This sounds just like Bu$hCo. Thanks to Mary R. for this forwarded email. I get so pissed that they keep these things quiet. What really corks me off is that public officials are part of the secrecy, the coverup. I'm extremely disappointed.
ANOTHER NORTHWOODS MINE???
State Senators and Local Government Officials Tour Penokee Mountains
with La Pointe Iron Company VP
Mellen WI- Saturday felt nearly like spring along Highway 77 in southern Ashland County. Tall trees stood thick amid the snow where the largest open-pit mine Wisconsin has ever seen - 21 miles long, 500 feet deep- could be built in a soon as seven years. La Pointe Iron Company, a subsidiary of U S Steel whose national mineral rights were recently purchased by the Texas-based RGGS Land & Minerals Ltd., is in the process of seeking financial and political backing for the project. David Meineke, vice president of La Pointe, spent theafternoon presenting the proposed site to such state leaders as StateSenator Dale Shultz (R-District 17), State Senator Dave Zien (R-District 23), and local leadership, including Mayor of Montreal Robert Morzenti , Ashland City Planner and Zoning Administrator Brea Lemke and Ashland City Administrator Brian Knapp,[*] as well as localunion and industry representatives. The meeting was not announced publicly, though a few community members did manage to attend.
After a parking lot tailgate presentation on the mines location and geology, discussion turned to political support for the potential mine. "We haven't met with the governor yet but we met with... his aid and we got a rather favorable response", Meineke said. Senator Shultz added "I think both political parties are way up to our project." The office of Governor Doyle has made no formal public comment on the project thus far.
The tour continued to a point along Highway 13, just south of Mellen and a few hundred feet north of Foley Road, where the ore body juts from the ground, and then on to the Penokee Mountain Lookout in the Chequamegon Nicolet National Forest, overlooking the Bad River gorge. Iron ore is oxidized 1000 feet from either side of the river and does not have marketable value, but valuable deposits continue for three to four miles to the west. The tour concluded in the town of Upson, where the eastern end of the ore body lies just a quarter mile south of Highway 77.
"You know, we're looking around the world, talking to all the big companies." said Meineke. The company is seeking anywhere from a half billion and to over a billion dollars in financial backing. Once such backing is secure, the company expects a minimum three year period before formally submitting a proposal to the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources. The acceptance or denial of a metallic mine proposal submitted to the WDNR typically takes at least 4 years, which does not account for the local zoning and permitting process.
[*] These people need to be held accountable for this secret meeting. Why won't they open this up to the light of public scrutiny? We all know why. Notice that no, absolutely no elected state official from our area was present. What does that tell you? Pissants.
6 comments:
This project has been on the radar for at least two year as the primary of RGGS Russell Gordy Texas friend of the Bush family has been buying mineral rights in the Minnesota Arrowhead also. There was a press release on this late last summer. Wisconsin's anti-sulfide mining law was based on the one drafted in Montana. The Montana law was challenged and prevailed last year. If the Montana law had been defeated I'm sure a challenge to our strict mining regs would have follwed. RLK
wouldn't this bring lots of high paying jobs to your area? something you are always complaining about not having enough of? WTF
WTF to you. All you need to do is drive through the UP to see the wonderful effects of mining. There are ways to have high paying jobs, for instance, have SueHank Martinsen, etc., actually pay people for the jobs they do. All this mining will do is lay waste to the headwaters of the Bad River & enrich the already overly-wealthy scum.
But wouldn't this add a "NEW" job base to your economy? I would like to think with today's technology and knowledge there would be environmentaly friendly ways to mine. Also having additional steel on the market would keep steel prices in check, which would make cars more affordable(also appliances, equipment, ect.)which would in turn keep U.S. car sales higher resulting in fewere job cuts(economics 101), Something you like to think is just the corporations fault, and another thing you like to whine about. By the way who is this SueHank Martinsen you keep talking about?
Before folks jump the gun and get anti progress please consider what it is like to continually struggle with a family and a low paying job. This mine would create hundred of jobs, help local businesses, and improve the area. A small price to pay for some compromised unused, and not particularly pristine land. The ground water can be protected with new technology.
To hell with the gordy's, bush's and rggs. All the wealthy scums of the earth and their precious little balarena doughters.
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