Rep. Brostoff Condemns the Sulfide Mining Bill
The bill, Assembly Bill 499/Senate Bill 534, looks to lift environmental protections regulating sulfide ore mining in Wisconsin.
MADISON – State Representative Jonathan Brostoff (D-Milwaukee) issued a statement speaking out against a sulfide mining bill that is up for a vote in the Senate today. The bill, Assembly Bill 499/Senate Bill 534, looks to lift environmental protections regulating sulfide ore mining in Wisconsin.
In 1998, Prove-It-First was enacted and required companies seeking to mine sulfide ores such as copper, zinc, and gold to prove similar Canadian or U.S. mines had operated for 10 years and been closed for 10 years without damaging the environment.
“In almost 20 years, not a single company has met the burden of proof required by the Prove-It-First Law. State regulators were tasked by the Natural Resources Board to search for examples of safe and successful sulfide mining operations. They haven’t been able to find a single example.
“It took years to enact Prove-It-First, but Senator Tiffany and Representative Hutton have moved their bill, dismantling this important protection, through for a vote in the Assembly and the Senate in just a matter of months. This is yet another instance of money in politics taking precedent over the safety of people and our environment.
“I hope that my colleagues in the Senate put our safety and the safety of our water ahead of corporate greed in today’s vote on the floor. We have to ensure that we are good stewards of our environment for our neighbors today and those of our future generations.”
NOTE: This press release was submitted to Urban Milwaukee and was not written by an Urban Milwaukee writer. While it is believed to be reliable, Urban Milwaukee does not guarantee its accuracy or completeness.
More about the Senate Bill 395
- Governor Gives Corporate Mining Polluters an Early Gift - Wisconsin Conservation Voters - Dec 11th, 2017
- Governor Walker Signs “Mining for America” Bill into Law in Rhinelander - Gov. Scott Walker - Dec 11th, 2017
- Campaign Cash: New GOP Pro-Mining Group Ran Attack Ads - Wisconsin Democracy Campaign - Nov 10th, 2017
- Senate Strikes Job-Creating Gold with Final Passage of Mining for America Act - AFP Wisconsin - Nov 7th, 2017
- Rep. Brostoff Condemns the Sulfide Mining Bill - Rep. Jonathan Brostoff - Nov 7th, 2017
- Their Trick is No Treat for Wisconsin’s Natural Resources - Wisconsin Conservation Voters - Oct 31st, 2017
- Sportsmen and Elected Leaders Speak Out Against Sulfide Mining Bill - Wisconsin Conservation Voters - Oct 13th, 2017
- Op Ed: What Happened to Wisconsin? - State Sen. Mark Miller - Oct 12th, 2017
- Mining Bill is a Disaster that No Amendment Can Fix - Wisconsin Conservation Voters - Oct 3rd, 2017
- Op Ed: Flambeau Mine Was Bad For State - Raj Shukla - Sep 23rd, 2017
Read more about Senate Bill 395 here