The Penokee Range looking towards Mount Whittlesey. Photo courtesy of atthecreation.com
The Forum has tried to include all perspectives about mining and community issues on this web site. However, we do not pretend to offer an exhaustive database of every source of information that is available.
The Forum will continue to expand and evolve this site as more information becomes available. If you have more information or websites that you do not see here, please tell us.
Below are websites concerning mining in the state of Wisconsin.
| Area of Interest | Web Source |
| Lakewide Management Plans (LaMP) |
The Lake Superior Binational Programs LaMP established goals and objectives for protecting and restoring the lake’s natural environment.Mining activities affects many parts of any ecosystem including chemical, air, habit protection, etc. Click for specific chapters of LaMP. |
| Government Agencies | Evironmental Protection Agency |
| EPA Technical Resource Document, Extraction and Beneficiation of Ores and Minerals – Iron | |
| United States Geological Survey | |
| US Fish and Wildlife Service | |
| US Army Corps of Engineers | |
| Mine Safety and Health Administration | |
| Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources | |
| Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources – Mining Information Sheets | |
| Tribal Water Quality Standards (WQS) Program Authorization | |
| Wisconsin Counties Association | |
| Iron County Iron Mining Website Information | |
| Land Conservation Iron County | |
| Legislation | Senate Bill – 11-4035P1 Senate Proposed PRELIMINARY DRAFT − NOT READY FOR INTRODUCTION |
| An Overview of Metallic Mineral Regulations in Wisconsin from Wisconsin Geological and Natural History Survey by Thomas J. Evans | |
| Mining Permit Timelines for Wisconsin, Minnesota & Michigan from Wisconsin Legislative Council dated October 2011 | |
| Dec. 8, 2011 ~ Assembly Republicans Proposed Mining Legislation (.pdf) | |
| Dec. 9, 2011 ~ News Conference: Assembly Republicans Introduce Mining Legislation | |
| Native American Tribes | Bad River Band of Lake Superior Chippewa |
| Red Cliff Band of Lake Superior Chippewa | |
| Lac du Flambeau Band of Lake Superior Chippewa | |
| Tribal Rights and the Mining Bill |
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| Proposed Mining Sites | Penokee Gogebic Range – Gogebic Taconite (GTAC) |
| Environmental Impacts | Mines Pollute Tens of Billions of Gallons of Water Per Year – May 2013 |
| This SlideShare web site offers many slideshows about a diverse range of perspectives about mining in the U.S. and around the world. Sample topics include acid mine drainage mitigation, restoration of open pit mines, sulfide mining impacts on health, mining safety, etc. – 2012 | |
| From Resource Curse to Blessing by Nation of Change Published: August 2012 | |
| Great Lakes United ~ Mining on Lake Superior: Past, Present and Future A discussion with Brennain Lloyd of Northwatch and Mike Ripley of the Chippewa/Ottawa Resource Authority Presented: November 2011 | |
| Iron Mining in the Lake Superior Basin – A Report from the Great Lakes Indian Fish & Wildlife Commission Presented: October 2011 | |
| Proposed Changes to the Iron Mining Regulations and the Associated Risk to Wisconsin’s Natural Resources by The Nature Conservancy. Presented: December 2011 | |
| Mining in the Penokee Range: What’s at Risk from The Nature Conservancy, by Casey Eggleston | |
| The Environmental Track Record of Taconite Mining: A Fact Sheet on the False Premise that Iron Ore Mining is Safe Prepared by the Sierra Club, October 2011. More info at: wisconsin.sierraclub.org/PenokeeMine.asp | |
| Acid Mine Drainage and Effects on Fish Health and Ecology: A Review for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Anchorage Fish and Wildlife Field Office, prepared by: Reclamation Research Group, LLC dated: June 2008 | |
| What Are Tailings? – Their Nature and Production | |
| Acid Mine Drainage from the Environmental Protection Agency | |
| Gold Diggers and Indians – Article from In These Times, Jan 2013 | |
| Socio-Economic Impacts | Univ of Wisconsin-Extension offers a series of factsheets about frac sand mining and mining in general. Feb 2013 |
| Wisconsin Legislators Push for Easier Iron Ore-Mine Permits During Worldwide Iron Glut (Fox News) – March 2013 | |
| A WUMS radio news feature explores the types of legal challenges Wisconsin will likely face if a mining corporation begins digging to reach iron ore near Lake Superior. – March 2013 | |
| Mining Hasn’t Been an Economic Panacea in Minnesota – February 2013 | |
| From Resource Curse to Blessing by Joseph E. Stiglitz, Aug 2012 | |
| The Economic Impact of Ferrous and Non-Ferrous Mining on the State of Minnesota, the Arrowhead Region and Douglas County, WI prepared by Bureau of Business and Economic Research-Labovitz School of Business and Economics, University of Minnesota Duluth Dated: March 2009 | |
| The Economic Impact of the Gogebic Taconite Mine from NorthStar Economics, Inc. Presented: April 2011 | |
| A More Holistic Economic Evaluation of Mining: Considering Costs and Benefits by Thomas Power, University of Montana, Missoula, MT | |
| Human Health Impacts |
Minnesota Taconite Workers Health Study from University of Minnesota |
| The Origins of Public Concern with Taconite and Human Health: Reserve Mining and the Asbestos Case from National Library of Medicine – National Institutes of Health | |
| Resisting Resource Colonialism in the Lake Superior Region by Al Gedicks, September 2011 | |
| Potential Health Risks Related to Mining: A Collection of Research Study Links | |
| Citizen Responses and Groups | Penokee Arts – Explore the Iron Hills |
| Penokee Hills Education Project – a project of the Mining Impact Coalition of Wisconsin, Inc. | |
| Resisting Resource Colonialism in the Lake Superior Region by Al Gedicks, September 2011 | |
| Bad River Watershed | |
| Wisconsin League of Women Voters | |
| Citizens Concerned about the Proposed Penokee Mine – Facbook page | |
| Clean Wisconsin | |
| Sierra Club: Wisconsin John Muir Chapter | |
| Save Our Sky Blue Waters | |
| The Water’s Edge | |
| Hard Rock Mining: Risks to Community Health by Aime Bualanger and Alexandra Gorman Dated: September 2004 | |
| Many Ways of Peace | |
| Wisconsin Network for Peace and Justice (WNPJ) | |
| Mining Associations | Wisconsin Mining Association |
| The International Network for Acid Prevention – An organization of international mining companies dedicated to reducing liabilities associated with sulphide mine materials. January 2013 | |
| Geology | January 2013: Northland College professor describes the geological composition of rocks at the proposed Penokee Hills open pit iron ore mine in northern Wisconsin, about 22 miles south of Lake Superior |
| July 2012: “Geochemical, mineralogical and structural characterization of the Tyler Formation and Ironwood Iron Formation, Gogebic Range, Wisconsin.” – The purpose of this report is to provide baseline geologic information about the physical and chemical character of the Ironwood Iron Formation, a potential mining target, and the overlying shale or slate, known as the Tyler Formation, in the Gogebic Range of Iron and Ashland Counties, Wisconsin. | |
| WI Geological & Natural History Survey | |
| Overview of Metallic Mining in WI from Wisconsin Geological and Natural History Survey | |
| US Geological Survey Mining Initiative – homepage | |
| The Gogebic Iron Range – A Sample of the Northern Margin of the Penokean Fold and Thrust Belt from the US Geological Survey by William F. Cannon, Gene L. LaBerge, John S. Klasner, and Klaus J. Schulz | |
| Maps | Iron Mining in Wisconsin – Locations from the Wisconsin Geological and Natural History Survey |
| Metallic Deposits in Wisconsin from the Wisconsin Geological and Natural History Survey | |
| Gogebic Range Mine & Borehole Locations – Iron County | |
| Gogebic Range Mine & Borehole Locations – Ashland County | |
| Mines, Mineral Exploration and Mineral Leasing in the Lake Superior Watershed prepared by the Lake Superior Workgroup’s Mining Committee | |
| GLIFWC – Mining in the Ceded Territories | |
| Water On The Line: Gogebic Taconite’s Push to Mine the Penokee Hills by Carl Sack | |
| Mining History | Wisconsin Historical Society |
| Mining Artifacts | |
| Events | Bob Kincaid to Speak – Dec 5, 2012 @ Bad River Casino, Dec 6, 2012 @ Northland College |
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Midwest Mining Initiative/TESNAR 2011 |
| TESNAR 2011 Abstracts – Summary of presentation and links to .pdf of each presentation | |
| USGS Mining Initiative | |
| Mining Education Week At Northland College January 19 through January 28, 2012 | |
| Extreme Mining: The Penokee Iron Mine Proposal by professor and author, Al Gedicks. Time: 6pm on January 19 in the Sentry room Sigurd Olson Environmental Institute, Northland College | |
| Additional Resources |
Penokees – Big Bear Sundries December 2012: An open pit iron open mine is proposed for the ancient hills of the Penokee Hills 20 miles south of Lake Superior. Here are photos of the Penokees by Wisconsin photographer Joel Austin. |
| Final Sulfide Mining Regulation in the Great Lakes Region by the National Wildlife Federation, Great Lakes Regional Resource Center – March 2012 | |
| Mining on Lake Superior: Past, Present and Future | |
| The Lake Superior Iron Ranges: Geology and Mining USGS TESNAR 2011 Meeting, Presented: May 2011 |
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| Gold, Iron, Copper, Zinc, and Sand; What’s Driving the New Interest in Mining and Mineral Resources in Wisconsin Presented by Bruce A. Brown, Wisconsin Geological and Natural History Survey | |
| POSITION STATEMENT ON LRB-3520/1 by the Bad River Band of Lake Superior Chippewa Indians Presented: December 13, 2011 | |
| Position of Wisconsin Trout Unlimited IN OPPOSITION OF AB 426, THE WISCONSIN ASSEMBLY IRON MINING BILL Presented: January 10, 2012 | |
| Mining Update: Current, Emerging and Future Issues by Raye Lahti for Sigurd Olson Environmental Institute Advisory Board Meeting Dated:April 2006 | |
| Tribal Rights and the Mining Bill a Newsmakers interview on Feb. 24, 2012 seen on Wisconsin Eye | |
| In the News | Wisconsin Legislators Push for Easier Iron Ore-Mine Permits During Worldwide Iron Glut (Fox News) – March 2013 |
| Wisconsin Public Radio interviews Tom Tiffany, Republican State Senator from Hazelhurst, who is sponsoring a bill proposed to allow iron ore mining in the state, as well as Mike Wiggins, Tribal Chairman of the Bad River Band of Lake Superior Ojibwe, who talks about how a mine could pollute the Bad River and Lake Superior. January 2013 | |
| This Week in Mining – Weekly Update on WDIO.com | |
| Republicans unveil mining bill with some ‘less stringent’ regulations - Jan. 16, 2013 | |
| Gold Diggers and Indians – Article from In These Times, Jan 2013 | |
| Mining Meeting held in Ashland WI – Dec 6 2012 – A panel of three speakers gave presentations about the similarities of impacts caused by mountaintop removal for coal in West Virginia and open pit iron ore mining in northern Wisconsin: Bob Kincaid, Human Rights Activist from West Virginia; Jessica Koski, Mining Specialist for the Keweenaw Bay Indian Community; and Mike Wiggins, Chair of Bad River Band of Lake Superior Chippewa. | |
| Defeated mining measure changes backed by Gogebic lobbyist – Dec 2 2012 | |
| Tribal Rights Central to State’s Mining Debate – Nov 29, 2012 from WUWM News | |
| Radio Series of Interviews by WUWM – February 2012 | |
| Senate Mining Bill to Differ from Version Adopted by Assembly – Jan 27, 2012, from Milwaukee Journal Sentinel | |
| Wisconsin Endangers a Sacred Tradition Jan 25, 2012, from Indian Country Media Network | |
| What the Mining Debate is Missing January 3, 2012 | |
| Wisconsin GOP Introduces Long-Awaited Mining Bill December 8, 2011 | |
| WUWM ~ Special Mining Commitee Holds First Meeting November 16, 2011 | |
| Mining Controversy in Wisconsin Puts Spotlight on Minnesota Taconite Oct 17 2011 | |
| Mining in Wisconsin: Promise or peril? October 9, 2011 | |
| WBEZ Radio ~ Great Lakes Series | |
| Risking life in the Mongolian gold rush - 18 August 2012 | |
| Tapping old mines for heat may create new energy source – Nov 6 2012 | |
| Wisconsin Mining Database | |
| Additional Mining Types |
Sand Mining – Sand Mining Stability Newsletter by UW-Extension, Cooperative Extension |
| Sand Mining – Sand Mining Economic Multiplier Newsletter by UW-Extension, Cooperative Extension | |
| Commentary |
Rushing Mine Permits Puts Water at Risk |
The U.S. Forum Coordinator is located at the Sigurd Olson Environmental Institute on the Northland College campus. The Institute and Northland College support the Forum’s functions of convening opportunities and meetings that provide reasoned information from diverse perspectives to help people make informed decisions about issues in their communities.
