REVERTING BACK TO THIRD WORLD?

REVERTING BACK TO THIRD WORLD?

(Green Bay Press Gazette, Wisconsin State Journal)

(Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, Donna Hogan)

Josh Marshall, Frazer Chronicle)

 

The story reeks of naivety, it’s almost comic how dignitaries hustle around seemingly at once disturbed as well as dismayed at the actions of industry, little do they know that for industry…..its business as usual. And in the industrial field of metal and non-metal mining, what’s happening in Northern Wisconsin is little more than business as usual!

 

The scenario actually comes from an old story-line, Gogebic Taconic Mining Company plans on mining an iron formation in sedimentary rock which will yield iron 15% iron.  To process taconite the ore is ground into a fine powder, the magnetite is separated from the gangue (worthless rock) by strong magnets, and the powdered iron concentrate is combined with a binder, usually clay and limestone as a flux.

 

This mixture is incorporated into huge rollers that are heated up and as the mixture rolls, taconite balls, about as big as your thumbnail are produced containing approximately 65% iron. Initially these iron bearing rock were pushed aside as worthless chert, or Siderite. But a revolutionary new process developed by E.W. Davis at the University of Minnesota opened up a new source of ore that could be derived from the worthless rock formations in both Minnesota, and Michigan.

 

The first taconite process took place on the Marquette iron range near Ishpeming and Negaunee, Michigan in the late 1950’s and continue to this day…..some 55 years later. The Empire and Tilden open pit mines have yielded more than a billion ton or beneficiated ore, and created at times close to 2000 well paying jobs. However through a process of downsizing, and incorporating processes, these well paying jobs have dwindled down to less than 700.

 

To understand the attitude, the posturing, and the atmosphere that the iron mining industry has been, what it has meant, and what they intend to do, a person needs to go back into the history of iron mining, both above ground, (open pit), and underground. You in addition need to understand the two types of iron ore that have been produced not only in Wisconsin, but in Minnesota and Michigan as well.

 

Iron mining has been around on what is called the Lake Superior Iron Mining Region for over a hundred sixty four years. First near Marquette, Michigan, than in the Iron Mountain, Iron River area, and near Ironwood, Michigan. Iron mining in Minnesota came in the 1890’s, and is still extracting ore to this day.

 

Business men from Ohio, New York, and up the East Coast who never set a foot in the wilds of Michigan, or Minnesota, or Wisconsin, non-the-less, sent men to do their bidding and opened up for first great iron range at present day Negaunee and Ishpeming, Michigan.

 

THE ATTITUDE AND METHOD HAVEN’T CHANGED

In the tangled wilds of the Upper Peninsula of Michigan, the mining industry established mining camps that were situated within a stone’s throw of the mine workings. In relatively short order these camps were referred to as locations, and provided the mining with everything that he might desire. Clothes, food, drink…..and women were all soon provided at these locations.

 

The law-makers as well as the absolute judge, jury and sometimes executioner were the mining companies. These camps or locations were exactly what they sound like; rough, rowdy, lawless and dangerous places to be…..but the pay was decent.

Mining companies provided everything to the early miner, health clinics, company doctors, nurses, churches, schools, meeting halls, as well as recreational facilities. Throughout the first 60 or so years of the industry in Michigan, the mining workforce was made up of Swedes, Finlanders, Italians and the Cornish from the islands of the British.

 

Language was a huge hindrance during the early years of mining, and actually was propagated by the mining companies as a way to keep labor unrest at a minimum. It wasn’t until the 1890s that the company figured out that a good productive knowledgeable employee was an important commodity and the speaking of English was taught in the schools not only for the miner’s kids, but the miner himself.

 

The power of the mining company in Michigan, as well as Minnesota and Wisconsin, with regard to local and state government was, and is immense. The production and extraction of minerals from the ground is really a three pronged attack:

1. A mining project immediately means jobs for locals, these new jobs create a spin-off, everybody wins, from the tavern owner, to the gas station guy, to the banks.

2. Tax base, even if there is tax abatements, in the long run, these mining companies pay land taxes.

3. Public facilities and roads, the additional traffic means road repair and better roads, and schools, meeting buildings, and recreational centers seem to pop up whenever a mining company is in town.

 

So in the final analysis, the mining company views itself as a kind of savior of the locals…..new jobs, good paying jobs, tax money and the fringe benefits of companies that will mean millions upon millions of dollars to the area. Its how these people have felt and operated for almost a hundred sixty years, why change now?

 

THE SITE…..AND THIS IS HOW WE ROLL

The site of the open pit mine, along highway 77 down through an area that isn’t new to the pick and ax, and the dynamite of the mining efforts of the late 19^th century. Within a stone’s throw of the current property involved, 21 individual iron mining efforts have taken place.

 

In fact, the Iron Belt iron mine in Iron Belt produced more than 1,889,662 ton of ore and the Berkshire yielded 3,871 ton during an on again,  off again effort. More towards the Wisconsin-Michigan state border, in Hurley and Montreal, Wisconsin, the iron ore extracted from the ground was an immense amount of more than 55,000,000 ton of ore.

 

The site of the open pit mine is situated to the north of highway 77 between Mellon and Iron Belt, Wisconsin. The property is pristine, with creeks, a river, water-fall and some virgin trees that might, or might not be sacrificed because of the project. One thing is for sure, the open pit project is going to leave a scar as long as possibly 10 miles, as wide as a mile, and up to 1000’ deep.

 

Of course the impact that the project makes on the site and the surrounding property would become problematic depending on the size eventually of the ore body. The waste rock generated by the process of separating taconite from the rock formations is extensive. For every ton of taconite ore that is processed, there are a minimum of 6 ton in waste rock.

 

To fully understand what I mean by the amount of waste rock that a taconite open pit operations produces, take a road trip up into the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. Take U.S. route 2 through Escanaba to M 35 north up to Palmer, Michigan. There you will see waste rock piles from their open pit operation that are 400, 500, and even 600’ in height. At the tip-top of these rock piles, take a look down to the base of which is a staggering 1000’ below sea level.

The property, which is enormous, will never be used by humans, because the cost to back-fill the mine pit is cost prohibitive. The Empire operation has been in existence since 1961, and has produced more than a billion ton of taconite.

 

The impact on the environment is easily seen in the obliterated river route and the creek beds that no longer have water, the source covered over by billions of ton of waste rock. The rock piles go right to the tree line, and actually bury portions of tree stands.

 

There really are no words that can explain the damage that an open pit mining effort brings to the local environment. There are also no words to explain the consequences that result from the financial impact that is wrought on the communities that surround one of these sites.

 

People get used to higher wages, they believe people that say things like, “generations will reap the benefits of Gogebic Taconite, and what it will mean to the area.” And “we are stewards of the wilderness, and partners in environmental issues.”

 

Gogebic Taconite said that they would “remain out of the politics of mining in Wisconsin,” but used behind the scenes tactics to have rules, regulations and restrictions eased, or eliminated, and were put on the fast track to receive licenses to drill, to explore and to develop land in the Penokee Range.

 

Cline Resource and Developing Group owns Gogebic Taconite, and although they’ve never mined for iron ore, they do have coal mines in Illinois and West Virginia. Sadly coal mining is completely different from open pit iron mining…..unless you’re talking about blasting mountain-top of coal in the Virginias.  

 

Mining companies forever and a day have hated any kind of governmental involvement of any type, the first mining inspectors were appointed by the mining companies, and although they are now appointed, or elected by popular vote, they have little power…..if you don’t believe me…..talk to one…..off the record, you’ll be surprised.

 

BULLETPROFF SECURITIES

People that protest need, first and foremost, to understand what the protest is all about, just because you live next to an operation doesn’t me that you should go off half cocked. Take the time to investigate what is going on, then weigh the good and what is bad, and formulate an educated opinion.

 

The world needs iron, and its by-products, of that there is no doubt, and also a fact is that iron producing companies at the source (the mine) need to be heavily regulated. I know of a lake west of Ishpeming, Michigan that has been polluted for more than a hundred years, and school kids are cleaning it up for a summer project…..all the while the mining company responsible continues to do work in the area with absolutely no penalties!

 

Protests need to be operated under several guidelines, the biggest being to never become violent, or use abrasive language! Every time protesters lose their cool, it makes the newspapers, and there goes your public support.

 

People in general do not understand about the extraction of ores from the ground, the mines are mostly in the back woods, in out of the way places that only deer hunters might frequent. Information aplenty needs to be available.

 

 

However if a peaceful confrontation with mining companies results in no satisfactory results….. and remember, every PEACEFUL protest is viewed by the mining company as a CONFRONTATION, you will need to go to plan B. For that information, and my answer to that issue…..leave me a message on my Blog.

 

HAVE A NICE DAY!