Wisconsin Senate Votes to Ban Cyanide in all Mining

Wisconsin Senate Votes to Ban Cyanide in all Mining, and End Special Treatment for Mine Projects

Madison, Wisconsin, USA, November 6, 2001

From: Zoltan Grossman

The Wisconsin State Senate today approved two mining-related environmental bills by votes of 19-14. They are Senate Bill 160 to ban cyanide use in all Wisconsin mines, and Senate Bill 271 to have "No Special Treatment" for the mining industry. The bills now go to the State Assembly for consideration.

The vote on SB-160, the bill to ban cyanide in all Wisconsin mines passed the State Senate by a 19-14 vote. The vote was essentially along party lines, with the Democratic majority voting for the bill and the Republican minority voting against. The exceptions were Sen. Roger Breske (D-Eland) voting against, and Senators Mike Ellis (R-Neenah) and Rob Cowles (R-Green Bay) voting for.

Sen. Dale Schultz (R-Richland Center) led the fight against the bill, calling its supporters "Luddites." He introduced an amendment that would have limited the ban to heap-leach mining operations, thereby exempting BHP Billiton's proposed Crandon zinc-copper mine (which would use up to 200 tons of cyanide a year in a froth flotation process). The amendment failed on a 18-15 vote. Sen. Breske and Sen. Ellis voted for the amendment, and Sen.Cowles voted against it.

In votes very similar to those cast for SB 160 (Cyanide ban for mining), Senate Bill 271 ("No Special Treatment" for Mining) also passed the State Senate this afternoon. It would bring up state groundwater and hazardous waste standards to the level of other industries, and end environmental exemptions for metallic mines.

The vote on the bill was also 19-14, with Republican Senators Rob Cowles and Sheila Harsdorf (R-River Falls) joining the Democrats. Democratic Sen. Breske continued his efforts on behalf of BHP Billiton's Nicolet Minerals Co. and voted against SB 271. Go to
http://folio.legis.state.wi.us/cgi-bin/om_isapi.dll?clientID=93775&infobase=bills01.nfo&softpage=Browse_Frame_Pg

and then type in the word mining to find the text of each bill passed and the amendment approved for SB 271.

For background on the cyanide bill, see http://www.alphacdc.com/treaty/cyanide.html There are links to other pages on cyanide, including the recent cyanide disasters involving mines in China and Ghana. For more on the Crandon mine proposal, see http://www.treatyland.com

Thanks again to everyone who pitched in to pass SB 160 and SB 271. Both bills will nowe go to the State Assembly, which has a Republican majority; though some Republican representatives have supported them. Wisconsin citizens should contact Assembly Environment Committee Chair Neal Kedzie (R-Elkhorn),to allow the Assembly Bill on cyanide (AB-95) and the Assembly Bill on "No Special Treatment" (AB-547) to move forward to a vote. Call toll-free 888-534-0043 or e-mail Rep.Kedzie@legis.state.wi.us, AND write him at the State Capitol, Madison, WI 53702.

Dave Blouin, coordinator
Mining Impact Coalition of WI
PO Box 55372
Madison, WI 53705-9172
608-233-8455

Wisconsin Campaign to Ban Cyanide in Mining
c/o Midwest Treaty Network
PO Box 14382
Madison WI 53714 USA
Web http://www.alphacdc.com/treaty/cyanide.html
E-mail: mtn@igc.org
Hotline 800-445-8615
Tel/fax 608-246-2256