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The Walker administration – - already having killed both wind energy and high-speed rail initiatives in Wisconsin- – will further erode the environment, and the historic role of the Department of Natural Resources as its protector by turning permit reviews for mines – - like the proposed Gogebic iron ore operation near Ashland, in Northwest Wisconsin – - into a symbolic and superficial shuffling of papers.

The emerging plan is to put a 300-day cap on mining permit procedures, though it correctly takes years to make sure that when begun, mining operations do not foul rivers, lakes and streams – - public resources whose ownership in trust for the people pre-dates statehood and are embedded in the Wisconsin Constitution.

It also looks like this scheme to fast-track mining permits and limit public participation – - all to tip the process towards the applicant – - will be rushed through the Republican-controlled Legislature before the July adjournment, and the July 12 recall elections, which might cost the Republicans their Senate majority.

The Gogebic iron mine, without iron-clad protections created through careful scientific, transparent planning, could harm water quality close to Lake Superior.

So this is serious business. Great caution has to be exercised before the Walker gang is allowed to set in motion a process that could ruin an international body of water – - a major part of the largest supply of fresh water on the planet, the Great Lakes.

It’s one thing for Walker to nail up some “Wisconsin is open for business” signs at the border; it’s another to set in motion a deliberately-truncated, one-sided mining permitting ‘review’ that could end up contaminating irreplaceable, publicly-managed waters.

And Walker has to be challenged if he chooses to abuse the debate by framing this as another cynical “jobs versus the environment” choice. We can have both.

The same level of public awareness and organizational commitment that continues to fight for the restoration of the Great Lakes, and that guaranteed a public process to review, approve and implement the Great Lakes Compact as it unfolds (see, Waukesha)- – both in Wisconsin and across the entire two-country, eight state Great Lakes region – - must now get focused on this blatant disregard for water and the land in Northwest Wisconsin.

A Facebook group is already up and running.

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