A-Infos (en) EMERGENCY ACTION on Mining Moratorium

[amccombs@mail.wiscnet.net (A. I. McCombs)]

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     A - I N F O S  N E W S  S E R V I C E
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February 2, 1998

EMERGENCY ACTION ALERT for SB 3, Wisconsin's sulfide Mining Moratorium

-->Vote on Moratorium may come as soon as tomorrow, Tuesday, February 3rd!

For Immediate Release
Please Distribute Widely

IMMEDIATE ACTION NEEDED!

Wisconsin residents are urged to IMMEDIATELY contact their Senator, and ask
him/her to pass without Amendment #4. For state Senate e-mail addresses,
see
http://www.legis.state.wi.us/senate/senate.html

People who live outside of Wisconsin are requested to send an email
IMMEDIATELY to Senator Robert Breske, <Sen.Breske@legis.state.wi.us>, whose
district would include the proposed Rio Algom Crandon mine. Please ask
Senator Breske to vote for SB 3, the sulfide Mining Moratorium WITHOUT
Amendment $4.

According to constituents in Senator Robert Cowles district, aides for
Senator Cowles said the Wisconsin Senate will go into caucus on SB 3, the
Mining Moratorium, at 10:00am tomorrow, Tuesday February 3.
A Senate vote on SB 3 could come tomorrow after the caucus.

On January 22, the Wisconsin State Assembly gutted SB 3, the Sulfide Mining
Moratorium Bill with an Exxon/Republican amendment (#4). SB 3 then
subsequently passed in the Assembly 75-21.  The bill would have banned new
sulfide mines in the state until one such mine can be proven to have been
closed for ten years without causing pollution. Mining companies have not
been able to locate such a mine, but Amendment #4 redefined and weakened
the definition of acidic sulfide pollution, making it much more possible to
"prove" that metallic sulfide mining is safe.

On January 23, just one day after the Assembly vote, Rio Algom announced it
had bought Exxon's 50% share in the proposed Wolf River metallic sulfide
mine near Crandon, Wisconsin. Rio Algom's acquisition established the
company as the sole owner and operator of the proposed Crandon mine. Last
week Rio Algom announced that a new entity, the Nicolet Minerals Company,
will be established to develop and operate the Crandon mine project.

While action against sulfide mining has focused to a large extent on Exxon,
opponents of mining are not happy with Rio Algom's track record on mining
and its treatment of workers. Rio Algom's Elliot Lake uranium mines caused
the deaths of dozens of Ontario miners in the 1950s-70s (members of the
United Steelworkers) from silicosis and lung cancer, the poisoning of the
Serpent River downstream and its Ojibwe community.

Serpent River Ojibwe band councillor Keith Lewis testified on Rio Algom's
Elliot Lake uranium mines. He said the Serpent River used to be one of the
greatest  sturgeon producing rivers in the province, but that ancient fish
has all but disappeared due to radioactive and heavy  metal poisons from
the mines, and the only reason walleye are still present is that the river
is stocked for sportsmen. Lewis testified that he is one of many former
Elliot Lake  miners who now have serious health problems such as asthma,
bronchitis, or cancer. The provincial  Health Ministry admits the miners'
lung cancer rates are 300 to 500 percent above that of the normal
population. Rio Algom is also on the Survival International Top Ten list,
because of its Elliot Lake uranium mines. Lewis testified that the company
blasted a spiritual site, and added, "They have given money to the white
municipalities  which have a larger population... They say to the people of
Serpent River who live downstream.... you people are crazy." In Nova
Scotia, Rio Algom has still not cleaned up its East  Kemptville tin mine,
posing a threat to the multimillion dollar lobster industry.

Sulfide mining in the Northwoods, and particularly Rio Algom's proposed
Crandon mine, has become the number one environment issue in Wisconsin. A
strong grassroots alliance of Native American nations, sportfishing groups,
environmentalists, and unionists has put Exxon on the defensive. Mining and
Indian gaming are already the top issues in the upcoming race between
Republican Governor Tommy Thompson, and his Democratic (and opponent of
sulfide mining) Ed Garvey. Legislative Republicans want to gut SB3 so
Thompson can sign it, to take the issue away from Garvey. Thompson may veto
an SB3 that is intact, but mining opponents have many other strategies on
the local, state, federal and tribal government levels.

SB 3 is now in the State Senate where Senators will have the opportunity
tomorrow to reject Amendment #4. Although the Senate passed the bill in
March 1997 on a bipartisan vote of 29-3, the Senate's current actions are
unpredictable in light of recent intensive lobbying by Exxon, and an even
party split in the body.

Please help protect Wisconsin's clean environment and healthy economy for
future generations by supporting the sulfide Mining Moratorium.

Thank you in advance for your help.

For more background on mining, see the Midwest Treaty
Network web site at http://www.alphacdc.com/treaty/content.html
For information on the track record of Rio Algom, see the Wisconsin Review
Commission's
1995 Report on the Track Record of Exxon and Rio Algom at
http://www.alphacdc.com/treaty/track-1.html

******************************************************

"People have the power to redeem the work of fools."
Patti Smith

For Mother Earth. . .
For Humanity. . .

A. I. McCombs
P.O. Box 573
Shawano, WI  54166
Ph: 715-524-5998
FAX (Phone first): 715-524-9958
earthwins@earthwins.com
www.earthwins.com

When EarthWINS, Everybody Wins!



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