Saturday, March 10, 2012

Big money and thousands of jobs?

Open Pit Ore Mine Southwest of Marquette MI.


The promise of big money and thousands of jobs had people drooling. They almost rewrote the environmental laws to get a out of state company to mine in Wisconsin.
Few in Madison voting had even been to the proposed site area I believe. So close to Copper Falls State park and in the Lake Superior watershed. Unemployment is high in Ashland and Iron Counties. Jobs are always needed but at what cost? Our country needs Iron Ore to build cars and make steel for the aging infrastructure of our country. These are tough issues and choices. Above is a picture of a Iron Ore mine and waste lake south of Marquette MI. It’s as ugly as it gets. Does Wisconsin really want this in it’s backyard?Some will say it’s just cut over land after the logging of the past. There is nothing to harm. Others just scream loudly about trout streams, wild rice and the ground water. The divide between the two is huge. But myself I’m happy to say I’m glad it’s not happening.I can’t imagine a open pit mine like that in Wisconsin today. I don’t believe the hype of huge salaries and thousands of jobs. It’s more of the same boom and bust economy. A few good years and they pull out and leave a big mess. Also if you have ever been in the area of mines the water in holding ponds and lakes turns turquoise in color. That is the heavy metals in the water. Fish can’t live in that. I first saw this in Colorado and thought the streams are so blue? Why is that? Mining that’s why I was told.

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