Republicans in Wisconsin have presented their version of a bill to allow a Florida based mining company to operate an iron ore mine in the far north western part of Wisconsin. The company known as Gogebic Taconite is interested in operating a huge open pit mine in a location just south of Lake Superior.
The company has asked the state lawmakers to simplify the complex permit granting process in the state before it moves ahead with the project. In view of this the Assembly Republicans had passed a bill last month which asked for the permit to be issued within a year of getting the application. The bill also wiped out contested case hearings and blocked citizen lawsuits.
When the bill was passed in the state Senate the year long deadline for approving permits was upheld but it also allowed contested case hearings. Now the Senate Select Committee on Mining Jobs is to hold a public hearing for the mining legislation which has been proposed in Platteville.
Sen. Neal Kedzie, the chairman of the senate committee said that the hearing on Assembly Bill 426 will take place on Fri., Feb. 17 at 10 a.m. at the University of Wisconsin-Platteville Ullsvik Hall, in the Harry and Laura Nohr Gallery.