I recently visited the proposed Bend mining site. If it is mined, it could cover a 12 square mile area. I went there via the Yellow River Road. I saw a pink ribbon marking the proposed mine site. The ribbon is very close to the Yellow River and is in the Chequamegon National Forest. The Yellow River flows through some of the county board members jurisdictions. It also flows through Gilman. The mining industry recognizes that a ‘sacrifice zone’ is a necessary part of their operations. A ‘Sacrifice Zone’ is an area devoid of life.
In a sulfide mine the ore turns into sulfuric acid when it is exposed to air and water. In 1997 the Wisconsin Legislature passed a mining moratorium law, the ‘Prove it First’ law. Before any mine could be approved the mining company had to show two mines that had operated for 10 years without polluting, and had been closed for 10 years without polluting. It passed with a bipartisan vote of 29-3 in the Senate, and 91-6 in the Assembly. It took effect in 1998.
In 2017, after years of the mining industry failing to prove that sulfide mining was safe, the Walker Administration repealed the 1998, ‘Prove it First’ moratorium against sulfide mining. The Walker administration had already defunded the WDNR and removed the environmental protections for wetlands and replaced them with protections aimed at parking lots and strip malls. They also fast tracked the approval of sulfide mining operations by removing contested case hearings before permit decisions are made.
In 2021 the Minnesota Legislature introduced their own ‘Prove it First’ law. It requires that mining companies must give examples of a mine that had operated ten years without polluting and had no pollution for ten years after the mine closed. To this day there are no mines that meet that requirement. Any mine that is an example of a safely operated and closed mine cannot be a mine from Minnesota. The reason is that the Minnesota Legislature does not want an experimental ‘Sacrifice Zone’ in the State of Minnesota. The experimental ‘Sacrifice Zone’ must be from somewhere else. A ‘Sacrifice Zone’ is the area devoid of life because of the mining. ‘Sacrifice zones and Ghost Towns’ are an accepted part of the mining industry.
Mining Companies know they cannot operate without polluting. They believe the minerals they provide for ‘society’ are so important that ‘Sacrifice Zones’ are accepted as part of the industry. They will abide by the permit they are given. If the permit allows mining, they will mine. If the permit doesn’t require an irrevocable trust for long term contingencies, they may not have one. (The Walker Administration removed the ‘Irrevocable Trust’ requirement from the permit requirements.) If there are long term contingencies, then who will pay for them?
There is a website from Oneida County about sulfide mining, it is: occwa.org. It contains information on the Flambeau Mine. It mentions a Stream ‘C’ that flows into the Flambeau River. Stream ‘C’ is on the EPA’s Impaired Waters list. It is devoid of all life. We don’t know how that affects the Flambeau River, because there are no samples taken from the Flambeau River downstream of the mine site. Could the Yellow River become another stream ‘C’? The mining company will abide by the permit. But the permit is lacking the former protections Taylor County once enjoyed. The Bend mine already has conditional WDNR approval. Getting WDNR approval to mine should not be a problem because the mining company has submitted how they will operate the mine. The United States Forest Service has already granted conditional approval to the mining company.
The Taylor County Board has a great responsibility. According to the Taylor County Code, Chapter 47, the Taylor County Board has final approval, Contact your Taylor County Board Member. They are the ones who will decide the fate of the Yellow River, the Chequamegon, and perhaps Gilman, for thousands of years, if a permit is granted. Remember, ‘Sacrifice Zones and Ghost Towns’ are acceptable to the mining industry. This is because what the mine will provide to ‘society’ far outweighs the damage done to an insignificant small community. Ask your Taylor County Board member to vote ‘no’ on the Bend Mine.
Richard Pulcher
Richard Pulcher, a longtime resident of Lublin, WI since 1990, is an Augustana College alumnus with a B.A. in Economics. He is deeply involved in his local church and community, driven by a steadfast passion for fostering positive change and development in his local area. Richard's insights reflect his commitment to community enhancement and his rich experiences in Lublin.
