Jim Doyle, WI Democratic gubernatorial nominee
and the Crandon Mine Issue

Governor Doyle interview with
Jeff Mayers of Wispolitics.com
Dec. 30, 2002

Democratic gubernatorial nominee Jim Doyle speaks with a meeting of 50 Crandon mine opponents at the Wild Wolf Inn in White Lake, on October 13, 2002. Left to right: George Rock, Potawatomi Chairman Gus Frank, Attorney General Jim Doyle, Herb Buettner, Nashville Town Chair Chuck Sleeter and Clerk Joanne Sleeter.

After the listening session with Jim Doyle, two members of the Irish band Amerikay, Mike Hughes and Jack Bailey, played a tune dedicated to the Wolf River, as the audience stood in respect to face the Wolf River.

Among those standing for the honor song for the Wolf River were Roscoe Churchill, Bob Schmitz, Fran Van Zile, Fred Ackley, Joanne Sleeter and Chuck Sleeter.

Mayers: Is the Crandon Mine mineral-right buy still alive in your mind?

Doyle: Yes it is. Because I'm quite confident the previous administration never got to a bottom-line dollar figure. In fact, I know they didn't. I'd like to find out what that bottom line is. We know what they said it was. But it was clear that the company didn't believe that to be the final number. And I think the only way you can ever make this decision is to finally get what the dollar figure is, and make a decision ...

Mayers: Well, DOA did go out and get an appraisal, did they not? So you're saying go out and get another appraisal?

Doyle: No, I'm saying go bargain and see what you arrive at.

Mayers: You mean go to the company and say how much is it worth to you?

Doyle: Yeah, and then you got a dollar figure. If that figure's too high, you don't do it. I've certainly not made my decision on whether to do it. I know there's also another way to fund this without any taxpayer money that has not been looked at by this administration at all, which is the board of public lands, which I'm a member of as attorney general. I won't be as governor, but has significant amount of money that they could invest in this, if the board chose to do it -- it'd be up to the board, which is the attorney general, secretary of state, and treasurer. No, it isn't taxpayer money at all. So I think there are some options here that were never explored, and I'd be interested in exploring them. Maybe the deal doesn't work in the end. That's fine. Then we'll go from there. But if it does, then I'll do it.

Governor-elect Jim Doyle said Tuesday he will appoint a secretary to run the state Department of Natural Resources but added that, if he gets his way, it will be the last time a governor selects someone for the job.

Instead, Doyle said, he will fulfil his campaign promise and remove the position from his cabinet. If he can get the Republican-run state Legislature to agree, Doyle said, he will make it so the Natural Resources Board appoints the secretary. That's the way it worked until former GOP Gov. Tommy Thompson made the post a cabinet position in the mid-1990s, a move that critics said politicized the agency.

"My preference is that the secretary be appointed by the board," said Doyle, a Democrat. "It adds a layer of insulation between politics and resource decisions. That's a good thing."

Doyle commented on the secretary's job during an interview with the Wisconsin State Journal on Tuesday. In addition to potential changes at the DNR, Doyle discussed his plans for handling several important environmental issues facing the state, including re-opening negotiations for the state to buy the site of the proposed hard-rock mine near Crandon.

Doyle refused to comment on the fate of current DNR Secretary Darrell Bazzell. Bazzell has proved very popular with staffers within the giant agency. He also has received good marks from the state's environmental organizations as well as outdoor sporting groups, especially for his handling of chronic wasting disease in the state's deer herd.

All Doyle would say is that he intends to appoint new secretaries to most agencies.

"My strong inclination and intent is to bring new cabinet secretaries in," Doyle said. "That's what happens when new governors come in. That's not to say I've made up my mind."

Although Doyle did not name specific candidates, he said he would hope to find a secretary in the mold of the late C.D. "Buzz" Besadny, who headed the agency from 1980 to 1993. Besadny, Doyle said, displayed a total devotion to the state's natural resources, had a deep appreciation for the importance of hunting and fishing in Wisconsin and was tough but even-handed when enforcing environmental regulations.

The changes at the DNR could be extensive. In addition to possibly appointing a new secretary, Doyle will have the opportunity in the next several months to substantially alter the makeup of the seven-member Natural Resources Board, which sets policy for the DNR. At least three of the board members have yet to be confirmed, and the terms of two other members will expire in the spring.

Doyle said he would like to name people with diverse backgrounds to the board. Members, he said, should represent not only the outdoor sporting and environmental communities but also business, academics and agriculture.

In addition to these changes, Doyle said he intends to pursue a couple of other environmental initiatives he hammered on during his campaign. He said he will propose to the state Legislature that the Public Intervenor's office be restored. The office, eliminated by Thompson, represented Wisconsin residents on environmental issues.

Also, Doyle said, he will re-open negotiations to buy the land on which Nicolet Minerals wants to build a zinc and copper mine near Crandon in northeastern Wisconsin. He said he would like to have an appraisal of the property soon. Purchase of the land would effectively end the decades-long controversy over the mine.

MADISON, Wisconsin - For the first time, a Wisconsin Indian tribe is airing a political ad that indirectly supports a candidate in a statewide election, a move one observer says is part of a nationwide trend of harder-hitting political activity by increasingly wealthy tribes.

An image from a Forest County Potawatomi ad reflects indirect support for Democratic governor candidate Jim Doyle.

The Forest County Potawatomi ad, which favors Jim Doyle, the Democratic candidate in the governor's race, focuses on environmental concerns over the Crandon mine. While the ad does not tell viewers to vote for Doyle, it casts him as the pro-environment candidate and says he wants to ban cyanide in mining and close legal loopholes for the mining industry.

And that Republican Gov. Scott McCallum doesn't.

Tom Krajewski, a tribe spokesman, said placement of the ad was unrelated to Doyle's or McCallum's stand on gambling. Both candidates have said they oppose adding more casinos but have left the door open to consideration of longer-term gaming compacts with the state, as well as raising limits on current games. The compacts that regulate the casinos owned by the state's 11 tribes are up for renewal next year.

McCallum has said he hopes to generate more state revenue by squeezing another $100 million annually from the tribes, which earn loads of money from their casinos. The Potawatomi Bingo Casino in Milwaukee, alone, is turning an annual profit of more than $100 million.

Krajewski said the ad tries to educate the public about the Crandon mine's potential impact on the environment and is not a plug for Doyle. He said it was the first time a Wisconsin tribe had done a media campaign on something other than gambling.

"This is an issue ad; it's not a campaign ad," Krajewski said.

The Potawatomi have long opposed opposed the Crandon mine, a proposed zinc and copper site just south of Crandon near their reservation in Forest County. The tribe contends that the mine would contaminate groundwater and streams and lakes in the region. Both Doyle and McCallum have expressed interest in the state buying the 5,000-acre property, but McCallum has backed away from that idea, saying it's too expensive. He has since touted the mine's economic benefits.

Issue ads are not regulated by campaign laws because they don't specifically advocate for or against a candidate's election.

Mike McCabe, executive director of the Wisconsin Democracy Campaign, described the Potawatomi's latest offering as a "phony issue ad." Such "phony issue ads," which clearly favor one candidate, deserve regulation, McCabe said.

"Obviously, they made their calculations that Doyle would be better than McCallum," McCabe said, adding that Doyle's lead in the polls may have made the risk of taking sides less daunting.

"If the Potawatomi decided that McCallum is in trouble and that Doyle looks like the clear-cut favorite, maybe they feel safe jumping in now. A few weeks ago, they may have wanted to stay above that fray."

Across the country, Indian tribes are increasing their political activity and, in many cases, moving beyond plain issues to supporting individual candidates, said Mark Jarboe, who heads the Indian Law Practice Group at Dorsey & Whitney LLP, a Minneapolis law firm.

Declaring that the Crandon mine issue is “a test of our priorities and our commitment to the environment,” Attorney General Jim Doyle said Sunday he would re-open discussions on public purchase of the mine and look for creative new ways to finance it if he is elected governor.

“Some see the mine as a threat. I see it as a challenge and as an opportunity,” Doyle said. “As governor, I will re-open discussions on purchase of the mine to protect our environment, public health, and the headwaters of the Wolf River.

“It would be a major financial investment. It may turn out, at the end of the day, that it is not feasible. There are many uncertainties.

“But I know one thing for certain. It won’t happen unless we try. It will never happen under a McCallum administration. The governor has already walked away from this issue with no real effort to determine a fair price or negotiate an agreement,” Doyle said.

McCallum has announced his support for the mine, which Doyle described as “not safe to operate under existing Wisconsin laws.”

“I believe purchase of the mine is in the interest of Wisconsin’s long-term environmental and economic security. I believe we should make a real effort to make that happen, and explore every opportunity for financing such a purchase,” Doyle said.

The Stewardship Fund has been the primary funding source for the state to acquire lands. But during tight budget times, Doyle said the state should look for other partners and sources of financing, including the state Board of Public Lands, private interests, non-profit groups, or land trusts.

Doyle said through his work on the Board of Public Land Commissioners, he recognizes the potential to identify innovative ways to preserve beautiful and sensitive land that do not use tax dollars.

The proposed mine is in one of the most environmentally sensitive areas of the state, surrounded by wetlands, lakes and streams that feed the Wolf River, a National Wild and Scenic River. The mining company proposes to use between 5 million and 13 million pounds of cyanide over the proposed 30-year life of the mine. Waste from the mine will be stored untreated on-site in a single lined landfill-like facility that will cover an area larger than 200 football fields.

“Thanks to Scott McCallum, there are no adequate laws in place to protect our water and land from irreversible damage if the Crandon mine project moves forward,” Doyle said.

Last April, Doyle asked McCallum to call a special session of the Legislature to pass two bills that protect Wisconsin’s natural resources from the dangers and hazards of mining. One bill would ban the use of cyanide in mining while the other would eliminate the exemption for mining waste from the state’s hazardous waste law.

“Incredibly, Gov. McCallum’s response was that our mining laws do not need any improvement, because they are among the best in the country,” Doyle said. “They are woefully inadequate.”

“It’s clear that we need a Governor who will put Wisconsin’s environment first,” Doyle said. Passing stronger mining laws and enacting a ban on the use of cyanide in mining would be among his top priorities, he said.

“Scott McCallum has had his chance to show leadership on these issues, and he has failed miserably,” Doyle said. “Wisconsin’s environment and its people deserve better. Wisconsin can protect the environment, grow the state’s economy, and improve the quality of life for the people of Wisconsin. It just takes a governor who is committed to doing it.”

Jim Doyle
Prepared Remarks for Green Bay Press conference,
Sunday, October 13, 2002

Wisconsin has a proud tradition of caring and thoughtful environmentalism, matched only by the beauty and resources with which we are blessed. This is the state that claims Gaylord Nelson and John Muir as part of its environmental heritage. It is a high standard to live up to.

I believe that it is time for fresh ideas and a comprehensive environmental strategy for Wisconsin. I believe that through thoughtful, informed decision-making, Wisconsin can protect the environment, grow the state’s economy, and improve the quality of life for the people of Wisconsin.

The Crandon mine currently dominates any discussion of our state’s environment.

Some see it as a threat. I see it as a challenge and as an opportunity. How we handle the potential mine is a test of our priorities and of our commitment.

As governor, I will re-open discussions on purchase of the mine to protect our environment, public health, and the headwaters of the Wolf River.

It would be a major financial investment. It may turn out, at the end of the day, that it is not feasible. There are many uncertainties. But I know one thing for certain. It won’t happen unless we try. It will never happen under a McCallum administration. The governor has already walked away from this issue with no real effort to determine a fair price or negotiate an agreement.

Instead, McCallum announced his support for the mine ? a mine that is not safe to operate under existing Wisconsin laws. I believe purchase of the mine is in the interest of Wisconsin’s long-term environmental and economic security. I believe we should make a real effort to make that happen, and explore every opportunity for financing such a purchase.

The Stewardship Fund has been the primary funding source for the state to acquire lands. But during tight budget times, I believe we must look for new, creative ways to preserve more land in the public trust. One partner in a purchase might be the Board of Public Lands. There may be private interests or non-profit groups or land trusts who would participate. As a member of the Board of Public Lands, I have identified innovative new ways to preserve beautiful and unique tracts of land that do not use tax dollars. I will bring that same kind of innovation to the Governor’s Office.

Thanks to Scott McCallum, there are no adequate laws in place to protect our water and land from irreversible damage if the Crandon mine project moves forward.

Last April, I called on McCallum to hold a special session of the Legislature to pass two bills that protect Wisconsin’s natural resources from the dangers and hazards of mining. One bill would ban the use of cyanide in mining while the other would eliminate the exemption for mining waste from the state’s hazardous waste law. His response? That our mining laws do not need any improvement, because they are among the best in the country!

It’s clear that we need a Governor who will put Wisconsin’s environment first. Someone who will make sure Wisconsin treats mining waste as the hazardous material that it clearly is. We need a governor who will actively work with the Legislature to pass stronger mining laws , to require mining companies to follow the same pollution and groundwater standards that all other companies in Wisconsin must follow. As Governor, passing stronger mining laws and enacting a ban on the use of cyanide in mining would be among my top priorities. Scott McCallum has had his chance to show leadership on these issues, and he has failed miserably.

Wisconsin’s environment and its people deserve better. Wisconsin can protect the environment, grow the state’s economy, and improve the quality of life for the people of Wisconsin. It just takes a governor who is committed to doing it.

full debate transcript:
www.wispolitics.com/freeser/features/f0210/f02100703.html

Ed Walters: The Crandon mine at the headwaters of the Wolf River in northern Wisconsin is a controversial issue. Some say the mine would create needed jobs and give a boost to that area's economy. But others say the mine would threaten the environment and tourism. What are your views on the subject, and should the state buy the property to stop the mining project?

Jim Doyle: I don't think the mine is a good idea for Wisconsin. I think that the long-term economic benefits to this state really depend on clean air, clean water and a beautiful environment. I don't believe that the mine, as proposed, would further that. I have supported legislation that would stop certain portions of that proposal. For example, we should not be allowing the use of cyanide in mining in Wisconsin. We should make mines have to comply with the same hazardous waste laws as we do landfills and industrial operations.

With respect to buying the land, I guess I'm disappointed that the governor cut off the negotiations as quickly as he did. I was sort of waiting to see what the price would be. And I know what he said the price would be. But I guess I'm interested to hear from the other side what the price is. It really depends, of course, what the dollars are and whether or not that is a good deal. But I do-- For me, personally, I do not think the mine is in the best interests of the future of Wisconsin.

If I could use a minute, in the last question, Governor McCallum indicated that somehow the legislative fiscal bureau would say property taxes would go up under my plan. This was a paper that they did years ago before I ever talked about my plan. And newspapers around the state that have looked at the governor's ad about this have called it ludicrous, deceptive, manure. It is simply untrue and just saying it over and over again doesn't make it more true.

Thank you. Mr. McCallum on the Crandon mine.

Scott McCallum: I will on the Crandon mine. But first of all, take it to an independent group. Because it is absolutely correct. The numbers are right. And saying things like that doesn't change it. So, I don't mind an independent group look at it. You take spending caps off, property taxes go up in Wisconsin.

We have some of the toughest standards and the toughest laws in the environment in the state of Wisconsin. In the country. In our state. And those laws ought to be adhered to. I'm proud of having tough environmental laws, and I'm proud of my environmental record of things that we've been able to do working in a bipartisan fashion in the state of Wisconsin. I did suggest that I would look at having the state, with our environmental fund, purchasing the Crandon mine property. When negotiations took place, discussions were done, I saw the price. And I've got to say from the perspective of Wisconsin taxpayers, that's why I was just shocked that the attorney general suggested we should have made that purchase. To purchase the land and mineral rights, when's the state is not going to run a mine, is beyond what any taxpayer ought to expect to take place in the state. And furthermore, it would have depleted our environmental fund. The stewardship fund. So, it would have hurt on all fronts. It was absolutely the wrong thing to do. I'm going to make the right decisions for the future of the state to protect tax dollars and if we need tougher laws, I have supported them, I will move ahead in that direction.

Green Bay - A month after Gov. Scott McCallum ruled out the idea, Democratic candidate for governor Jim Doyle proposed Sunday that Wisconsin reconsider buying the long-disputed Crandon mine site using "creative" financing, a purchase that would stop the mine's development and please environmentalists.

In response, McCallum's top campaign aide, Darrin Schmitz, said taxpayers couldn't afford a state purchase of the land. Schmitz also contended Doyle had gone out of his way in September to say he wasn't advocating that Wisconsin buy the site.

During an appearance in Green Bay, Doyle, the state attorney general, said Wisconsin could use money from trusts controlled by the state Board of Commissioners of Public Lands, as well as entering into partnerships with non-profit groups or private interests to purchase the 5,000-acre parcel.

"I believe purchase of the mine is in the interest of Wisconsin's long-term environmental and economic security," Doyle said. "I believe we should make a real effort to make that happen, and explore every opportunity for financing such a purchase." But Doyle was careful not to promise too much, saying buying the land may turn out to be unfeasible.

"It won't happen unless we try," Doyle said. "It will never happen under a McCallum administration." The issue is a significant one for environmental activists and residents in the Crandon area, east of Rhinelander in northern Wisconsin, where Nicolet Minerals has sought permits since 1994 to extract 55 million tons of ore from a mine.

Nicolet officials contend the project is environment-friendly.

"This is a very safe, well-designed mining project and will have no adverse impact on the environment and will provide much-needed jobs and economic development and diversity for an area of the state that desperately needs it," Dale Alberts, president of Nicolet Minerals, said Sunday, adding that it was premature to comment on Doyle's proposal.

But opponents have called the proposed mine a potential environmental disaster, citing concerns about the use of cyanide at the site and the waste the mine would generate. The mine property is surrounded by wetlands, lakes and streams that lead to the Wolf River.

In June, McCallum, a Republican, said he would consider a proposal by environmental groups and Indian tribes to use public land stewardship money to to buy the property. But in September, his administration rejected pursuing a deal after two appraisals put the value of the property - including mineral rights - at $51.2 million to $94 million.

McCallum was in Grantsburg, in northwestern Wisconsin, on Sunday to attend the dedication ceremony for the new Crex Meadows Wildlife and Visitor Center.

The two campaigns had an earlier dust-up over the Crandon mine issue. In a September interview with an Eau Claire newspaper, McCallum characterized Doyle's position as "the state ought to be making that purchase."

The Doyle campaign responded with a news release quoting campaign director Bill Christofferson saying: "Scott McCallum knows full well that Jim Doyle has never called for purchase of the mine."

Schmitz seized on that earlier position Sunday.

"Jim Doyle doesn't know if he's coming or going," Schmitz said. "He's like a bobble-head doll with his head bobbling up and down and side to side. He doesn't know what he wants."

But Bill Christofferson, Doyle's campaign director, said Sunday that McCallum misstated Doyle's position, which has been that the state should thoroughly investigate the purchasing option. McCallum barely tried to make any deal work, Christofferson said.

When the McCallum administration looked into a state purchase of the mine area, it had considered using the Stewardship Fund, the main resource the state uses to buy land. On Sunday, Doyle cited the state's budget problems and said other funding sources should be considered.

In particular, he supported borrowing money from the public lands board, which manages state-owned lands and controls a number of trust funds. Doyle, along with the secretary of state and state treasurer, is a commissioner on the board, which he said has $150 million to $200 million available.

The board often lends money to municipalities and school districts. Doyle said he did not think that using money from the board would hurt those other entities because they could turn to other sources of funds that offer low-interest rates.

The Democratic candidate would re-open discussions on buying the Nicolet Mine property

Even though Nicolet Minerals has pulled out of the Crandon Mine, pending approval of a mining permit by the Department of Natural Resources, residents of the Wolf River area are still concerned that if the permit is approved waste from the cyanide-laced mine could do irreparable damage to the Wolf River and the surrounding area.

Democratic Gubernatorial Candidate and Attorney General Jim Doyle came to Green Bay Sunday and said that he would re-open discussions on public purchase of the mine and look for creative new ways to finance it if he is elected governor.

"It would be a major financial investment," Doyle said. "It may turn out, at the end of the day, that it is not feasible. There are many uncertainties. But I know one thing for certain, it won't happen unless we try. The governor has already walked away from this issue with no real effort to determine a fair price or negotiate an agreement."

The Stewardship Fund has been the primary source of funding for acquiring land for the state. Doyle said, however, that the state should look into partnering with other sources, including the state Board of Public Lands, in order to finance land purchases.

The proposed Crandon Mine is in one of the most pristine areas in Wisconsin and is surrounded by wetlands. Nicolet Mining Co. has proposed to use between five and 13 million pounds of cyanide over the proposed 30-year life of the mine. Waste would be stored untreated on-site in a single lined landfill-like facility covering an area larger than 200 football fields.

According to the Clean Water Action Council of Northeast Wisconsin, sodium cyanide is "acutely toxic to any living thing." Even small amounts of cyanide can kill fish. For example, "cyanide measured at 20-80 parts per billion can kill rainbow and brown trout. Birds and mammals that drink water or feed on cyanide-poisoned wildlife can be killed at 40-200 parts per million, an amount also fatally toxic to humans.

"Leftover cyanide at very small concentrations has harmed birds and other wildlife which drank mine pond wastewater. Cyanide is a powerful solvent which pulls heavy metals, such as mercury, cadmium, chromium, and lead, out of the rock into a dissolved state.

"These toxic metals end up as waste products which need to be dumped. Cyanide can also break down and form complexes with other chemicals or metals, and still remain as toxic. Mixes of cyanide with other metals and chemicals can be just as toxic as cyanide itself, but they are not routinely monitored or carefully regulated."

Last year, Doyle called on McCallum to call a special session of the legislature to pass two bills that would protect Wisconsin's natural resources from mining, one banning the use of cyanide in mining and the other eliminating the exemption for mining waste from the state's hazardous waste law.

"Gov. McCallum's response was that our mining laws do not need any improvement, because they are among the best in the country," Doyle said.

A statement released by the McCallum campaign on Sunday blasted Doyle's proposal to spend money to buy the mine. "Apparently, Jim Doyle is willing to put the state's Stewardship Fund in jeopardy just to get elected," the statement said.

Democratic gubernatorial candidate Jim Doyle announced Sunday that he would re-open discussions on public purchase of the Crandon mine if he is elected governor.

At a news conference in Green Bay, Doyle said the Crandon mine issue is "a test of our priorities and our commitment to the environment." While citing the risk of such a "major financial investment," Doyle said the project was a challenge and opportunity worth exploring thoroughly.

After two appraisals placed the value of the land and mineral rights between $51.2 million and $94 million, Republican Gov. Scott McCallum announced last month that the state wouldn't buy the 5,000-acre mine property because of its expense.

McCallum campaign spokesman Darrin Schmitz reiterated that Sunday.

"Scott McCallum will not abuse taxpayer dollars for paying astronomical prices for the mine," Schmitz said.

Doyle, however, said purchase of the mine is "in the interest of Wisconsin's long-term environmental and economic security."

Through his work on the Board of Public Land Commissioners, Doyle said he recognizes the potential to identify innovative ways to preserve land that do not use tax dollars.

The state's Stewardship Fund, which now totals $241.8 million, is the primary source of funding for recreational and conservation land purchases. However, because of budget concerns, Doyle said the state should look for other partners and sources of financing, including the state Board of Public Lands, private interests, nonprofit groups or land trusts.

"It won't happen unless we try," Doyle said. "It will never happen under a McCallum administration. The governor has already walked away from the issue with no real effort to determine a fair price or negotiate an agreement." Doyle also stressed passing stronger mining laws and enacting a ban on the use of cyanide in mining.

Since 1994, Nicolet Minerals has sought state, local and federal permits to mine 55 million tons of ore from the mine just south of Crandon, near the headwaters of the Wolf River.

The state ordered appraisals of the land after McCallum said in June he would consider a proposal from a coalition of conservation groups and tribal governments for the state to in essence buy out the project.

The state pulled out of the talks with the mining company and its parent company, BHP Billiton of Melbourne, Australia, on Sept. 13, saying the property was too expensive.

Within days of the state's decision, BHP Billiton, which owns Nicolet, said it was closing its office in Crandon and would try to sell the mine project.