Newsletters 1998

October 9, 1998
August 17, 1998
June 1, 1998
January 5, 1998

October 9, 1998

Dear WRPC/WATER Network Member,

In a stunning setback for the proposed Crandon mine, the Town of Nashville cancelled the local agreement with Exxon/Rio Algom that is a legal precondition for any state mining permit. The town board, which had been elected  in a protest vote over the signing of a local agreement by the previous town board, had asked Rio Algom to renegotiate the agreement in light of the substantial changes to the original project description. When Rio Algom refused to renegotiate, the town board voted to scrap the local agreement (see enclosed article). 

If Rio Algom seeks to enforce the agreement through the courts the town will challenge the constitutionality of the local agreeement law, which gives mining companies rights that are not given anyone else to overturn local zoning authority. Glenn Stoddard, the town's attorney, who is part of Ed Garvey's law firm, has been providing pro bono work for the town's fight with Exxon/Rio Algom.

Please keep this in mind as the gubernatorial election approaches on November 3. The professional politicians and consultants keep saying that Ed Garvey can't beat Governor Tommy Thompson. These same politicians told us that the legislature would never pass the Churchill Mining Moratorium Bill. The politicians who get their advice from corporate lobbyists always underestimate the power of an aroused citizenry. They were wrong then and they're wrong about Garvey now. The grassroots coalition that guaranteed  passage of the moratorium bill can also mobilize enough votes to elect Ed Garvey. But we can't allow this constant refrain that Tommy can't be beat to discourage us from making an all out effort to get people out to the polls on November 3 on behalf of Ed Garvey.

In the meantime, the Wolf Watershed Educational Project is planning a statewide rally at the State Capitol in Madison on Saturday, October 17, at 1pm on the State Street steps, to renew the widespread opposition to Rio Algom's proposed Crandon mine (see flyer enclosed). Organizers intend the rally as a "wake-up call" to the public, that the Crandon mine proposal is still alive. Despite the passage of the Churchill Mining Moratorium Law, the mine permit process is still proceeding. The rally will demand that the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources halt the mine permitting and site testing process until Rio Algom's Nicolet Minerals Company can put forth one "example mine" that successfully meets the criteria of the Moratorium law.

"If the failure to find a single safe example would prevent the Crandon mine from receiving a permit in one or two years, why not save time and money by setting an earlier deadline?," said Zoltan Grossman, a co-founder of the WWEP and the Midwest Treaty Network. Hope to see you on October 17.

Sincerely, Al Gedicks, Exec. Sec.

August 17, 1998

Dear WRPC/WATER Network Member,

Despite an all out effort by mine supporters to recall Nashville town chairman Chuck Sleeter, voters defeated the effort by a 374-246 vote - a wider margin than Sleeter was elected by in the first place! The main issue in the recall election was mining, just as it was in the April 1997 election that threw out the old town board. As Chuck said, "If they don't get rid of me,they ain't going to have a mine and they know it." Congratulations to Chuck and all who worked so hard to get the vote out on June 30, especially on the Mole Lake reservation.

As the Madison Capital Times put it, "The town of Nashville vote sends a powerful signal that, like the vast majority of Wisconsinites, the people who supposedly would benefit most from the construction of the mine simply don't want it."  (editorial, 7/8/98).

Apparently Rio Algom didn't get the message. They're still proceeding with their permit application and talking about their "new plan" to deal with polluted wastewater from their Wolf River mine. As Jim Wise points out, this is just another round of public relations to cover up the embarrassing fact that their pseudo science has failed to convince anyone that their mine plan will work without destroying the fragile ecology of the Wolf River watershed (see enclosed editorial). On June 30, the DNR informed the company that they would have to submit no less than eight new or revised documents before a draft environmental impact statement can be written. This amounts to starting the entire permit process over again. So far the company has run up a $1.1 million tab that has not yet been paid, despite the DNR's request for payment.

In the meantime, the Mining Moratorium Coalition has asked the DNR to stop the permit process until the company meets the requirements of the new Churchill Mining Moratorium Law (see enclosed article). The new politicized DNR's response is that they cannot stop the permit process simply because the company can't show where they've mined without pollution. Rather than comply with the spirit of the law, the DNR is prepared to waste yet more time and money processing a permit that will not pass the requirements of the law.

We're not about to let up our pressure on either the DNR or Rio Algom but we need you to renew your annual membership in WRPC. Please use the enclosed envelope to mail in your WRPC membership renewal. Annual dues are $15 or $5 senior/low income. Please put your check in the mail today. And don't forget to vote in the gubernatorial primary on Tuesday, September 8. Ed Garvey has said if he's elected there'll be no Crandon mine. He's already offered his law firm to assist the Town of Nashville pro bono in challenging the local mining agreement. Stay tuned.

Sincerely,

Al Gedicks, Exec. Sec.

June 1, 1998

Dear WRPC/WATER Network Member,

All of our efforts over many years paid off in an impressive victory when Governor Thompson signed the Mining Moratorium Bill on Earth Day (April 22). While the legislation does not stop the proposed Crandon mine, it does establish some very tough standards that the industry will find difficult to meet. If the industry had a single example of a non-polluting metallic sulfide mine in the U.S. or Canada that would meet the standards contained in the Mining Moratoriu Bill you know we would have heard about it from the mining company lobbyists during the legislative debate on the bill.

Even more important than the bill itself is the unprecedented grassroots alliance of environmentalists, Native American nations, sportfishing groups, trade unionists, students and others who demonstrated that there is tremendous power in unity. Don't think for one second that the nation's largest oil company pulled out of the Crandon project for "overall business considerations." Exxon spent well over a million dollars in lobbying and advertising to prevent passage of the Mining Moratorium Bill. When they realized that all their money could not stop the movement against the mine they pulled out, just like they did in 1986. They sold their 50% share in the project to Rio Algom so it wouldn't look like what it was - a resounding defeat at the hands of a grassroots insurgency against corporate and state power (see Brian Lavendel's article enclosed).

WRPC members should take great pride in this victory because it was WRPC's founders - Roscoe and the late Evelyn Churchill, who first came up with the idea of a mining moratorium. Laura Furtman has suggested that in honor of Evelyn and Roscoe Churchill, we ask Governor Thompson to declare that Senate Bill 3 be named the "Churchill Mining Moratorium." He's taken time to honor other heroes in the state. Why not give respect to two people who have truly made a difference in protecting Wisconsin's water?  Call the Governor at 1-608-266-1212 or write him at Room 115 East, State Capitol, Madison, WI 53702.

While the moratorium is a significant victory, we cannot let up on our efforts. The DNR has yet to write the rules to implement the legislation. This is the same DNR that lobbied against the bill and that recently showed its pro-mining bias in a brochure called "Misconceptions About Mining in Wisconsin."  To counter this one-sided view, the folks at POWR (Protect Our Wisconsin River) put together a brochure which points out the misconceptions about mining promoted by the DNR and the mining companies (see enclosed). Finally, please take note that mine supporters in the Town of Nashville have gathered enough signatures to force a recall election directed at town chairman Chuck Sleeter. The recall election is set for June 30. It is critical that everyone concerned about Rio Algom's proposed mine get out to vote to keep Chuck Sleeter in office. For more information about the election, call the Forest County WRPC chapter at 715-478-2384. Stay tuned.

Sincerely,  Al Gedicks, Exec. Sec.

January 5, 1998

Dear WRPC/WATER Network Member,

Thanks to the grassroots work of people from all around the state the Mining Moratorium Bill, Senate Bill 3, is now headed for a vote before the full state Assembly in mid-January. As Rep. Spencer Black notes in the enclosed article, we won an important victory on November 11 when the bill was approved by the Assembly Environment Committee on a vote of 6-4.

You can be sure that Rep. Marc Duff  will be trying to add amendments to the bill which will water it down to the satisfaction of the lobbyists from Exxon and the Wisconsin Manufacturers and Commerce.  To counteract this end-run around the bill, it is extremely important for everyone to call their Assembly representative and tell them to PASS SB 3 WITH NO AMENDMENTS!  I am enclosing a list of Assembly representatives with their toll free 888 numbers for your convenience. Please take a minute to call your representative before the bill comes to the Assembly floor in mid-January.

While mining lobbyists were busy at the State Capitol, Exxon officials were also busy trying to do an end run around citizen opposition to Exxon's wastewater pipeline to the Wisconsin River in Oneida County. On November 11, the Oneida County Board endorsed the wastewater pipeline and repealed the county's moratorium on entering into discussions with Exxon about a local agreement until the final Environmental Impact Statement on the project was completed. Melanie Kirsch, executive director of the Northwoods Alliance objected to the way in which the resolutions were pushed through without any opportunity for public comment on the resolutions. Ms. Kirsch also filed a complaint with the Oneida County District Attorney, charging that the prior approval of the resolutions by board members constituted a violation of the state's open meeting law (see enclosed article). As of this date, the D.A. has refused to file charges and citizens are asking the Attorney General for an investigation of the charges. 

The actions of the Oneida County Board are reminiscent of how the will of local citizens was ignored when the town of Nashville entered into a local agreeement with Exxon in December 1996. Nashville voters subsequently threw out 4 out of the 5 town board members who signed the local agreement. The Forest County chapter of WRPC has an ongoing lawsuit against the local agreement which was negotiated in closed door sessions in violation of the state's open meeting law. This just emphasizes the fact that the first casualty when multinational mining corporations move into a community is not the water supply but democracy itself (see Jane Anne Morris's article enclosed).

Thanks to all who responded to our fall membership renewal drive. If you haven't yet sent in your renewal, please do it now. We need all the help we can get to preserve our clean water and our democracy from those who would despoil both.

Sincerely, Al Gedicks, Exec. Sec.