Newsletters 1994

November 21, 1994
November 15, 1994
September 6, 1994
May 16, 1994
March 17, 1994
February 14, 1994


November 21, 1994

Dear WRPC/WATER Network Member,

 While the Sokaogon Chippewa were unsuccessful in their attempt through the courts to stop Exxon's "test" drilling near sacred burial and village sites, that is not the end of the matter. While the tribe plans its next legal move, these burial and village sites need to be properly recognized. For this reason the Mole Lake mining impact committee has invited us to join them on Saturday, December 3, 1994 for a "Remembering Our Ancestors" gathering.  There will be feasts, talks, ceremonies from noon until nighttime (see enclosed flyer). For more information about the event, call Fred Ackley or Frances Van Zile at (715) 478-2604.

 In my last letter, I announced that on December 8,  the Natural Resources Board will consider our petitons to have the DNR ban metallic sulfide mining by rule. After that letter was sent out, the board changed the schedule. The board has put the issue on the agenda for their meeting on December 7, 1994, at 1:30pm, room #027 in the GEF II building (101 S. Webster St.)  in Madison. If you want to address the board you need to call Judy Scullion, N.R. board secretary at (608) 267-7420 to get on the schedule of appearances. Please plan to arrive at the GEF II plaza at noon for a rally before the meeting. The meeting that was originally planned for the evening of December 7 at Pres. House has been cancelled. If people can stay around for a short organizing meeting after the presentation to the board, we will announce where that meeting will be held at the rally.

  If you cannot show your support by attending this meeting, please write to the N.R. board members (listed below)  individually to alert them to the dangers of metallic sulfide mining. Write one letter and send copies of it to each individual. For some of the dangers of metallic sulfide mining, refer to the brochure you received in an earlier mailing, Questions and Answers About Exxon's Proposed Crandon Mole Lake Mine. Further information on the dangers is provided in my article on Mining Wars Revisited, Claim #3, included in the last mailing. 

The board members are: Herbert F. Behnke, Chair, Route 4, Box 68, Shawano, WI 54166
Trygve A. Solberg, Vice Chair, Box 50, Minocqua, WI 54548
Neal W. Schneider, Secretary, Box 71, Janesville, WI 53547-0071
Betty Jo Nelsen, 2640 E. Newton Ave. Shorewood, WI 53211
Mary Jane Nelson, W6432 Highway D, Holmen, WI 54636
James E. Tiefenthaler, Jr. 450 N. Sunny Slope Road, Suite 280, Brookfield, WI 53005
Stephen D. Willet, Box 89, Phillips, WI  54555

 If you haven't sent in your petitions to STOP SULFIDE METAL MINING, please do so as soon as possible. Send them to Rusk County Citizens Action Group (RCCAG), N 3386, County G, Ladysmith, WI 54848. Additionally, letters to the editor in support of the petition itself, can only help this effort. The timing of these letters to the board and to newspapers is critical. This will likely be our last chance to appear before the board to make a strong case for this petiton.  Stay tuned.

Sincerely,

Al Gedicks, Exec. Sec.


November 15, 1994

Dear WRPC/WATER Network Member,

 The bad news is that the Sokaogon Chippewa were unsuccessful in their attempts to stop Exxon's highly controversial pump testing near the Mole Lake reservation. The wells are designed to pump up to 150 gallons of water per minute for three to four weeks. The DNR originally said the company would need a wastewater discharge permit but then decided there would be no pollutants in the discharge and therefore did not require a permit. The good news is that there is now public speculation as to whether the wastewater discharge standards for the mine's operation may make the project unprofitable (see enclosed Antigo Daily Journal article).

 While the Sokaogon bid to halt the drilling may look like a failure, it nonetheless caught Exxon off guard and sent an important message to Houston: that this project is going to be challenged at every possible opportunity. We may not be successful in every challenge, but we are going to use each battle as a way to educate more people about the insanity of this proposal and come back even stronger the next time. On November 4, the Sinsinawa Dominican Sisters, along with six co-filers, submitted a shareholder resolution about the Crandon/Mole Lake mine that will be considered at Exxon's annual meeting in the spring of 1995. Last year the resolution received an unprecedented 6% of the vote. We hope to gather even more votes this time. 

 At the local level, Exxon's plans to have a "local agreement" signed by December 6, 1994 has been thwarted by a major educational campaign with the theme: "Why sign a contract before you have all the facts?  Becky Katers of Clean Water Action Council of N.E. Wisconsin sent out a brochure with this message to over 2000 property tax payers in the townships of Lincoln and Nashville. The Madison Mining Impact Coalition had their Boom or Bust brochure stuffed in both the Crandon and Antigo shoppers (circulation: 20,000). And the WATER campaign ran a series of newspaper and radio ads with the same message.

 On December 8, we will be asking the Natural Resources Board to act on our petitions to have the DNR ban metallic sulfide mining by rule. The night before,(at 7:00 pm) we will be meeting at the Pres. House lounge (731 State Street, Madison) to discuss where we are in our organizing efforts. Don't forget the fundraiser that the Mining Impact Coalition of Wisconsin is putting on Friday, November 18 in Milwaukee. The event is called the KIDS FOR CLEAN WATER "Water is Life" Fest and will be held at the Milwaukee County Zoo at the Zoofari Conference Center (9715 W. Blue Mound Road). Tickets are $10 per person. For more info. or to reserve tickets, call (414) 962-7487 or (608) 255-6643. In conjunction with the Fest, there will be a post-election mining strategy meeting a the Havenwoods Environmental Nature Center - 6141 North Hopkins (off Sherman Blvd. just north of Silver Spring Ave. in Milwaukee on Saturday, Nov. 19 at 9:30am. Stay tuned.

Sincerely, 

Al Gedicks, Exec. Sec.


September 6, 1994

Dear WRPC/ WATER Network Member,

 It's wild ricing season in northern Wisconsin and one of the largest, densest strands of long grain wild rice in the state is on the Mole Lake Sokaogon Chippewa Reservation. The Chippewa refer to it as manomin, or "gift from the creator".  If the Exxon/Rio Algom mine is allowed to proceed, the wild rice culture of the Sokaogon Chippewa will be destroyed. WRPC and the WATER Campaign have no intention of allowing this to happen, but we need to replenish our war chest to continue our organizing efforts. So please take a minute to write us a check for your annual membership dues ($15 regular membership; $5 student, senior citizen,, or limited income) and put it in the enclosed return envelope. 

 As you can see from the enclosed brochure, this is a critical point in the mine permitting process. Although Exxon has just started many of the technical studies that will be required by the DNR before a mine permit can be granted, there are already ongoing negotiations with both Lincoln and Nashville townships for a so-called "local agreement" that would provide local approval for the Crandon/Mole Lake mine project. All this is going on before all the studies on the social, economic and environmental effects of the project have been completed. If Exxon has its way, the local agreements will be "wrapped up" by December 1, 1994. Thanks to the efforts of local WRPC members, the Mining Impact Coalition of Dane County, the Clean Water Action Council, and the WATER Campaign, we are getting the word out to local people not to sign anything until they know all the facts.

 On August 18, the Rusk County Citizens Action Group and the WATER Campaign held a press conference at the State Capitol in Madison to announce the filing of a citizens petition to the DNR requesting a rule change that would ban sulfide metallic mining. Evelyn and Roscoe Churchill were able to find legal authority for the DNR to do so under its rule-making authority. A formal request will be made to the Natural Resources Board to act on this petition at their September 29 meeting in Madison. The WATER Campaign will hold a press conference at that time where we will show the extent of public support for this effort by the over 4000 signatures we have collected on the Stop Sulfide Metal Mining petitions. I have enclosed a copy of this petition and urge you to continue collecting signatures that could be added to the 4000 we already have.

 In all of these efforts, including the ones being planned for this fall, we hope to keep Exxon/Rio Algom on the defensive, continually responding to our initiatives as we reach new people with the basic information about metallic sulfide mining and the track records of these companies. Your membership contribution is critical to the success of these efforts. We're counting on your support.

Sincerely,
Al Gedicks, Exec. Sec.


May 16, 1994

Dear WRPC Member/WATER Network Member,

 The over 350 people who attended the DNR hearing on Exxon's notice of intent at the Nashville Town hall sent a powerful message to Exxon and the DNR: local residents, Indian Tribes and citizens from around the state do not want a large underground mine at the headwaters of the Wolf River. Exxon shareholders heard the same message at their annual meeting when Sister Toni Harris, along with  Sokaogon Chippewa tribal representatives Fred Ackley and Fran Van Zile asked Exxon for a report that would explain why there is so much resistance to the Crandon/Mole Lake project. Shareholders voted 49 million shares, or 6% of the vote, in favor of the resolution. This was double the support expressed for previous shareholder resolutions! Many thanks to the Sinsinawa Dominican Sisters and the other religious orders which co-sponsored the resolution. 

The enclosed editorial from The Milwaukee Journal echoes what many of us have been saying all along: what's good for Exxon is not necessarily good for Wisconsin. An even stronger editorial against the project appeared in a May 4 editorial from the Vilas County News-Review. Last Wednesday (May 11), Rep. Spencer Black and Senator Brian Burke, along with  43 organizations called for a special legislative session to take up the "bad actor" mining bill and the mining groundwater protection bill. Please call the Governor and ask for a special session to revisit the mining bills which didn't get a Senate vote. (608) 266-1212.  Also, call Bill Tans at the DNR to ask for additional Exxon hearings to be held in the Fox River Valley area and in Madison. (608) 266-3524.

 You may have heard about a so-called "Good Neighbor Plan" that would make the Exxon mine plan more acceptable to some local residents by shipping the ore out of state for processing. This is extremely short-sighted and simply dumps the toxic waste in someone else's backyard. The WATER campaign has formulated a statement of principle on metallic sulfide mining (enclosed) and are asking member groups and supporting groups to add their name to the list of those who endorsed the statement at the Ni-Win Intertribal Council meeting on April 23. Call me (608) 784-4399 to add your group's name to the list.

 Please note two important upcoming events: the June 4 Northern Waters Festival and Forum in Rhinelander (program enclosed) and the 5th Annual Protect Mother Earth Conference (Wed.-Sat. June 15-18) and 9th annual Protect the Earth Gathering (Sat.-Sun. June 18-19) at Mole Lake Sokaogon Chippewa Community (program enclosed). The events at Mole Lake will focus national and international attention on the Exxon Crandon/Mole Lake project as a direct assault on native culture and the environment. The Saturday afternoon "Wisconsin Review Commission" will listen to testimony from those affected by Exxon and Rio Algom's operations in Alaska, Ontario and Colombia, South America. Don't miss it.

Sincerely,

Al Gedicks, Exec. Sec.


March 17, 1994

Dear WRPC Member/ WATER Network Member,

 Over 400 people participated in our March 14 rally at the State Capitol. The representation from northern Wisconsin was particularly impressive. The rally made front page news in The Milwaukee Sentinel (see enclosed), The Wisconsin State Journal and The St. Paul Pioneer Press. Special thanks goes to the Midwest Treaty Network for their excellent planning for this rally.  Just in case Exxon executives in Houston may have missed it, I'm sending them a press packet with promises of more to come.

 Enclosed in this mailing you will find a copy of the Exxon brochure we will be using to educate the public about the specifics of this mine project. If you need extra copies of the brochure, please contact the Midwest Treaty Network at the address on the back of the brochure. 

 There are two important events coming up that you need to put on your calendars. The first is the April 11 meeting of the Wisconsin Conservation Congress. I am enclosing an information sheet put together by HONOR (Honor Our Neighbors Origins and Rights) which explains why it is important that we attend the spring hearings of the Congress and register our vote against weakening the Outstanding Resource Waters (ORW) standards to accomodate toxic dumping by the mining industry. These meetings will be held in each county of the state at 7:00pm on Monday, April 11. Check the backside of the information sheet for the location of the meeting in your county. Many of us turned out for this meeting last year and were able to pass resolutions calling for a mining moratorium and a comprehensive regional environmental impact statement. We need to keep the pressure up on these issues.

 The other major event is the DNR's informational hearing on Exxon's Notice of Intent to Collect Data (NOI) for its mining application at Crandon/Mole Lake. The hearing will be held on Saturday, April 23, 1994 from 1:00-5:00pm and 6:30-9:30pm at the Nashville Town Hall, located at the intersection of CTH B and State Highway 55, 4.5 miles south of Crandon. The purpose of the hearing is to receive public comments on the potential impacts of the project and the type of studies needed to evaluate those project impacts. During the afternoon session, the DNR will have its "open house" or cafeteria style hearing where individuals visit with "experts" from the DNR and ask questions, give oral comments, etc. During the evening session, speakers will have 5 minutes to address their neighbors and the DNR about their concerns. Written comments may be submitted by Friday, May 6, 1994 to: Larry Lynch, Bureau of Solid and Hazardous Waste Management,  Box 7921, Madison, WI 53707.  Questions about the hearing may be directed to Bill Tans (608)266-3524 in Madison,  or Archie Wilson in Rhinelander (715) 369-8915. Stay tuned.

Sincerely,

Al Gedicks, Exec. Sec.


February 14, 1994

Dear WRPC Member/WATER Network Member,

 Even before Exxon/Rio Algom filed its notice of intent to seek mining permits for the Crandon/Mole Lake mine last week, the Watershed Alliance to end environmental racism (WATER) had already announced a statewide emergency rally to stop the proposed mine. The rally is scheduled for Monday, March 14 at 12 noon at the State Capitol in Madison.  The rally will then proceed to the DNR (GEF II) building and end at the headquarters of the Wisconsin Manufacturers and Commerce Association.  Please feel free to duplicate the enclosed flyer and encourage others to mark their calendars for this historic rally.

 Although the Crandon/Mole Lake project is hardly off the ground, Exxon is already trying to suppress the controversial nature of the project from its own shareholders.  But without much succcess.  On January 31st the Securities and Exchange Commission ruled that Exxon could not exclude a controversial resolution from stockholder consideration.  The SEC announcement means that the Sinsinawa congregation of Dominican sisters will share their concerns with fellow shareholders at Exxon's stockholders' meeting in Dallas, Texas on April 27th. The resolution asks Exxon to prepare a report for the shareholders detailing the socioeconomic and environmental impact of its operations on native communities and to disclose local resistance to Exxon backed mining projects. "We are deeply concerned as investors and believe that other Exxon shareholders would want to know that certain factors may make our investments less than reliable," said Toni Harris, spokeswoman for the Sinsinawa community.

 The mining reform bills (Mining Bad Actor -AB 542 , Mining Groundwater Protection -AB 341, and Mining Right to Know - AB 732) are still bottled up in Senator Robert Cowles' Senate Environment and Energy Committee.  Since my last legislative action alert on this, the committee has met with representatives of the Wisc. Manufacturers and Commerce Assoc. and Exxon representatives.  Senator Cowles needs to hear from you as well.  Call (608) 266-0484 and register your support for getting these bills out of committee so that they can be voted on the Senate floor this session without any amendments.

 Finally, I am enclosing a petition to stop sulfide metal mining. Please reproduce and circulate these petitions wherever you can. Completed petitions should be mailed back to the Rusk County Citizens Action Group prior to March 14 (address at bottom of petition). Otherwise, please bring competed petitions to the rally on March 14. We need to impress the governor, the DNR and legislators with the depth of public opposition to these disastrous mining projects. See you on the 14th.

Sincerely,

Al Gedicks, Exec.Sec.



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