mining

Battle's just beginning over proposed open pit iron ore mine

August 27, 2011 by Uppity Wisconsin

Gogebic Taconite spent about $115,000 in the last six months to lobby on behalf of its proposed open pit iron ore mine on the Penokee range in Ashland and Iron Counties.

State Sen. Bob Jauch (D-Poplar), who represents the area, says it was "a complete waste of money," according to this Ashland Current article by Bill Lueders.

Jauch argues that Gogebic and its hired allies “ended up alienating the public and confusing the Legislature,” by demanding too much on too short a timeline. He believes the company has “tainted the environment” for future progress, raising the hackles even of local officials who are supportive of the mine.

That may be true --to a point. The company wanted to shorten the approval process for a mine from several years to 300 days, eliminating a lot of environmental protection and citizen input in the process. Gogebic clearly overreached.