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OC Committee Says No To Another Mining Presentation

en.wikipedia.org

The Oneida County committee considering having a person talk before the full county board about the possibility of the Lynne mine said no yesterday.

In July, a man with a mining interest from the state of Washington had asked the county about the Lynne site. Two years ago the county board voted against continuing with a proposal by another mining company. In the 1990's Noranda Minerals withdrew from pursuing a mine site there citing a number of reasons. The committee voted to decide yesterday whether the man should speak before the full county board. More than 30 mining opponents packed the committee room, including a contingent from the Lac du Flambeau tribe. Committee member Alan Van Raalte from nearby Little Rice questioned the credentials of the company and the individual. Several speakers brought up familiar issues from the many years of debating mining, mostly dealing with on-going water pollution problems, noise and destruction of habitat. But Lac du Flambeau chair Tom Maulson left little doubt that their tribe...with some land in Oneida county...would fight any attempt to bring a mine to the town of Lynne..

"....you know what they say..you're going to make the feathers of Indian people stand up. We've been the caretakers for a long time out there. We know what the resources are. They're for everybody, not just Indians. But if we don't take care of them, then the next generations of people aren't going to be able to do what we do...."

Maulson says no safe mine of this type has been proven. He also said all the tribes in the state would unite to fight any mine. Tribal council member Brooks Big John said they have  federal Treatment As State authority for water and are close to getting authority over air quality.

However, supervisor Tom Rudolph said the board should vote to hear the presentation..

"...it's a free country, we all should be able to speak..."

When the agenda item was called to vote whether to hear the mining presentation,   Rudolph and committee chair Jack Sorenson voted yes while Lisa Zunker, Van Raalte and Bob Mott voted no,  killing the measure.
Maulson  asked whether the land would be for sale, so that the tribes could purchase the property similar to what the Potawatomi and Mole Lake Sokaogon tribes did with the Crandon deposit. Sorenson indicated he would be open to listening.

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