Sulfide mining ban lifted in Wisconsin; Governor signs Mining for America bill that lifts moratorium

摘要

WISCONSIN'S 20-year ban on sulfide mining was lifted on Dec. 11 when Gov. Scott Walker signed into law the "Mining for America" bill. The measure was passed by the state Senate in November and effectively lifts the ban on non-iron mining that was put in place in 1998. That moratorium on sulfide mining required anyone who wanted to start a new mine in Wisconsin to prove that a similar mine had operated in America without negative environmental impact for at least 20 years while active and for 10 years after the mine closed. Walker was among those who supported the ban in 1998 when he was a state Senator, but he now says that be believes that sulfide mines can operate in an environmentally friendly way.