7/29/2019 ONEIDA TRIBE OF INDIANS OF WISCONSIN Oneida Bill
Opposition 2012l
1/2
ONEIDA TRIBE OF INDIANS OF WISCONSIN
Position Statement in Opposition to Gogebic Taconite Iron
Mine
And Proposed Changes to State Mining Laws
The Oneida Tribe stands with our northern relatives, the Bad
River and Lac Du Flambeau Bands of
Lake Superior Chippewa Indians, and the residents of northern
Wisconsin in opposition to the
proposed Gogebic Taconite Iron open pit iron mine. The
construction and operation of the mine will
destroy the natural world around it, pollute the waters that
provide subsistence for both Indians and
non-Indians and end Wisconsins longstanding traditions of
protecting its natural resources.
The facts are clear. More than 75% of the Superfund sites in the
United States are closed mine
sites. No mine has been closed safely without polluting the
waters. These facts demonstrate to us
that the proposed Gogebic Taconite Iron Mine fails to meet our
basic level of protection for all
people, wildlife and their natural habitat.
The Oneida Tribe is committed to upholding our original
instructions to care for and protect our
Mother Earth for all time. We are born with the responsibility
to leave this place better than we
found it, to uphold the next seven generations philosophy, and
promote sustainability in our daily
decisions.
The Oneida Tribe also opposes the proposed changes to the states
mining laws. Proponents of
these changes identify the creation of jobs as their
justification. However, the adverse impacts of
mining activities are widespread and long lasting. Permitting
decisions must ensure that humanhealth, the environment, indigenous
ways of life and other industries that provide jobs are all
protected. The proposed changes to the states mining laws and
regulations significantly diminish
these imperatives and allow harm that will afflict all residents
of the state for generations. These
harms include:
Inappropriate assignment of the costs. The costs of the
permitting process and reclamation
activities will be shifted from mining companies to the general
public.
Loss of transparency. The process will become less open and
transparent, and interested
parties will be denied access to relevant information.
Severe limitation of public participation and input. Public
participation will be thwarted
through arbitrary deadlines, the denial of contested case
hearings that are necessary to test the
validity of information and assumptions and the denial of
citizen lawsuits that allow the public
to demand compliance with permit requirements.
Destruction of the environment. Wetlands, pristine waters,
woodlands, and archeological
areas will lose protection.
