seat on the High Court for the spring election of 2027.
Last week, we reported on exploratory mining
happening again in northern Wisconsin. The company,
Greenlight Metals is looking for gold and copper
and other minerals in Taylor County. After the
repeal in 2017 of Wisconsin's old mining law,
Wisconsin's prove it. First law, otherwise known as the
mining moratorium, was passed in 1997 and required
mining companies to demonstrate where anyone
had safely operated a metallic sulfide mine for
at least ten years, and also where a mine had been
safely closed for ten years. The mining company and
environmental groups disagree on whether that
standard could be proven if it was still in place today.
In 2017, Republicans in the legislature, led by then
state Senator Tom Tiffany, eliminated those provisions
as part of our continuing series examining the
biggest issues in the race for governor "Here& Now".
Senior political reporter Zac Schultz asked the
candidates about mining. >> Roughly Greenlight
Metals the Wisconsin chapter of the Sierra Club.
And the friends of the yellow River are well aware.
Control of the legislature and governor's office could
flip this fall, meaning the regulations governing
mining in Wisconsin could be up for debate. We asked
the leading candidates for governor what they thought
about mining in Wisconsin, and if they would seek to
change the current regulations.
>> You know, I think that we've seen decades of us
ignoring people's rights when it comes to some of
that land, whether it's our tribal nations in the state
and also ignoring the economic, I'm sorry, the
environmental impact on some of our areas. Natural
resources in Wisconsin are the basis of our economy.
We have to protect them, while at the same time we
have to use them responsibly. We have to
make sure that our mining laws are in tune with
current mindset around how we protect people's rights
in in the land and protecting the environment
with making sure that we keep using the resources in
a responsible way. >> There has to be
community buy in and community input for people
who have made their homes in a, in an area, you know,
20, 30 years passed down generation to generation. I
think that folks should have some input on what
happens in their backyard. And all I'm saying is have
the conversation. That's the important part. When we
have those those times where we're mining may come
up and in a part of the state. Yeah, well, talk to
the community. Like let's talk it out because the
only thing that happens is more resentment. If that
conversation doesn't happen. >> I am staunchly opposed
to the type of mining as well as drilling. When it
comes to line five. I have been vocal about my
opposition there. I think the dangers that this is
presenting to communities who have already seen
services be cut, their schools, you know, closing.
I think that having this type of, you know, this
type of harmful. These types of harmful groups
coming in to impact local environments and the
quality of life. It's, it's really unfortunate. And I
think it's very important that we look at how to hold
these corporations accountable.
>> What I think we need to do is to make sure we have
a really good environmental assessment for permitting
for those mines, and to make sure that we are
talking with the local communities. If tribal
nations are involved, we are having those open
conversations with them and making sure that we're not
having the environmental impact that would be
negative for Wisconsin. >> I think one of the most
important things that we have in Wisconsin, a
differentiator that we have in Wisconsin versus other
places around the country, is the natural beauty, the
ability that we have to go out and enjoy Wisconsin.
And that's not a partizan issue. That's not an
ideological issue. That's a a vision that we share for
the state. And so as we think about anything that
would do any potential harm to the state of Wisconsin,
I think we need to be very cautious about that. I
think there are issues around economic development
that I think we need to try to find that right balance.
And if it's time to revisit that issue or it's time to
have that conversation, I'd be all for it.
>> I thought we did a good job of writing the last
mining bill for two reasons. One is we made sure that we
had the toughest mining law in the United States so
that we are going to protect the environment. We
also provided for local control. I think it's
really important for locals to be able to have input in
regards to these projects. But this is something I
mean, we've got a long, great history. I mean, we
have a miner on our flag, right? And we have a long,
proud history of mining here in in Wisconsin.
>> Well, it's about working with the local
municipalities, working stakeholders that are on
the ground and making sure that the work group that we
can put together are giving us the best information
possible to make the best decisions. That's going to
have a huge impact that can have a huge impact on the
environment, as well as a new industry here in the
state of Wisconsin. And so you have to take that on a
case by case basis and really working with all the
stakeholders to make sure that we're making the best
decision possible. >> I think the current law
has worked well for us. I want to see mining
companies prove first before they open up a
hillside and pollute our water, that they're going
to be able to extract things in a safe way that
is consistent with our natural resources
management and our management and our