights, but now are uniting to protect the fishery. Last year,
it held an Upriver Speaking Tour that drew 1,100 people in 22 towns along
the two rivers, and 1,000 people to a rally in Rhinelander, where Exxon's
Crandon Mining Company is located, and where the firm plans to dump its
liquid mine wastes into the Wisconsin River. In response to the campaign,
the company ran a series of newspaper, radio and television ads throughout
the state.
WWEP representatives have recently spoken to groups of Illinois tourists
along the Wolf River. They urged tourists to write or call Secretary Moose
Speros, Wisconsin Department of Tourism, P.O. Box 7976, Madison WI 53707,
(608) 266-2345, to ask him to use his influence to protect the environment
and tourism economy from sulfide mining.
More information about the WWEP and the proposed Crandon mine can be found
at on the Midwest Treaty Network web site at
http://www.alphacdc.com/treaty/wwep.html or on the toll-free Hotline at
1-800-445-8615. For bumperstickers, call toll-free 1-888-SULFIDE.
Tax-deductible contributions can be made to Wolf Watershed Educational
Project, c/o Midwest Treaty Network. 731 State St., Madison WI 53703
(checks to MTN/PC Foundation).
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