State Sen. Neal Kedzie, R-Elkhorn, released the state Senate’s version of a contentious Assembly bill passed on Jan. 26 easing regulations on iron ore mines in Wisconsin.
The preliminary draft, unveiled Monday, differs from the Assembly version in some key areas.
Unlike the Assembly’s version of the bill, the Senate version would create an additional tax on iron ore mines in which 70 percent of the revenue collected would be deposited to a local impact fund, distributed to local governments impacted by mining activity. The added tax would be imposed three years after the mine is open.
Also, a minimum of 1.5 acres of wetland mitigation would be required per acre of wetland adversely impacted from the mining. The Assembly version called for a maximum of 1.5 mitigation acres per acre of affected wetland.
The preliminary draft allows people to challenge an iron ore mining permit or other permit issued by the Department of Natural Resources in connection with an iron ore mining operation. The Assembly version does not allow such challenges.
Kedzie, the Senate Select Committee on Mining Jobs Chair, told the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel his proposal would try to balance economic and environmental interests and he would not “give away the store just because it makes economic sense.”
But Rep. Kelda Helen Roys, D-Madison, said the proposal is the “same pig, different lipstick” as the Assembly’s version.
“I still have serious concerns on the impact on human health, our long-term economic prosperity and the environment based on the draft that was released today,” Roys said. ” I’m hopeful that the fair-minded conservatives on the committee will reject this as too extreme.”
Kedzie said he is scheduling public hearings on the bill throughout the state. The Senate Select Committee on Mining meets Friday to further discuss the proposal.
