Northern Wisconsin officials unite in defense of water

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By Rebecca Kemble and Barbara With
Posted Feb. 21, 2013, on the Wisconsin Citizens Media Cooperative Web site.

MADISON, WIS. -- In a strong statement of unity, elected officials from Ashland and Bayfield Counties traveled to Madison for the Superior Days lobbying effort and a press conference concerning the new mining bill being rushed through the legislature next week.

Elected officials from Northern Wisconsin hold a press conference at the Capitol in Madison on Thursday, Feb. 21, 2013. (Photo © and courtesy Rebecca Kemble. Reprinted with permission.)

Bayfield Mayor Larry McDonald stood up for the water saying, "I am not against mining. I am against anything that will damage Lake Superior. AB1/SB1 is designed to pollute the water."

Washburn, Wis. Mayor Scott Griffiths speaks against the potential Wisconsin mining bill, AB1/SB1, during the Superior Days lobbying effort in Madison earlier this week. (Photo © and courtesy Rebecca Kemble. Reprinted with permission.)

Washburn Mayor Scott Griffiths stressed that the bill will affect more than just northern Wisconsin and the Penokee Hills.

"This legislation, if passed, sets a dangerous precedent," he said. "It demonstrates that an out-of-state company can come in and set the rules to maximize their profits and minimize their liabilities."

Griffiths noted the reason for the rush through the legislature: "The more legislators learn about this particular piece of legislation and the consequences of the bill, the more resistance there is to pass it."...Read the rest of this article on the Wisconsin Citizens Media Cooperative Web site.