In his Oct. 2 column, "Studies done, it's time to open sulfide mines," Rolf Westgard stated that at Ladysmith, Wis., Kennecott mining operations had no violations regarding sulfide mining. I would like to remind him of an article published by the News Tribune on Jan. 19 that stated the Wisconsin Resources Protection Council and the Center for Biological Diversity were among those who filed a federal Clean Water Act citizen suit against Flambeau Mining Co. over its former Flambeau Mine near Ladysmith, Wis. The suit claimed the company violated federal law by discharging pollutants -- including copper, iron and zinc -- into the Flambeau River via a tributary known as "Stream C," which flows across the company's property. The suit further claimed that monitoring data from the mining company and from the state showed that copper levels greatly exceeded Wisconsin's toxicity standards. The suit was filed in Federal District Count in Madison. Flambeau Mining Co. is a subsidiary of Utah-based Kennecott Minerals Co., which is owned by Rio Tinto, based in Melbourne, Australia.
Westgard should read the book, "The buzzards have landed," by Roscoe Churchill and Laura Furtman.
