mining

I am trying to work while listening to the debate on the mining bill in Madison (or, as I like to think of it, the Lawyer Full Employment Bill). A procession of substitute bills have been proposed by the Democrats in the assembly, all to be tabled by a party-line vote. This sham "job-creation" bill is going to pass on schedule around 6:30 today. I would like to remind all of you that this bill is not just about the proposed iron mine in Northern Wisconsin, but puts the foot in the door for environmental degredation throughout our state. It sets terrible precedents of setting the rights of businesses above the rights of taxpayers and our children.

The funny thing about living in the Republic of Fitzwalkerstan is that nothing ever goes away. Had the mining bill last year, and we thought it was dead, but apparently we needed to put a stake through its heart. Last year the League of Conservation Voters produced an ad that we need to watch again.  Oh -- and we need to call our legislators again.  Plus Ca Change.

This may be a little distracted.  I am following the mining hearing in Madison on Wiseye, and at the same time trying to keep a little bit of an eye on the Bengazi testimony, and write this at the same time.

The mining hearing is quite a drama.   You really should watch if you're not there.  This is one of the better reality shows I've seen, and carries a lot of real tension. It's a case study in how to railroad a hearing. Let's just say it's pretty clear that the chairs have their favorites in the crowd, and that the clock seems to be more than a little capricious. 

Anyway -- what can you do?

If you are not in Madison testifying today at the hearing, you can email your comments on the bill to the chairs of the committee:  Representative Mary Williams at Rep [dot] WilliamsMlegis [dot] wisconsin [dot] gov and Senator Tom Tiffany at Sen [dot] Tiffanylegis [dot] wi [dot] gov.  Please make sure you ask that your comments be made part of the testimony on the bill.  You must do this by 9 PM today to have it included!

As we say good-bye to 2012, it’s good to reflect on the old year and the opportunities and challenges in the New Year.

Looking back, 2012 was the Year of the Mine.

The overwhelming reason constituents contacted me was to express thoughts about mining. Almost half of all contacts I received were related to mining.

This article orginally appeared on the web site Contested Landscapes

A controversial issue such as frac sand mining is commonly seen as something "under debate," with at least two sides facing off and the truth lying somewhere in the middle. However, the two sides often talk past each other. In fact, I would even go so far as to suggest that at least two very different conversations are taking place (if not more). Each conversation represents a unique set of taken-for-granted assumptions and values, a conceptual or normative "framework" through which people view the world.

One such normative framework was on display at the Conference on Silica Sand Resources of Minnesota and Wisconsin. I'll call this framework, which is represented by the frac sand industry and its supporters, the resource exploitation framework. Held October 1-3 at the Earle Brown Heritage Center, Brooklyn Park, MN, the conference was organized by the Precambrian Research Center of the University of Minnesota-Duluth and the Society for Mining, Metallurgy, and Exploration, and sponsored by dozens of private corporations that operate in the mining and energy sectors. The first evening featured a keynote presentation by a retired ConocoPhillips executive, and a series of technical sessions were held the second day, attended by several hundred people. The third day was a regional tour of silica sand deposits, active mines, and other infrastructure. I attended the technical sessions on Day 2.

“We understand the land’s going to be raped, and that’s called mining. But we didn’t know we’d get raped too. And that’s called the Assembly bill. I’m pro-mine but I’m not this pro-mine.” -- Mellen Mayor Joe Barabe, who still hopes for a compromise.