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WINS 1.5
Alice McCombs (EarthWINS@AOL.COM)
Mon, 24 Jul 1995 09:00:40 -0400
WATERSHED INFORMATION & NEWS SERVICE (WINS)
Vol. 1, No. 5; July 14, 1995
Committed to Serving All Our Relations in the Great Lakes and Mississippi
Watersheds
In this Issue:
"They Must Have No Spirit or Soul To Do This to Mother Earth"
"Takings"Law Proposed for WI
Flambeau Mining Co. Wants to Expand into Adjacent Counties
Close of Operations at Michigan Mine to Cost 1,100 Jobs
Wisconsin Community Fund Awards Grants to Three Native American Organizations
Judicial Review of Natural Resources Board Decision
Rare Ellipse Mussels Found in Yellow River
Metallic Sulfide Mining in Wisconsin--What You Should Know
Socieoconomic Impacts of Mining on Local Wisconsin Communities:
Some Common Beliefs and the Suprising Realities
Who Supports the Wise Use Agenda?
War Against the Greens
Mother Earth Speaks, a Poem by T. L. Christen
"They Must Have No Spirit or Soul To Do This to Mother Earth"
The intractible determination of Exxon to locate a metallic sulfide mine
at the headwaters of the Wolf River has prompted members of the Menominee
Indian tribe to call the corporation's actions a "declaration of war." The
Wolf River flows through and supplies water to the Menominee reservation.
Despite increasing concern expressed by the tribe about possible pollution of
the Wolf river, Crandon Mining Co., a Wisconsin partnership formed by Exxon
Coal and Minerals Co. of Houston and Rio Algom Ltd of Toronto, has continued
to seek federal, state, and local permits to remove 55 million tons of mostly
copper and zinc ore from ceded territory immediately adjacent to the Mole
Lake Indian Reservation.
At a U.S. Army Corps of Engineers hearing held in Keshena on June 26,
Virgil Barnes, a member of the Menominee Warrior Society, stated, "They must
have no spirit or soul to do this to Mother Earth...This is the final insult.
To me this is a declaration of war. It is not about to stop. Not when there
is so much money involved."
On June 27, a tribal leader acknowledged that confrontations could occur
because of opposition to the mine.
Louis Dixon, a Menominee Tribal Council Member, stated that his style was
going to court. "The leadership of the tribe is not violence-prone. We are
just not going to go in that direction." But Dixon did say the opposition to
the mine is a "life and death struggle."
Mole Lake chair Arlyn Ackley, Gaiashkibos of LacCourte Oreilles, and Walt
Bresette of Red Cliff voiced their opposition to the mine.
Ackley cited a May 17, 1995 Capital Times article, which stated "The mining
company recently admitted that it does not know of a single example of a
successfully reclaimed metallic sulfide mine, anywhere."
"Takings"Law Proposed for WI
Republican legislators are proposing a takings bill which they say will
protect the rights of property owners. If the bill, sponsored by
Representative Sheryl Albers of Loganville and Senator Gary Dryzwiecki of
Pulaski, is passed landowners could sue state and local governments when they
believe regulations reduce the value of their property 20 percent or more.
Although the law would only apply to new state legislation which is more
restrictive than federal legislation and not to laws already on the books,
the law could apply to any new regulation that affects the use of and the
value of property, including environmental and zoning laws
At a recent Capitol press conference, Dryzewiecki stated, "Governments
should not arbitrarily infringe on the basic right of individuals to acquire,
possess, and freely transfer real property."
However, Representative Spencer Black (D-Madison) calls the proposed
legislation a "bad neighbor bill." The law would allow people to do anything
they want with their property. People could "put a gas station or a rendering
plant in a residential neighborhood. . . . They could put a tavern or a strip
joint next to your home." Black says local lawmakers would be financially
restricted from passing any new regulations. "The proposal would be
extraordinarily expensive, would hurt local communities and would be a dream
for companies that pollute."
Black believes the proposed legislation is not needed because the U.S.
Constitution already allows landowners to sue the government for actions that
reduce the value of their value.
Citizens who are anxious about deforestation, agricultural runoff,
hazardous waste, nuclear power and waste storage, electric power plants,
metallic sulfide mining or any number of environmental problems they
currently face in Wisconsin, have reason to be concerned. For example since
Wisconsin's ground water regulations are more strict than U. S. requirements,
the state would have to have a lot of money before new laws to protect ground
water could be passed. And under the proposed law, the state--that means
Wisconsin taxpayers--could have to pay Exxon $1 billion if the DNR refuses to
grant Exxon a permit to mine at its Crandon site.
Takings laws have been passed in ten states. Even though the bill is only
in the draft stage, the Wisconsin proposal is backed by a collection of
agricultural and business supporters including the Cranberry Grower's
Association, State Timber Growers, Wisconsin Builder's Association, Wisconsin
Farm Bureau Association, realtors and bankers.
At the state and federal levels, the conflict over landowner rights, and
preservation of the environment has generated intense controversy. Wisconsin
citizens can expect a long intense struggle between landowners who are
supported by multinational interests and people who believe that legislating
for life--rather than against it--has more long-term economic potential.
Flambeau Mining Co. Wants to Expand into Adjacent Counties
The owners of a metallic sulfide mine in Ladysmith, Flambeau Mining Co.,
recently initiated talks to negotiate leases for thousands of acres with
landowners in Clark, Eau Claire, Jackson, and Trempealeau counties. An aerial
survey by the mining company detected variations in the Earth's magnetic
field that could indicate copper and zinc ore deposits.
If Flambeau acquires the leases, the company will attempt to determine the
presence of metallic sulfide mineral deposits with the use of ground-based
surveys and drilling The company will have to obtain permits to drill from
Department of Natural Resources.
Tom Myatt, General Manager of the Ladysmith mine says Flambeau is "very
early in the exploration stage." If drilling is done, Flambeau will avoid
groundwater contamination and restore the environment at ground level. "We've
been able to show that we can do exploration and mine development in an
environmentally responsible fashion." If more deposits are found, Myatt hopes
the success of Ladysmith will enable Flambeau and Kennecott to pursue more
mining projects in Wisconsin.
Close of Operations at Michigan Mine to Cost 1,100 Jobs
Just as Ronald P. Van Straten, the economic development consultant for
Foth and Van Dyke, was attempting to reassure Wisconsin citizens that it is
"inappropriate" to consider the track records of other mining companies or
"inconceivable" that a mine providing hundreds of jobs could increase rural
poverty, Copper Range Co. was announcing its plans to close the White Pine
Mine in September.
Copper Range Co. is the largest employer in the western Upper Peninsula.
The close of the mine will cause 1,100 employees to be laid off. United
Steelworkers of America union employees were in their second year of a five
year contract.
White Pine has had a history of environmental problems. Last year, the
company paid a $4.3 million fine. In February, it had to close its smelter.
On July 10-11, officials of Copper Range and INMET, parent company of Copper
Range, met in Toronto. John Sanders, President of Copper Range, said the
decision to close the mine was made when INMET decided to stop putting money
into the mine.
Because Ontonagon County is small and dependent on Copper Range for a
large part of its economy, the loss of jobs will have a "much bigger effect"
on the county than the close of K.I. Sawyer Air Force Base in Marquette
County," said Dorothy Bussiere, director of the Ontonagon Economic
Development Corporation. The Upper Peninsula will lose most of the $60
million it made annually in payroll and purchases.
The company will maintain a small mining project that will employ about 30
people.
White Pine was the last surviving copper mine in Michigan. The mine
employed 3,400 people at its peak in 1974.
The sad story of White Pine Mine offers one more example of why a
metallic sulfide mine can be a poor economic choice for a community. While
the mine provides ore at a low cost to investors, the mine provides jobs. But
metallic sulfide mines have a high probability for toxic waste discharge.
Metal markets change. Labor supplies and conditions change. If an expensive
environmental problem occurs, if the demand for metal goes down, or if the
cost of labor goes up, parent companies who must maintain profits for their
stockholders withdraw their investments in subsidiaries. Companies close and
people lose jobs. The corporations keep their profits, but small counties
like Ontonagon suffer.
Small communities like Crandon might find it economically advantageous to
evaluate projects like the proposed Exxon mine in the context of their
surrounding neighbors in the Upper Peninsula.
Wisconsin Community Fund Awards Grants to Three Native American Organizations
The Wisconsin Community Fund (WCF) has awarded grants totalling $8,000 to
three Wisconsin organizations that are working to support Native American
rights. The groups that were funded are the Midwest Treaty Network, Protect
the Earth Committee, and WOJB FM Radio. The awards were announced at the
conclusion of the fund's 20th Funding Cycle in June.
The Midwest Treaty Network is a Madison based organization that is an
alliance of Native American and white community groups who support Native
sovereign rights. THe Network has also been very involved in organizing
around the issue of metallic sulfide mining.
Midwest Treaty Network's Wolf Watershed Educational Project that is being
funded by WCF will educate local communities on the issue of metallic sulfide
mining, particularly Exxon's proposed Crandon mine, build local community
organizing skills, and strengthen communication links between Indian and
non-Indian communities on environmental protection.
The Protect the Earth Committee, which is Wisconsin based, sponsors the
annual Protect the Earth Gathering that focuses on current environmental
issues in Northern Wisconsin. The gathering has a history of bringing
together Native American and non-native activists who are working on similar
issues.
The grant funded by WCF will support the 1995 Protect the Earth Festival,
which will draw people from all over the midwest and Canada. The two-day
festival will feature cultural presentations as well as workshops on Native
American and environmental topics.
WOJB FM Radio is a 100,000 watt community radio station licensed and owned
by the Lac Courte Oreilles Ojibwe in Northwestern Wisconsin. The purpose of
WOJB FM Radio is to reflect through broadcast media the diversity of people,
land, and spirit which makes up Ceded Territory of the Lake Superior Ojibwe,
and to preserve and celebrate the history and culture of the Lac Courte
Oreilles people.
WOJB's Thunderbird Project which WCF will fund is designed to assist in
the growth of WOJB's News and Public Affairs Department so it can better
serve the Native communities.
Wisconsin Community Fund is a Madison based foundation that funds
progressive social change statewide. Formed in 1982, WCF has awarded $600,000
in cash grants and $300,000 worth of Lotus software to hundreds of non-profit
organizations. WCF is a member of the Funding Exchange of New York City, a
national organization of progressive foundations.
Judicial Review of Natural Resources Board Decision
A scheduling conference was held by the Circuit Court May 23, 1995, in the
case of Rusk County Citizen Action Group, Inc., vs. Wisconsin Department of
Natural Resources. RCCAG's attorney, Keith Rodli, of Rodli, Beskar, Boles, &
Krueger, S.C. was present as was John Greene of the Attorney General's
office.
It was ordered by the Court that RCCAG must file a brief in support of its
position by July 15, 1995; WDNR must file a brief in support of its position
by August 15, 1995; RCCAG has until August 31, 1995, to file a reply brief;
Oral Argument has been scheduled for September 11, 1995, at 1:00 p.m. in Rusk
County.
Rare Ellipse Mussels Found in Yellow River
In May 1995, Cadott high school students who were part of a River Watch
project found rare, live ellipse mussels on the river bottom. Ellipse mussels
are on the federal Rare and Endangered Species list and haven't been found in
more than fifty years.
The fact that ellipse mussels were found in abundance shows the high
quality of the water in the Yellow River. The mussels' presence also will
affect the river's future.
ASARCO and Cyprus Gold, two multinational minerals companies, are
interested in mining out their gold deposit at the headwaters of the Yellow
River in Chequamagon National Forest in Taylor County. Another multinational
company, E.K. Lehmann, was granted a prospecting permit in that same area
near the Jump River.
The presence of ellipse mussels in the Yellow River should put mining
plans on hold until the environmental impact of such activities to the
mussels and to the river's health can be determined
Socieoconomic Impacts of Mining on Local Wisconsin Communities: Some Common
Beliefs and the Suprising Realities
The Common Belief is that . . .
1. A mine project will add economic prosperity to local communities.
2. Social impacts are moderate and have marginal costs
3. Predictions in an environmental impact statement, or a socioeconomic
impact assessment are on target
4. The laws in Wisconsin provide adequate protection to all interested
parties.
5. Major problems will be recognized and litigated quickly
6. A major extraction project will be good for retaining the youth in local
communities
7. The local communities have little power in relation to the state or big
industries
The Evidence Shows That. . .
1. An extraction project is often associated with rural poverty
2. Social impacts can have significant costs
3. Socieoeconomic forecasts often have a high margin of error
4. The state is likely to experience less risk, and possibly higher benefits,
than the most directly impacted communities
5. Some major risks lie far into the future and may be severe by the time
they are recognized
6. Young people often leave small communities regardless of the local
opportunities
7. Local communities may be unaware of their power to bargain for insurance
from major negative impacts
Key Concerns
1. In existing regulations the phrase "net substantial adverse economic
impact in the area reasonably expected to be the most affected by mining" is
vague and can be interpreted in a variety of ways.
2. Environmental accidents can happen even with perfect environmental
legislation. Laws that focus on shifting risks to mine operators, rather than
requiring sophisticated forecasting reports, may be more efficient for all
parties involved.
3. The laws may not provide local communities with all the tools they need to
deal effectively with a proposed development. At the same time, more should
be done to assure that affected communities receive the information they need
about the tools that are already available to them.
>From the "Executive Summary" of The Socioeconomic Impacts of Mining in
Wisconsin, A Report to the Wisconsin State Legislature Assembly, Natural
Resources Committee, by Lyn Ruble et al. with assistance from William R.
Freudenburg, Ph.D.
Copies of this report are available from Mining Impact Coalition, (608)
255-6629.
Who Supports the Wise Use Agenda?
A list of supporters (financial and otherwise) of the wise-use movement:
Adolph Coors Foundation
American Front Skinheads
American Motorcyclists Association
Amoco
Anheuser-Busch
ARCO
Arizona Bowhunters Association
Arizona Cattlegrowers
Arizona Desert Bighorn Sheep Council
Arizona Desert Racing Association
Arizona Rifle Hunters Association
Arizona Trappers Association
Aryan Nations
Bethlehem Steel
Bighorn Rifle and Pistol Club
Boise Cascade
British Petroleum American
Burger King
California Association of 4WD Clubs
California Desert Coalition
California Rifle and Pistol Association
Chevron USA Inc.
Coca-Cola
Con Edison
Coors Brewing Company
Desert Sportsman Rifle and Pistol Club
Dow Chemical Company
Dupont
Eureka Chamber of Commerce
Exxon Corporation
Frito-Lay
General Electric
General Mills
Georgia Pacific
Goldwater Institute
Greenlee Cattelgrowers Association
Gulf Oil
Heritage Foundation
Hershey Foods Fund
High Desert Cattlemen's Association
Hill and Knowlton
Honda
Hoover Institution
Humboldt County Wool Growers Association
Humboldt-Del Norte County Cattlemen's Association
IBM
Idaho Cattlemen's Association
Idaho Hunters Association
Idaho Mining Association
John Birch Socity
Johnson & Johnson
Kawasaki
Kennecott
Ku Klux Klan
Land O'Lakes
Las Vegas Gem Club
Las Vegas Jeep Club
Louisiana Pacific
MacMillan Bloedel, Ltd. (Canada)
Mobil Oil
Mountain States Legal Foundation
National Association of Manufacture
National Association of Realtors
National Cattlemen's Association
National Dairy Council
National Forest Products Association
National Rifle Association
National Soft Drink Association
National Woolgrowers Association
Nevada Cattlemen's Association
Nevada Hunter's Association
Nevada Off-Highway Users Council
Nevada State Rifle and Pistol Association
New Mexico Cattle Growers Association
New Mexico Woolgrowers Association
North Norwegian Small Whaler Association
Nutrasweet Company
Oscar Mayer Foods
PepsiCo Foundation
Phillip Morris
Phillips Petroleum
Proctor and Gamble
Rand Corporation
Sacramento Safari Club
Scott Paper
Seagrams
Shell Oil
Southern Nevada Land Cruisers
Tahoe-Sierra Preservation Council
Tenneco Minerals Company
Unification Church
Union Carbide
Uniroyal Chemical Company
United 4WD Association
University of California Cooperative Extension
Volunteer Christian Posses
Weyerhauser
White Aryan Resistance
Yamaha
Downloaded from CLEAR, Clearinghouse on Environmental Avocacy and Research.
CLEAR has a database that can be accessed by e-mail: ewg@igc.apc.org and the
contacts are Dan Barry or Allison Daly. They can provide you with more
information regarding Wise Use groups. You also can become part of the
Network.
War Against the Greens
Review. The War Against the Greens by David Helvarg. Sierra Club Books, San
Francisco, 1994. 502 pages.
In the growing backlash against environmentalism in America, the most
visible element is the "Wise Use" movement. Its goals are the total use of
timber, oil, gas, minerals, and range land, and the removal of all
environmental laws and agencies. "Wise Use" organizers claim grassroots
citizenship, yet their funding comes from South African mining, US and
Canadian timber companies, Japanese ORV manufacturers, the Heritage
Foundation, the American Farm Bureau Federation, the NRA, and the Unification
Church. The significant effect of the Wise Use agend has been a reign of
violence and intimidation-including arson, bombings, rape, assault, and
attempted murder-directed at environmental activists.
Author David Helvarg is a journalist and private investigator who has
produced documentaries for television and written for newspapers and
magazines. To gather material for this, his first book, David Helvarg
visited rallies, conferences, and confrontations that are the fronts in
anti-environmentalistis's war against the greens.
Helvarg shows the dimensions of this struggle as it is being waged in the
courts, in the media, through popular mouthpieces like Rush Limbaugh,
sympathetic coverage in influential newspapers such as the New York Times,
and in the growing number of violent confrontations and threats used against
environmental activists. Helvarg also documents the failure of the FBI to
prevent such violence.
Most activists have been threatened at one time or another if they are
effective against the system. In chapter eleven titled, "The Green P. I.,"
Helvarg details the efforts of Sheila O'Donell, a private investigator who
helps activists when they become victims of violent attacks. Helvarg
introduces the chapter with an account of Pat Costner, director of toxics
research for Greenpeace U.S.A., whose home burned down two weeks before she
was to publish a major report on hazardous waste incinerators. After the
local fire marshall didn't see any signs of arson and the local sheriff
didn't go out to the site, O'Donnell hired an arson team which proved
Costner's home had been destroyed by arsonists.
David Helvarg's book provides essential information about the the Wise
Use movement. He covers the personalities, corporations, organizations, and
governmental entities involved. His book also includes measures activists and
groups can take to protect themselves. If you are an environmental activist,
you need this book.
Mother Earth Speaks
A Poem by T. L. Christen
I am Mother Earth
Made by the Creator, oldest of the Travelers
Ancient race of sentient beings who travel through time and space
Servants of the Creator who nurture sentient races to maturity
It is through my very nature that all truth comes
I am your home
I give you the water of life to sustain you
I give you food to keep you healthy
I give you colors to stir your imagination
I give you dreams to help you create
I give you clean skies but you pollute them
I give you pristine forests but you burn them
I give you priceless minerals but you waste them
I give you this warning:
I am Mother Earth and I will not allow you to destroy me
Woe to you who drive the engine of consumption
Who torch my lungs, who poison my blood, who grind my body
For metal
Woe to you who live by violence and greed
For you will no longer exist
Violent ones will die by violence
There are other beings who could take your place
Woe most of all to you who are indifferent
Who sit smug and comfortable in your position
Who think you do no wrong, who take no action
You will be the first to be judged by the Creator
For apathy is the worst of all sins
I turned my axis before because of greed and destruction
I can do it again and I have already begun
Other children of land, water, sky and spirit know this
I speak this to all races in all four sacred directions
Mother Earth is a kind loving mother
But I will discipline my children if you continue to destroy me
For it is against the Creator's law for a sentient being
To commit suicide
You still have time to save yourselves
But you, the people, must take your power back from
The multinationals who would kill me and enslave you
If I turn on my axis everything will change
But if people begin to care more for people than profit
Then Mother Earth will remember her promise
To nurture humanity to the stars
WINS is published every month in Madison, WI, by:
Carol Edgerton and Alice McCombs
Contributors: Dave Blouin, T. L. Christen
Our thanks to everyone who made this issue of WINS possible.
This material may be copied and distributed; please give credit to WINS and
let us know if you use any of our material. Thanks!
WINS
P.O.Box 8306
Madison, WI 53708-8306
Email <earthwins@aol.com>
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