LETTER: Put Wisconsinites ahead of out-of-state company profits

To the Telegram:

Last week, Sen. Scott Fitzgerald dissolved the Senate Mining Committee and announced he would try to ram the Assembly Mining Bill through the senate. This bill rolls back environmental standards such that out-of-state companies would be able to cut into our beautiful landscapes and create an open pit mine in efforts to profit from our natural resources.

An open pit mine in northern Wisconsin puts all local residents in danger of health-related problems. When it rains the exposed toxic metals of the open pit will simply wash away in to the local ground water systems (lakes, streams, etc.) This causes problems on multiple fronts. For starters, any farmer that depends on these water systems to help their crops is at risk of very poor yield. Secondly, tourists and locals enjoy fishing or swimming in the summer. If the recreational waters are contaminated, we will lose a lot of money coming into the state in the form of tourist spending. Finally, the toxic runoff puts the aquifers where the majority of our drinking water comes from. If it too gets contaminated, many residents will be forced to relocate. There is and has been a clear rejection of this proposal by Wisconsin residents.

Our senators need to listen to the voice of the people and stop putting out-of-state profits ahead of local residents and environmental health standards.

Julian Holtzman,

Madison

Tags: opinion, letters