State Sen. Tim Cullen, D-Janesville, released a Democratic version of the contentious mining bill Tuesday as a counter to the Republican version released Jan. 16. Both bill are designed to ease the permitting regulations faced by prospective mining companies.
In a statement Tuesday, Cullen listed six areas in which his bill differed from the earlier Republican bill. Among the six improvements were more concern for environmental standards and a two-year permitting process with flexibility allowed to the Army Corps of Engineers to work with the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources while considering permit applications. The Army Corps of Engineers is a federal organization tasked with, among other things, assessing public works to prevent any substantial environmental degradation according to the organization’s website.
Also included was a recommendation for a taxation system similar to that used in Minnesota, which gives taxes collected from mining companies directly to affected communities.
The suggestions were drawn up after the Senate Select Committee on Mining, which Cullen chairs, heard over 20 hours of testimony from mining industry experts along with federal and state regulators and environmental advocates last year, according to the statement.
Cullen reinforced the bipartisanship of the committee hearings, which prompted the recommendations for the new Democratic bill.
“Democrats and Republicans alike heard the same recommendations from mining experts that I did,” Cullen said in his statement. “I stand by this bill as a realistic solution to the mining industry’s request for certainty.”
State Sen. Bob Jauch, D-Poplar, released a statement Tuesday pledging his support for Cullen’s bill and said he was pleased to hear state Sen. Dale Schulz, R-Richland Center, had also given his approval. Schulz was the only Republican who sided with Democrats against a similar failed mining bill last year.
Jauch said the new recommendations would help to create a responsible, non-partisan mining plan for Wisconsin.
“The public expects their officials to pursue responsible and reasonable solutions that assure balance between job creation and protection of our public interests,” Jauch said in his statement. “The plan offered today by Senator Cullen honors that expectation.”
Although Democrats have criticized Republican legislators for not including any of the Democratic proposals in the first draft of their bill, Republicans have maintained they are still open to hearing suggestions from both legislators and the public. Republican legislators have scheduled one hearing on the bill, which will begin at 9 a.m. in the state Capitol Wednesday.
State Rep. Scott Suder’s, R-Abbotsford, office said Suder would also release a formal response to Cullen’s bill Wednesday.
