2002 Jan.- Apr. : Past Meetings and Events in Brief |
From: Channa Camins cbcamins@students.wisc.edu
12:30- MARCH UP PARK STREET TO THE STATE CAPITOL
We are meeting at Brittingham Park on the corner or W. Washington and Park St. at 12:30 pm and then marching done Park St. to Library Mall and then up State St. to the Capitol. The speakers, performances, music will begin at 2:00 pm at the Capitol.WHY IS THIS IMPORTANT?
* Wisconsin currently incarcerates black men and women at a rate higher than any other state. Money for our schools is being funnelled for these privatized prisons.
* The rates of women of color being imprisoned is increasing 8 times faster than that of men of color.
* Madison police currently have an instituted policy allowing them to stop any passerby for "loitering". Police attention is overwhelmingly focused on people of color.
* Remember Rene Campos-- He was a UW-Madison Chicano student who was found dead in a jail cell with a t-shirt stuffed down his throat and bruises along his head and throat. Madison police still claim it was a suicide.
* Since the tragedy of 9-11, dozens of Arabs have been "dissapeared" in the United States. Their families and lawyers have recieved no word as to their whereabouts or if they are even alive.
We need your help!! Please spread the word about the rally, and help to poster and/pass fliers out/tell the community. Any amount of time you have is useful - even if its just an hour to hang up fliers.
Please contact us at act427@hotmail.com, if you have any questions.
My name is Michael Greene. I'm a student in the Environmental Studies program and a member of the Student Environmental Action Coalition at UW-Oshkosh. We are sponsoring a film showing & presentation on the Crandon mine issue by Dr. Al Gedicks on our campus as part of our Earth Week activities on Thursday April 25th in the Reeve Union Theatre at 6:30 PM. We'd like to cordially invite any of your members to attend...the more the merrier. Hope to see you...& if you have any questions please feel free to contact us.
Peace, Michael Greene
SEAC-University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh
greenm78@vaxa.cis.uwosh.edu
The Madison Treaty Rights Support Group will meet on Wednesday, April 24 at 7 pm in Catacombs (Pres House basement at 731 State St.). We'll discuss the history of the group and the Crandon mine fight, how we can help with the Indigenous Mining Summit at Mole Lake, and other upcoming events.
for more info: OPPOSE the Yucca Mountain Nuclear Waste Dump
From: "Nukewatch" nukewatch@lakeland.ws
ADDRESSES BELOWDear Friends,
The Energy Department's plant to dump high level nuclear waste at Yucca Mountain endangers communities all over the country, not just in Nevada. The attached information sheet is a quick look at some of the major problems with the plant. The plant would mean 100,000 rail and truck shipments across 43 states, and the DOE itself says that as many as 10 crashes will occur every year for 25 years
The chances for a terrorist attack against a shipment also increase with each transport. As U.S. Rep. Ed Markey said Tuesday, Apr. 16, "If this scheme goes ahead, then every day can be September 11."
(In addition, Yucca Mountain is on territory of the Western Shoshone Nation, under the 1863 Treaty of Ruby Valley. See http://www.shundahai.org/yucca_mt.html and http://www.alphacdc.com/wsdp and http://www.shundahai.org/wsdp_action_alert_0801.htm )
You can let the Senator Feingold know he should vote against the Yucca project, and simultaneously get your views aired by the local press. It's a two-for-one chance, since the press always covers the Senator’s "Listening Sessions" across the state.
LISTENING SESSIONS
Please attend one of the Senators' Listening Sessions being held soon in Wisconsin. Ask him to vote against Yucca -- and against the current energy bill which is a bail out for the nuclear industry.
Senator Feingold will hold sessions:
1) Monday, April 22, Earth Day at 9:15 a.m., in the Beaver Dam Community Library, 311 N Spring St., Beaver Dam, WI; and2) Monday, April 22 at the Council Chambers in Germantown Village Hall, N 112 W 17001 Mequon Road, in Germantown.
Please use the attached information to urge Senators Feingold and Kohl to stop the Yucca Mountain nuclear waste plan.
If you’re unable to attend the listening sessions, please write or Email and let the Senators know you want him to vote against the Yucca plan. (It's best to address letters to the District Offices, as the anthrax mail scare now causes long delays in the delivery of mail to Washington offices.)
Thanks for your help.
|
Sincerely, John LaForge For Nukewatch
|
Phone (715) 472-4185
|
The upcoming Native American Film Evening features an Oneida film-maker, Michelle Danforth. The film festival is co-sponsored by the Oneida Nation Arts Advisory Board.
The film festival will be held at the Neville Public Museum, Green Bay, WI, in their auditorium Wednesday April 17 beginning at 7:00pm.
The 2002 American Indian Film Festival is entitled Voices of American Indian Struggle and Survival in Film and focuses on both the oral histories and the continued efforts of tribal people to assert individual and tribal sovereignty in the new millennium.
The first film, released in 2001, entitled "In the Light of Reverence" explores American Indian land claims and religious freedom from a Native perspective. This film has won national and international acclaim.
The second film featured in the Film Festival entitled, "She Who Walks," was produced and directed by local film maker and Oneida Nation member Michelle Danforth. Danforth's film was made in the oral tradition of her people and documents the lives and struggles of two tribal Elders, her Grandmother Nancy Danforth Elm and Maria Christjohn Hinton (one of the remaining fluent speakers of the Oneida language). Danforth will be debuting her film at the Film Festival this year and will hold a discussion of the film with the audience after it is shown.
For more info:
David CourySponsors:
Asst. Professor, German and Humanistic Studies
Director, Green Bay Film Society
920-465-2097 couryd@uwgb.eduUniversity of Wisconsin-Green Bay (through a Diversity Council grant)
American Indian Studies Program at UWGB
Neville Public Museum of Brown County
Oneida Nation Arts Advisory Board
Green Bay Film Society
Sandra Berg, President, Sandra Berg Communications
6:30 p.m.
Nancy Bieraugle, Concerned Citizens of Hudson, St. Croix County Board member
Patty Bigboy, Assistant Director, Bad River Casino, Bad River Tribal member
Jeff Crone, Tribal Council Member, Lac Courte Oreilles
Rev. Tom Grey, Executive Director, National Coalition Against Legalized Gambling
Troy Swallow, President, Ho-Chunk Nation
Great Hall, Memorial Student CenterThis event is free and open to the public. There are panelists representing both sides of this issue. The forum will run from 6:30-8:00pm and a reception will be held from 8:00-8:30pm. Each speaker will have 10 minutes to state their position on the issue followed by 20 minutes of general discussion by the panelists. There will be a break then about 25 minutes of questions from the audience. There will be a table for any literature the panelists would like to distribute.
To the Madison Indian Community and its supporters,
This weekend, the Sweet Sixteen NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament comes to Madison on the Road the Final Four. Home to the Midwest Regional, UW-Madison's Kohl Center will host two games on Friday and the regional's championship on Sunday.
One of the teams, the University of Illinois Fighting Illini, uses a derogatory Indian mascot, Chief Illiniwek to represent its sports team. Subject to years of protest, the University of Illinois is considering abandoning this demeaning caricature, but still faces tremendous alumni and community support in keeping Chief Illiniwek. Many Indian communities and organizations have denounced this mascot, pointing out the harmful effects of using racist logos in institutions of higher education. The image of Chief Illiniwek has been used on everything from t-shirts to toilet paper.
Please come join us to protest the continuing misrepresentation of Native peoples at this Friday's game. Please bring banners, signs, and friends to the Kohl Center before this Friday's evenings game.
Sincerely,
Ned Blackhawk
Assistant Professor of History and American Indian Studies
University of Wisconsin-Madison
ncblackhawk@facstaff.wisc.eduinformation links:
- Anti-"Chief" Homepage http://www.prairienet.org/prc/prcanti.html
- "Say No to Chief Illinewek" petition http://www.prairienet.org/prc/prcanti.html
- Hostile Environment at UI-Urbana/Champaign http://www.csulb.edu/~wwinnesh/hostile.html
- UW-Madison Policy on Native American Mascots http://chronicle.com/colloquy/2001/logo/20.htm http://nativenet.uthscsa.edu/archive/nl/9309/0109.html
- Midwest Treaty Network -- Indians are People not Mascots http://www.alphacdc.com/treaty/nomascot.html
- WIEA "Indian" Mascot and Logo Taskforce http://pages.prodigy.net/munson
- The Mascot Issue http://www.nativeculture.com/lisamitten/mascots.html
ttp://www.ashlandwi.com/placed/index.php?story_id=100791
Native American Awareness Week is March 18-23, and several celebratory activities are planned at Northland College. These free, public events are a chance to experience Native American culture, learn new skills, or just have a good time recognizing the return of spring.
During March 18-20, events such as a talking circle concerning Pow Wow etiquette, an arts and crafts night, and a story-telling night where the elders try to outshine each other with the best story, are taking place.
Former vice-president candidate and renowned environmental activist Winona LaDuke from the White Earth Reservation in Minnesota will speak about activist and the role individuals play in such efforts on Thursday. This convocation is open to the public and will be held in the Kendrigan Gymnasium at 10:30 a.m. on March 21.
On Friday, March 22, Al Gedicks, author of the recently published book, "Resource Rebels," will speak at 6 p.m. in the Sentry room of the Sigurd Olson Environmental Institute.
The week's activities culminate on Saturday, March 23, with the 28th annual Native American Awareness Week Pow Wow and Feast, held in the Kendrigan Gymnasium. Grand entries are scheduled to begin at 1 p.m. and 7 p.m. The annual feast will be held at 5 p.m. Traders, craftsmen, and artisans will begin selling their wares at 9 a.m. There will also be dances at this year's Pow-wow honoring retiring Northland College President Bob Parsonage and President-elect Karen Halbersleben, both of whom will be in attendance at the 7 p.m. grand entry.
All events are free and open to the public. Native American Awareness Week is sponsored by the Native American Studies department, the Native American Student Association, and the Northland College Student Association. For more information, contact Joe Rose at 715-682-1204, or Connie Burditt at 715-682-1240.
* The March 30 WWEP meeting in Stevens Point has been moved from the UWSP University Center to the Schmeekle Reserve Visitors' Center.
THE WOLF WATERSHED EDUCATIONAL PROJECT will have its monthly meeting on SATURDAY, MARCH 30, from 10 am - 3 pm, in STEVENS POINT in the Schmeeckle Reserve Visitors' Center. Thanks to the Progressive Action Organization for hosting the meeting. From I-39/51, take the Business 51 exit for the UW-Stevens Point campus. (From the south, this is the last Stevens Point exit, from the north, it's the first exit. ) To go to Schmeeckle Reserve from Business 51, turn east at the stoplight onto North Point Drive. The reserve visitor's center is about 3/4 of a mile on the south (right) side of the road.
From the east or west on Hwy 10, turn north when you reach Division Street (Bus.51). Go about one mile until you reach a stoplight intersection with North Point Drive. Turn east (right). Go about 3/4 of a mile until you reach the Schmeeckle reserve visitor's center which is on the right (south) side of the road.
From the University Center, take Portage St. back to Division St. (Business 51). Turn north (right) onto Division. Take a right at the stoplight onto North Point Drive. The Reserve is on your right.
For info: log on to http://www.nocrandonmine.com, or write Wolf Watershed Educational Project, P.O. Box 1045, Eau Claire, WI 54702 New Tel. & Fax: (715) 833-8552; E-mail mtn@igc.org; Hotline 800-445-8615
On Friday morning March 8th at 7-8 am on the Wisconsin Public Radio ideas network, Tom Clark will interview DAVE BLOUIN of the Mining Impact Coalition, about the two mining bills in the Assembly Environmental Committee. They will discuss SB-160 (to ban cyanide in mining) and SB-271 (to end special treatment for the mining industry).
Please call in with questions toll-free to 1-800-642-1234 (or a local call in Madison or Milwaukee to 263-1890). Call EARLY in the show before the phone lines are full. Please pass this on to northerners who do not have e-mail !!!
NOTE:" If you miss Tom's 8-9am program each day -- you can catch the repeat of that hour between 8-9pm each weekday evening."
For ideas on questions, log on the Wisconsin Campaign to Ban Cyanide in Mining at www.alphacdc.com/treaty/cyanide.html and the Talking Points on Cyanide at www.alphacdc.com/treaty/points.html
In the meantime, please call Assembly Speaker Scott Jensen toll-free
at 1-888-529-0032, asking that both mining bills be immediately brought
to a committee vote. Call your Assembly Rep. at 1-800-387-0548 with
the same message.
For background on mining, log on http://www.treatyland.com or http://www.nocrandonmine.com
NOON RALLY and CITIZENS' LOBBY DAY ON MINING BILLS Tuesday, March 5 at 12 noon, at the King St. entrance of the Capitol, by the statue of the Norwegian abolitionist. (Another rally for concealed weapons will be happening at the State St. entrance).
Governor McCallum has scheduled his "State of the State" address for Tuesday evening, so the Assembly has cancelled its floor session for the day. There will therefore not be a March 5 vote on the bills to ban cyanide in mining and end special treatment for the mining industry. It is not clear when the votes will be rescheduled, but they will happen within a week after Tuesday, and perhaps not at a convenient hour.
The Tuesday noon rally WILL STILL BE HELD, followed by a CITIZENS' LOBBY DAY on the two mining bills. The postponement of the vote actually gives us time to put more pressure on the Assembly Environment Committee members to hold a vote on the bills. Three Republican Reps wrote the letter below, also asking for a Committee vote.
The CITIZENS' LOBBY DAY will give us more of a voice in the process than simply attending the floor vote. We will schedule meetings with Committee members. Please also make a morning or afternoon appointment with your own Assembly Rep. (who will be in the building despite the floor session cancellation). We will not simply follow the legislators' agenda or schedule; we are asking them to follow our agenda.
SEE YOU TUESDAY!
Also at the same time, there will (coincidentally) be a display in the Capitol Rotunda on hazardous materials, and HazMat trucks will be parked across the street from our rally.
Please bring signs, etc. for the rally (Print off poster , .pdf version ). No signs with sticks will be allowed in the Capitol. All bags are now searched at the entrance.
• There will be a bus to Madison from Shawano on March 5 - anyone wanting to join us should call (715) 526-3426 by Thursday at the latest. The bus will leave Shawano 8 am - leave Madison 5 pm or sooner, depending on time of vote. The cost will be about $15 - less if more people get on board.Judy and Len Pubanz
Protect Our Wolf River (POW'R), Shawano
(715) 526-3426 pubanzonwolf@webtv.netFor updates call toll-free 800-445-8615 or log on the Wisconsin Campaign to Ban Cyanide in Mining: http://www.alphacdc.com/treaty/cyanide.html * Again, the Environment Committee will have a hearing on the No Special Treatment Bill for this TUESDAY, FEB. 19, 11 am in the North Hearing Room (2nd floor), but without a committee vote and without any hearing so far on the cyanide bill.
* Please make two calls TODAY to request a hearing and vote on BOTH mining bills! (They both passed the Senate 19 to 14.) First call your own Rep. toll-free 800-387-0548. Then deliver the same message to Assembly Speaker Scott Jensen toll-free at 888-529-0032.
Fox Valley Assembly Republicans Request Vote on Mining Bill
Underheim Joins Authors McCormick, Krawczyk in Making Plea for Prompt Committee Action
February 28, 2002
For more information contact:
Rep. Terri McCormick (888) 534-0056
Rep. Judy Krawczyk (888) 534-0088
Rep. Gregg Underheim (888) 534-0054
http://wispolitics.com/freeser/pr/pr0202/Feb28/pr02022806.htmlMadison. An Assembly bill that will both protect the surrounding environment and allow for safe and effective mining is in line to receive a vote in the Environment Committee after a group of Fox River Valley Assembly Representatives formally requested action this week.
"We decided the most expeditious way to move this bill forward is to send a written request to the committee chairman, asking that he schedule it for a vote," said Underheim. "Our spring floor session is winding down and it's imperative we allow the full Assembly to vote on this important piece of bipartisan environmental legislation."
As written, 2001 Assembly Bill (AB) 547 requires all mining waste to be treated the same as other waste is. The mining waste would be subjected to chemical testing with a disposal facility designed and constructed based on the amount of waste generated. The DNR would also be barred from granting any exemptions or modifications to the new mining waste rules.
"Wisconsin's current mining laws won't adequately protect the water and the land surrounding new mines, like the one proposed in Crandon," said Representative Terri McCormick (R-Grand Chute), the bills author. "AB547 isn't meant to halt all mining operations in Wisconsin, it will just force mining companies to adhere to the same environmental standards other industries must."
Many of the chemicals used in mining would be considered hazardous, and the bill would characterize the waste generated by these chemicals as hazardous. Currently, mining facilities enjoy an exemption from the state's groundwater quality standards that other companies don't. AB 547 eliminates those exemptions.
"Understandably, bills that revise the state's mining rules and codes are controversial in nature, but if we want to ensure future mines don't harm the environment, we need to get this bill a committee vote and then push it to become law," said Representative Judy Krawczyk (R-Green Bay), the Assembly's lead co-author.
Just last week, the Assembly's Environment Committee held a lengthy public hearing on the bipartisan bill, with favorable testimony being offered by people from various regions and professions as well as legislators from both parties.
MINING ALERT
No committee or floor vote has been scheduled by Assembly Republican leaders on AB 547. AB 547 would eliminate mining loopholes and exemptions from environmental laws.
Letters to the editor (or opinion columns) re: mining are needed ASAP, especially to Appleton, Green Bay, Oshkosh and Milwaukee papers. The letters should point out that no committee or floor vote has been scheduled by Assembly Republican leaders on AB 547. Also that the Assembly has refused to even schedule a hearing on the cyanide ban. The letters could urge people to contact their legislators to insist on votes. The idea is to continue pressure on legislators from constituents, especially on Fox Valley legislators.
AB 547 would eliminate mining loopholes and exemptions from environmental laws. It would repeal the current exemption for mining waste from hazardous waste laws. It would also require mining permits to be based on the same groundwater standards that they will be required to live with once they are operating. Currently, the decision to grant mining permits are based on groundwater pollution levels 1,200 feet away from mines and tailing dumps, even though they are required to meet those standards at 150 feet once they are operating. The disparity means that it is likely that mines will get variances from the 150' standard once they are operating - meaning they will be allowed to pollute more than any other waste facilities in the state, even at the headwaters of the Wolf River.
Time is rapidly running out. There are only three weeks of session left. Please spread the word.
Thanks for all your help so far. We're making progress and cannot afford to let the momentum drop off.
Opinion column policies for some of the papers follow.
Green Bay Chronicle:
Green Bay Gazette:
- Requires the column to be emailed to tom.brooker@gogreenbay.com
- Columns have to touch on local or state issues which likely affect their readers
- Usually about 500 words in length
- Require a picture of the author
- Require a brief biographical sketch of the author's credentials and background in the field
- Prefers contact by email, but number is (920) 432-2941
Milwaukee J/S:
- Column needs to be 300 words or less (if want it in the people's forum section)
- Email the column to forum@greenbaypressgazette.com
- Need to have a picture of the author
- Leave a phone number for a contact person Phone number is (920) 435-4411 or (800) 444-0007
Bill McClenahan
- Email the column to Michael Ruby at mruby@onwis.com
- Prefer submissions to run about 700-750 words
- NOTE: When the J/S replied by email, they wrote (after the information above) "...Although we do not have a regular forum for longer pieces at this time, submission may be sent to..."
Phone number is (414) 224-2000
Martin Schreiber & Associates
bill@martinschreiber.com
608 / 259-1212 Ext. 4
414 / 405-1051 cellular
MINING ALERT: Call Jensen NOW Please pass this message on to everyone you know: lists, colleagues, family, friends..... TIME IS OF THE ESSENCE....
Assembly Speaker Scott Jensen, from the Waukesha area, has enormous influence over whether the two mining bills get a vote in the Assembly Environment Committee. The two bills are SB-160 (to ban cyanide in all Wisconsin mines) and SB-271 (to end special treatment for the mining industry). We want not only a hearing on the bills, but also a vote, so they can proceed to the Assembly floor.
Please call Jensen's office immediately! Courteously ask for "an Environment Committee vote (not just a hearing) on the mining bills SB-160 and SB-271."
TOLL-FREE NUMBER: 888-529-0032
If you know of anyone from Waukesha, Brookfield, or Mukwanago, ask them TODAY to make a call Jensen as a constituent. Please use any lists to contact people from the Waukesha area.
For more information on the bills, see http://www.alphacdc.com/treaty/cyanide.html
Thank you, Wisconsin Campaign to Ban Cyanide in Mining
Senate Bill 160 would ban the use of cyanide in Wisconsin mines. Cyanide is a highly toxic, environmentally dangerous chemical used to process ores at mines. Nicolet Minerals Company (NMC), a subsidiary of the Australian/South African mining giant BHP Billiton, wants to use millions of pounds of cyanide at its proposed Crandon mine, near the headwaters of the Wolf River - despite the fact that alternatives to cyanide are being used at similar mines. Most U.S. copper and zinc mines do not use cyanide for ore processing.
Because mining wastes are not subject to hazardous waste laws, NMC plans to landfill waste cyanide in its mine waste dump and underground in the abandoned mine. This plan places drinking water and streams and rivers such as the Wolf River at risk.
Extremely small amounts of cyanide are deadly to fish. The federal standard for aquatic life is 5 parts per billion. NMC’s waste tailings pond will contain cyanide at nearly 500 times higher than the standard. NMC’s parent company has suffered mine waste spills as recently as 2000. A mine waste spill into Wisconsin streams and rivers could be catastrophic to fish and other wildlife.
Shipping cyanide to the proposed Crandon mine or other mines could lead to accidents. NMC proposes to ship between 7 and 20 tons of cyanide to the mine each month. Research has found at least 23 transportation-related spills of cyanide in the U.S. in the ten years ending in 1997.
NMC’s parent company BHP has a terrible environmental track record at mines it operated in Nevada and Arizona. Over a four-year time span through the end of 2000, BHP spilled cyanide twice and caused a major mine waste spill in 1997 that covered three quarters of a mile of Pinto Creek in Arizona and cost more than $30 million to clean up. In that same time span, BHP caused at least 28 additional spills of hazardous materials. BHP's track record is important because its subsidiary, Nicolet Minerals, has never operated a mine before.
Senate Bill 160 has tremendous public support. Last spring, the Conservation Congress voted 10-1 against cyanide use in mining. More than 95 Local governments, Counties, Tribes, Labor Unions, Environmental, and Conservation groups such as Trout Unlimited, Walleyes For Tomorrow, and the Brown County Conservation Alliance have passed resolutions in support of SB 160.
SENATE BILL 271 would end special treatment for mining in our state laws. Mining should not be allowed to pollute more than similar industries or activities. For instance, mining waste sites should be subject to the same groundwater standards as landfills or hazardous waste facilities. Mining should be required to meet environmental standards that are at least as strict as other activities.
Mining wastes are not currently subject to hazardous waste laws - even if the wastes contain deadly cyanide and other toxic chemicals. SB 271 would make mine wastes subject to hazardous waste laws. SB 271 would also prevent DNR from issuing permits for mines if modeling shows that a mine would pollute beyond enforcement standards.
Senate Bill 271 also has tremendous public support. 90% of Wisconsin adults believe mining should be held to the same groundwater and hazardous waste standards as other industries, according to a statewide poll of 600 Wisconsin residents conducted in June 2001 by Chamberlain Research.
See below for information on how you can help get SB 160 and SB 271 passed this year.
For background on the cyanide bill, see http://www.alphacdc.com/treaty/cyanide.html.
For more on the Crandon mine proposal, see http://www.treatyland.com
Hotline for updates: 800-445-8615
How to Contact State Officials
The Legislative Hotline can tell you your Assembly Representative.
Just call
Or, go to the Legislature’s web site to find out your representative, along with phone numbers, email and mail addresses and biographies. Just choose "Who are my legislators?" at http://www.legis.state.wi.us/.
The mailing address for Assembly Representatives whose last names start with A through L is: PO Box 8952, Madison, WI 53708.
The mailing address for Assembly Representatives whose last names start with M through Z is: PO Box 8953, Madison, WI 53708.
The e-mail addresses is:
Rep.(insert last name)@legis.state.wi.us
The list of toll-free phone numbers and e-mails can be found at http://www.alphacdc.com/treaty/wileg.html
Capitol addresses can be found at http://www.legis.state.wi.us/assembly/aod.pdf.
Governor Scott McCallum can be reached at 608/266-1212 or wisgov@gov.state.wi.us or at 115 East State Capitol, Madison WI 53702.
Senate Bill 271 and Senate Bill 160 have both passed the Senate. They must have an Assembly hearing, a vote in committee and a vote by the full Assembly by March 14. The governor’s signature is also required for a bill to become law. Please call or write your Assembly representative and the governor today. Urge them to schedule the bills and to vote for them.
The Assembly authors of SB 271 (the bill to end special treatment for mining) are Representatives Terri McCormick (R-Appleton) and Judy Krawczyk (R-Green Bay).
IF YOU ARE A CONSTITUENT OF THE COMMITTEE MEMBERS, please write or call (toll-free) your Rep. immediately to have him request a committee hearing and vote on SB-160 and SB-271.
*** Please pass this on to anyone you know in their districts (see counties and towns below) ***
NEAL KEDZIE
888-534-0043
P.O. Box 8952, Madison, WI 53708
Rep.Kedzie@legis.state.wi.us
43rd Walworth Co./E. Rock Counties
(Elkhorn, Clinton, Delavan, Williams Bay, Walworth, Fontana)AL OTT
888-534-0003
PO Box 8953, Madison WI 53708
Rep.Ott@legis.state.wi.us
3rd Calumet/N. Fond du Lac/S. Brown Counties
(Forest Junction, Stockbridge,
Chilton, Brillion, St Cloud S. Appleton)DANIEL VRAKAS
888-529-0033
PO Box 8953, Madison WI 53708
Rep.Vrakas@legis.state.wi.us
33rd Waukesha/S. Washington Counties
(Hartland, Nashotah, Chenequa, Melton, Wales)SCOTT GUNDERSON
888-534-0083
P.O. Box 8952, Madison, WI 53708
Rep.Gunderson@legis.state.wi.us
82nd Milwaukee County
(Greenfield, Greendale, Franklin)DUWAYNE JOHNSRUD
888-534-0096
P.O. Box 8952, Madison, WI 53708
Rep.Johnsrud@legis.state.wi.us
96th Vernon/Crawford/W. Richland Counties
(Eastman, Viroqua, Westby, LaFarge, Hillsboro, Coon Valley, Soldiers Grove, Prairie du Chien, Wauzeka, Steuben, Gays Mills, Ferryville)MIKE POWERS
888-534-0080
PO Box 8953, Madison WI 53708
Rep.Powers@legis.state.wi.us
80th W. Rock/Green Counties
(Albany, Monroe, Browntown, Monticello, Evansville, Orfordville, Evansville, W. Janesville)
LETTER FROM ASSEMBLY ENVIRONMENT COMMITTEE CHAIR NEAL KEDZIE:
January 3, 2002
Dear Representatives Pocan, Bock, Miller, and Lehman,
Thank you for your letter to me regarding Senate Bill 271, relating to environmental regulation of mining and Senate Bill 160, relating to prohibiting the use of cyanide in metallic mining. I appreciate your collective interest in seeing these bills move forward.
The Environment Committee, as of this date, has not scheduled any public hearings on either bill. Since introduction, I have met with both supporters and opponents of the bills as well as agency officials. I continue to actively research the issue to better educate myself as I review my options for a public hearing, either on the bill or for information only.
I am aware of the slight (19-14) bipartisan votes both bills recieved in the state Senate. However, as you know, the obligations and duties of the state Assembly are not contingent on the actions of the Senate.
Again, I appreciate your interest and respect your comments on SB-271 and SB-160 and will continue to remain open to requests made by any member of the Environment Committee.
Neal Kedzie
Assembly Environment Committee Chair
43rd Assembly Districtcc. Reps Johnsrud, Vrakas, Powers, Gunderson, and Ott
LINKS ON CYANIDE IN MINING
Wisconsin Campaign to Ban Cyanide in Mining (updates on legislation, resolutions, etc.) http://www.alphacdc.com/treaty/cyanide.html
Background on cyanide at the Crandon mine, WI (technical documents, DNR assessments, etc.) http://www.alphacdc.com/treaty/cyanide2.html
Background on cyanide in US mines (accidents, referenda, etc.) http://www.alphacdc.com/treaty/cyanide-usa.html
Background on cyanide in overseas mines (accidents, movements, etc.) http://www.alphacdc.com/treaty/cyanide3.html
Leaflet on cyanide in mining http://www.alphacdc.com/treaty/cyanide_leaflet.html
Talking points on cyanide in mining http://www.alphacdc.com/treaty/points.html
Wisconsin news articles on cyanide in mining http://www.alphacdc.com/treaty/cyanide_news.html
US transportation spills of cyanide http://www.alphacdc.com/treaty/cyan-spill.html
Map of Wisconsin cyanide routes and resolutions http://www.alphacdc.com/treaty/cyanidemap.html
Wisconsin petition on cyanide use in mining (16,000 signatures so far) http://www.alphacdc.com/treaty/petition.html
Resolution on cyanide in mining (for groups, local government) http://www.alphacdc.com/treaty/wcbcm-prt_res.html
Wisconsin legislative e-mail addresses/toll-free numbers http://www.alphacdc.com/treaty/wileg.html
Links on Crandon mine http://www.nocrandonmine.com
THE WOLF WATERSHED EDUCATIONAL PROJECT (WWEP) will have its next monthly meeting on SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 23 in SHAWANO (10 am-3 pm), at 125 South Sawyer, in the Community Center at the SW corner of the City Hall/Police Building, across from the Public Library, just south of Hwy 47/29. Thanks to Protect Our Wolf River (POW'R) for hosting the meeting.
We'll discuss the new Forest County Potawatomi ad campaign for SB-160 and SB-271 on TV, radio, mailings, and billboards. (Billboards are at Crandon on Hwy 8 West, Oshkosh on 41 north of 26, and Madison at East Washington/North Sts. across from Burger King). We'll also discuss plans for a possible Assembly Environmental Committee hearing on the mining bills, BHP Billiton office cuts, Nashville's plans since state Court of Appeals has upheld the Local Agreement, and more.
ASK ASSEMBLY COMMITTEE TO VOTE ON SB-160 and SB-271. Ask Assembly Environmental Committee members and all Assembly reps to vote for SB-160 (to ban cyanide in ALL mining, without amendments) and SB-271 (to end special treatment for mining companies). IF YOU HAVE ALREADY CONTACTED YOUR REP, PLEASE DO SO AGAIN! Key Committee votes are Kedzie, Ott, Vrakas, Gunderson, and Powers. Call (800) 387-0548, even if you don't know who your Rep is. For info: log on to http://www.alphacdc.com/treaty/cyanide.html
University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee
Guest Readers and Presenters: Sherman Alexie, Simon Ortiz, Kateri Damm, Gordon Henry, Heid Erdrich, Victor Masayesva, LaVonne Ruoff, Lee Francis, Kimberly Blaeser, Michael Wilson, David Beaulieu
American Indian Studies at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee invites you to participate in a conference that will focus from different angles on the survival of Native American communities in an increasingly transcultural world and on the roles Native literatures play in assuring the continuation of Indian Nations in the 21st Century.
As a regional Wordcraft Circle of Native Writers and Storytellers event, the conference will look at contemporary literary works from various Indian nations through the presence of representatives from those Native communities and will examine how these writings contribute to the survival of Native history, values, and lifeways.
Conference organizers are planning a broad range of events to be held in a variety of venues including the Milwaukee Indian Community School and Woodland Pattern Book Center. Bringing together diverse voices of the Milwaukee and Native communities, the conference will begin Wednesday evening with a reading by Sherman Alexie. Thursday's and Friday's events will include "No Ends to Native Communities," a symposium presented by UW-Milwaukee's Center for 21st Century Studies, featuring talks by Simon Ortiz, Kateri Damm, Gordon Henry and LaVonne Ruoff, workshops on publishing and filmmaking, hands-on writing opportunities, one-on-one mentoring sessions with established writers, readings by featured writers, a talk and film showing by Victor Masayesva, open mike opportunities for participants to read their own work, and a visit to an installation of work by Havasupi artist Edgar Heap of Birds.
The conference will also sponsor a writing contest to encourage the recognition and continuation of Native Writing Communities and will include the invitation to submit to a special focus issue of UW-Milwaukee's Creative Writing Journal, The Cream City Review. For registration and updated conference information, visit our Web site at www.uwm.edu/~bretl, or contact Beth Bretl at bretl@uwm.edu or Kimberly Blaeser at kblaeser@uwm.edu.
AB 547 - the Assembly version of SB 271, the No Special Treatment bill - has been scheduled for a public hearing at 11 AM on Tuesday, February 19, 2002 in the North Hearing Room (second floor) of the State Capitol.
PLEASE attend if you can - and spread the word ASAP to others concerned about mining and about the proposed Crandon mine.
Please note that the committee has NOT scheduled a hearing on either version of the bill to ban cyanide in mining.
Talking points on the No Special Treatment bill are below.
Bill McClenahan
Martin Schreiber & Associates
bill@martinschreiber.com
608 / 259-1212 Ext. 4 414 / 405-1051 cellular
*Mining should not be allowed to pollute more than similar industries or activities. For instance, mining waste sites should be subject to the same groundwater standards as landfills or hazardous waste facilities. Mining should be required to meet environmental standards that are at least as strict as other activities.
*90% of Wisconsin adults believe mining should be held to the same groundwater and hazardous waste standards as other industries, according to a statewide poll of 600 Wisconsin residents conducted in June 2001 by Chamberlain Research.
Mining deserves to be held to the highest standards.
*Mines are often located in environmentally sensitive areas. For instance, the proposed Crandon mine is in the middle of wetlands and is surrounded by lakes and streams that flow into one of the state’s most treasured resources, the pristine Wolf River.
*Metallic mining accounts for more than half of the nation's toxic releases, according to an April 2001 EPA report.
*Mining waste is much different than landfill waste. Landfill waste will degrade biologically. Mining waste will change very little (chemically or physically) over geological time periods.
Impacts of SB 271/AB 547 on solid and hazardous waste laws.
The bipartisan companion bills would apply general environmental standards to mining whenever those general standards are more stringent than those for mining. The bill has two primary impacts on the current regulation of mining:
1. Repeals the statutory exemption from hazardous waste laws:
*Currently, mining waste is statutorily exempt from hazardous waste laws even if it has the characteristics of hazardous waste. The bills require that hazardous mining waste be treated as other hazardous wastes.
2. Prevents the DNR from issuing mining permits when modeling predicts pollution beyond enforcement standards:
*Currently, groundwater enforcement standards are set at 150 feet away from mine waste facilities, the same as for landfills.
*Mining permits are currently based on groundwater modeling that sets pollution standards at 1,200 feet, allowing dilution and more pollution. In other words, mining permits can currently receive permits even if groundwater models predict pollution to spread to distances between 150 and 1,200 feet.
*The mismatch between groundwater modeling and enforcement standards creates a possibility that enforcement standards at 150 feet will be violated. Such violations would lead to greater pollution than that allowed for municipal landfills and could put pressure on the DNR to grant variances to keep the mine operating.
*Requiring groundwater modeling at 150 feet may lead to the use of more effective groundwater protections at the proposed Crandon mine.
*The landfill for tailings and other mine wastes at Crandon would hold waste in an area greater than 200 football fields behind 90 foot high earthen walls, in an area of wetlands, lakes and streams leading to the Wolf River.
*Groundwater protection could be increased by the use of a double liner at Crandon, like the double liners used at least eleven ordinary Wisconsin landfills. The waste facility could also provide better protection of groundwater by treating the mining waste to make it non-reactive, possibly by oxygenizing the cyanide, reducing the sulfur and washing waste material.
*Groundwater modeling at 150 feet is realistic. Illinois requires groundwater modeling for at 150 feet, even for municipal landfills. The model used by the state is Modflow, the same model applied to the Crandon mine. Illinois has not had problems siting municipal landfills due to the modeling requirement.
Madison: LaDuke/Trudell Friday & Powwow Saturday
COMING TOGETHER OF THE PEOPLES
The 16th annual Indian Law Students Association (ILSA) conference
is being held at the Pyle Center on the U.W.-Madison campus. On Friday,
Feb. 8th, the conference will begin at 9 am. Phil Bluehouse, Yona
Myers, Richard Paul, and Ruth Alexis will demonstrate the Navajo Peacekeepers
Court. The conference is free and open to the public.
BANQUET
The annual ILSA banquet will be on Friday at 7 pm at Madison's Concourse
Hotel. Tickets for students are $25; and for non-students $30. Guest
speakers will be Winona LaDuke, John Trudell, and Choctaw congressional
candidate Kalyn Free. For information contact James Washinawatok of
ILSA at jawashin@hotmail.com
POWWOW
The annual Wunk Sheek Powwow will be held at the UW Field House on
Saturday, February 9. Grand entries are at 1 and 7 pm; Feast at 5
pm. The powwow is free and open to the public.
Friends of CCN and WOW--
The next hearing for the CCN/Ho-Chunk vs DNR/Perrier lawsuit will be on January 30, 2002 at 11:00 a.m., at the Columbia County Courthouse in Portage. Please pass this info along to others who may be interested. It would be very helpful to have a full courtroom again if possible.
The new statute (part of the budget bill recently signed by Gov. McCallum) that was the basis for the continuation is given below.
[please forward this to others]Section 3160v. 281.17 (1) (c) of the statutes is created to read:
281.17 (1) (c) 1. Except as provided in subd. 3., the department shall impose as a condition in each approval under this subsection that the person issued the approval may not use, or permit another person to use, any water withdrawn from the well to produce bottled drinking water, as defined in s. 97.34 (1) (a), unless the department approves use of the well for that purpose.
(vetoed part) 2. The department shall withhold its approval, grant a limited approval, or modify an approval in order to minimize adverse effects to the quality or quantity of waters of the state caused by any well used to produce bottled drinking water, as defined in s. 97.34 (1) (a). The department shall prepare an environmental impact statement under s. 1.11 (2) for a decision by the department under this paragraph to approve the use of a well to produce bottled drinking water.
3. This paragraph does not apply to a withdrawal of water by a public utility engaged in furnishing water to or for the public.
WI Stewardship Network- conference
Here are the latest details for the Saturday portion of the Wi Stewardship Network conference on Jan. 26 at the UW- Stevens Point. University Center. There is also a governor's candidate forum the night before on Friday, Jan. 25. Registration details for the conference and directions can be found at http://www.wsn.org
Latest WSN conference sessions
[The following are the sessions scheduled as of today (01/18/02) for the WSN annual conference. Those sessions with an asterisk (*) are in addition to those sessions previewed in the WSN conference mailer.]
* An independent WSN: our plans to help your group achieve its goals The WSN experiment has worked! The WSN will soon be separating from its founding organization, Wisconsinís Environmental Decade. Find out what the WSNís Steering Committee has identified as the things the WSN can do to strengthen the groups in the network so they can better protect Wisconsinís natural resources. Presented by the Sierra Clubís Chris Nehrbass.
* Beyond Perrier: Addressing state and regional ground and surface water issues Hiroshi and Arlene Kanno and Joan C. Schmidt of Concerned Citizens of Newport (CCN) discuss CCNís lawsuit and its expected aftermath just days before the judgeís ruling in Columbia County District Court. What are the implications of this suit on Wisconsinís Public Trust doctrine? Also covered will be an update on a groundwater video being produced by the WSN and CCN, plus an overview of regional, national, and international issues related to protecting our water basins.
Coming revisions to Wisconsinís shoreland management rules Since shoreland management laws went into effect in the 1960s, shoreland development has increased 200% in Wisconsin. Lynn Markham of UW-Stevens Point outlines new changes to NR115 that will benefit both shoreland habitat and landowners.
Creating state-of-the-art electronic newsletters with Adobe Acrobat WSN State Coordinator Todd Hanson walks you through the process of using Adobe Acrobat to create user-friendly newsletters that are perfect for the web and easy to archive. Hanson will go through the steps he uses to create both WSNetwork News and Trout Unlimitedís "best TU newsletter," Wisconsin Trout.
* Environmental toxins from stray voltage to chemicals: models for local action Marilyn Wilson of Families and Friends for Social Responsibility discusses her personal battle to recover from health problems ultimately traced to "electrical pollution" in her house, and how a new bill before the Wisconsin Legislature would help utilities clean up similar problem buildings throughout Wisconsin. Laura Olah of Citizens for Safe Water Around Badger reviews the problems with using risk assessment as our primary method of responding to environmental toxins.
From Teddy to Tommy and beyond: politics and conservation in Wisconsin Barry Ashenfelter, Ex. Director of the newly formed WI League of Conservation Voters, discusses the status of conservation and the environment in Wisconsin politics...and how the WLCV plans to make a difference.
Getting public records and making Freedom of Information Act requests: Attorneys Melissa Scanlan of Midwest Environmental Advocates and Glenn Stoddard of the Garvey and Stoddard law firm guide you through the process of using open records laws and the Freedom of Information Act to get the documents some donít want you to see.
Increase your visibility through effective use of the web: Join WSN webmaster and freelance writer Will Fantle for some ideas on how your group can start your own web site or better manage the one you currently have. What should the professionals do? And what can you do yourself?
Invasive species: getting action from the state The WDNRís Kelly Kearns and The Nature Conservancyís Nancy Braker report on the recently released recommendations of the Governorís Task Force on Invasive Species. Find out what this comprehensive plan entails and how it can be enacted to stem the tide on invasives.
* Lobbying and testifying: what are the rules for nonprofit groups Wisconsin nonprofit organizations do not have free reign to advocate for bills or testify on administrative rules. Pam Porter of Wisconsin Citizen Action outlines what activities are permissible under state and federal law so you and your group do not run afoul of IRS or state ethics rules.
Mining groundwater modeling: predictions vs. reality at Ladysmith Discover what weíve learned about groundwater modeling by comparing the Ladysmith Mineís groundwater plan to what actually happened. What do our experiences at Ladysmith have to say about the proposed Crandon Mine? Presented by John Coleman of UW-Madison and Jim Wise of ECCOLA.
* Passing the cyanide ban and "no special treatment for mining" legislation in the Wisconsin Assembly. Two pieces of protective mining legislation have passed the Wisconsin State Senate in last couple months. Now groups and individuals are pushing to get these bills out of an Assembly committee for a vote. Hear the details on what these bills seek to accomplish from Trout Unlimitedís George Rock, Midwest Treaty Network's Zoltan Grossman, and others.
The future of Wisconsinís waters: a report on the Groundwater Summit and the Waters of Wisconsin Initiative A diverse group gathered in Waukesha this past fall for the Groundwater Coordinating Councilís "Groundwater Summit." WDNR Water Resources Specialist Tim Asplund and Curt Meine, Director of Conservation Programs for the Wisconsin Academy of Sciences, Arts and Letters, lead a discussion of these results and the Academyís upcoming special Waters of Wisconsin activities.
* Your options when a factory farm wants to be your neighbor: Ten years ago there were only a few factory farms in Wisconsin. Now there are 110, with many more on the way. Attorney Andrew Hanson of Midwest Environmental Advocates shares practical, straightforward skills to help citizens control the siting of proposed factory farms, as well as check existing factory farms' compliance with state and federal environmental laws.
Will Fantle wfantle@execpc.com
Directions to get to the UWSP University Center: Off of highway 51, take Business 51 (Division St) exit (Holiday Inn, Perkins, etc. exit. Follow Division until you get to Briggs Street. Take a left on Briggs street. You will go by a parking lot on your right and the sundial and library on your left. You can park in the parking lot on the right or the parking lot at the end of Briggs. The University Center is the building at the end of Briggs.
MEETINGS & EVENTS from YEARS PAST: 2003 2002 01-04 2002 05-12 2001 |
MTN Content Page , Meetings & Events