Wisconsin Resources Protection Council

The Wisconsin Resources Protection Council (WRPC) is asking you to voice your support for a proposal by the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (DNR) to list an unnamed stream at the Flambeau Mine site (known as “Stream C”) as “impaired” due to copper and zinc toxicity.

A New Proposal from Kennecott, but the Old Adage from Roscoe Churchill Still Rings True:  “Just Grass Over a Grave”

Kennecott / Flambeau Mining Company (FMC) is proposing to convert an existing 0.9-acre, lined ”detention basin” (pond) at the partially reclaimed Flambeau Mine site to an ”infiltration basin” and construct two new infiltration basins at the site to handle contaminated runoff.  I recently received notice of a public hearing that has been scheduled on the proposal for Wednesday August 3, 2011 at 5 PM in Ladysmith, Wisconsin.

1. Wisconsin Public Radio, December 28, 2010

More metallic mines are being proposed for the Far North, even as questions linger about a now-closed mine just outside of Ladysmith. For our News From 72 series, Chuck Quirmbach went to Rusk County, to dig into one more controversy about the Flambeau Mine.

Listen to the segment in RealPlayer (4 min, 3 sec)

or click below to listen to an mp3 file

Wisconsin Public Radio, The costs and benefits of mining debated in Rusk County, December 28, 2010

(Note:  This legal action supersedes the action initiated in June 2009)

1. Press Release - January 18, 2011 – Lawsuit Filed to Stop Release of Toxic Metals at Wisconsin’s Flambeau Mine

2. Fact Sheet – January 18, 2011 – Summary of Clean Water Act Citizen Suit Against Flambeau Mining Company (for an updated July 2011 fact sheet, please click HERE)

3. Mine Schematic

4. Background Information on Flambeau Mine

5. Official Correspondence

Complaint by WRPC, the Center for Biological Diversity, and Laura Gauger to Kennecott’s Flambeau Mining Company for violations of the Federal Clean Water Act – January 18, 2011

• Entire Document

Response to WRPC Notice Letter, issued by Kennecott’s Flambeau Mining Company – December 30, 2010

• FMC Response

Notice Letter sent by WRPC, the Center for Biological Diversity, and Laura Gauger to Kennecott’s Flambeau Mining Company – November 16, 2010

• Entire Document

6. Scientific Reports that Form the Basis of WRPC’s Complaint

• Report on Groundwater and Surface Water Contamination at the Flambeau Mine, David M Chambers, Ph.D. and Kendra Zamzow, Ph.D., Center for Science in Public Participation, June 5, 2009
  • Groundwater Summary
  • Surface Water Summary
  • Entire Document

7. Contact Information:

• Attorney James Saul
• Attorney Marc Fink
• Attorney Dan Mensher
• Dr. David Chambers
• Dr. Al Gedicks
• Laura Gauger

1. Press Release

2. Mine Schematic and Pollution Graphs

• Mine Schematic
• Pollution within the Backfilled Mine Pit
• Pollution in Monitoring Well Between Backfilled Mine Pit and Flambeau River

3. Background Information on Flambeau Mine

Roscoe Churchill at the site of the Flambeau Mine

Minnesota Public Radio (Duluth, MN), November 17, 2009
http://minnesota.publicradio.org/display/web/2009/11/17/flambeau/ (November 17, 2009)

Keweenaw NOW
http://keweenawnow.blogspot.com/2009/08/protect-earth-2009-part-1.html (August 8, 2009)

The Mining Journal (Marquette, MI)
http://www.miningjournal.net/page/content.detail/id/530387.html (July 16, 2009)

Kennecott/FMC Press Release, July 15, 2009
http://www.flambeaumine.com/documents/news_releases/Flambeau_Mining_Vows%20Vigorous_Defense.pdf (July 15, 2009)

London Mining Network (London, U.K.)
http://londonminingnetwork.org/2009/06/rio-tinto-sued-for-pollution-at-best-practice-mine/ (June 30, 2009)

Ladysmith News – republished with permission from the Ladysmith News. (June 25, 2009)

Cleanrocks.org
http://ledzep.biz/aga/?tag=flambeau-mining (June 24, 2009)

Wisconsin State Journal (this is the official State newspaper).
http://www.madison.com/wsj (no longer available online)