WRPC website address: http://www.wrpc.net/index.html

March 24, 2003

Dear WRPC/WATER Network Member,

Reports of the death of the Crandon mine project have been greatly exaggerated. While BHP Billiton has closed the Nicolet Minerals Company offices in Crandon and put the property up for sale, they have not withdrawn their mine permit application. Both the Wisconsin DNR and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (COE) continue with their mine permit evaluation. The best estimate of when the DNR will release a draft environmental impact statement (EIS) is September 2003. The COE could release a Preliminary Draft EIS as early as June 2003. 

Governor Doyle's preoccupation with the state budget deficit has meant that little progress has been made on the public acquisition of the mine site. Meanwhile, zinc prices remain depressed and the average return on capital in the lead-zinc industry is in negative territory, compared with the average for all base metal producers, at +8% (Northern Miner, 2/24/03). The latest industry ranking of the most favorable investment climates for mining  has Wisconsin ranked at the bottom with the lowest overall score (see enclosed article from Engineering and Mining Journal). This is a major tribute to the hard work of the Wolf Watershed Educational Project, the Wisconsin Stewardship Network and all the groups, tribes, and organizations that have been active in protecting Wisconsin's envrionment from the ravages of metallic sulfide mining.

The bill to ban the use of cyanide in mining is called Assembly Bill 91 and it is now in the Assembly Natural Resources Committee, chaired by Rep. Du Wayne Johnsrud (R-96th, Eastman). Please contact Johnsrud to respectfully ask him for a public hearing and committee vote on the mining bills. Tel. (608) 266-3534 (fax 608 282-3696); toll free 1-888-534-0096;  P.O. Box 8952, Madison, WI 53708;  E-mail  Rep.Johnsrud@legis.state.wi.us. With legislaive attention on the budget and the attack on the Governor's negotiation on tribal gaming compacts, progress on the bills has been slow. The no special treatment for mining bill will also be introduced very soon.  For background on the cyanide bill and what to write, see the information and the many links at www.alphacdc.com/treaty/cyanide.html  For updates, www.treatyland.com and www.wrpc.net

As always, WRPC depends on your continued support to stay involved in this mine battle. If there is no date next to your name on the mailing label, it means we haven't received a contribution from you for some time. Please use the enclosed envelope to mail in your annual membership ($15 regular or $5 senior/low income). Thank you and stay tuned.

Sincerely,

Al Gedicks, Exec. Sec. 
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