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Wynn supports mining bill up for vote in Assembly today

WHITEWATER — The state Assembly is set to vote today on a regulation reform bill that is designed to streamline Wisconsin's mining permit process. State Rep. Evan Wynn (R-Whitewater), who represents the 43rd Assembly District, which covers portions of Walworth and Rock counties, announced his support of the bill. He called the proposal a pro-jobs, environmentally-friendly piece of legislation that will boost the economy in Northern Wisconsin and throughout the state.

"A mine in Wisconsin will create hundreds of high-paying union jobs in an area of the state that desperately needs them," Wynn said. "It will also help support thousands of other union jobs in mining equipment manufacturing in Southeastern Wisconsin. This bill is good for Wisconsin."

Some of the bill's critics say the proposal degrades the environmental protections currently in place, but Wynn countered that opponents refused to accept any changes, that they only want infinite hurdles to prevent any and all mines from ever operating.

"We don't have to choose between the environment or a mine, we can have both, and this bill accomplishes that," Wynn said. "Unfortunately, the radical left doesn't care about the thousands of Wisconsin families that will be helped by a mining project, they just want to kill this and all mines no matter the cost."

The process for approving a mine is still incredibly lengthy and complex, Wynn said. The process laid out in the bill would take a minimum of two years for a project to be approved, including a pre-approval environmental study for a minimum of one year, and a 360-day Wisconsin Department of Resources review period. Wynn noted that the DNR review period with costs of up to $2 million will be paid for by the mining company, not the taxpayers.

Wynn added that the bill received ample public input, including three public hearings and numerous amendments to respond to concerns. Legislators have been working on this issue nearly a year.

"At a time when national decisions are being made to kill tens of thousands of high-paying union energy jobs, this effort to create an support thousands of jobs right here in Wisconsin should receive unanimous support," said Wynn. "Unfortunately, some politicians and their special interest backers would rather families remain in poverty."