Mining for the Truth

Last week the US Forest Service joined Governor Mark Dayton in putting the brakes on a proposed sulfide mining operation, run by a Chilean company, on land which would directly flow into the Boundary Waters Canoe Area (BWCA).  Their findings were the same as the Governor; this type of mining has NEVER been done in environmentally safe ways, hence it would be too dangerous when considering the pristine nature of the BWCA.

If you've never been to the BWCA, it's well worth the trip.  You explore waterways and lakes which look the same as they did centuries ago when Native American's were to only ones viewing them.  These lakes are (for the most part) mega-mansion cabin free, quiet, and serene.

Sulfide mining is one of the most dangerous forms of mining, and it has NEVER been done before in Minnesota.  The sulfide is part of the mining process, and is left over when the precious metals are extracted.  This creates a huge problem, as exposure to air and water creates sulfuric acid, an extremely dangerous and toxic material.  Even a pile of sulfide, off by itself, will start transforming into sulfuric acid.  If a large spill were to occur into a lake or stream, it would annihilate all life in the ecosystem.  Even when a mining company is being careful with the waste product, it still poisons the area for 500 years, leaving a clean up which costs tax payers millions, and unusable land for generations.

The companies who are trying to get these mining leases are not folksy mom and pop mining operations.  These are the largest mining corporations in the world, from Canada, Europe, China, and South America.  The precious metals they're collecting don't help the US economy at all, rather it's all pre-sold to other countries.  These companies DON'T CARE about the communities they mine in.  They're profit driven.  They'll always look for the cheapest way to rip apart the land to get what they want, and run away fast when it's all gone.

We all should know better, but the mining companies put on a well orchestrated dog and pony show to convince people into destroying their own community.  They first set up a local business office, making it seem like it's not some multi-billion dollar international mining conglomerative, it's old Pete, who's just a local guy trying to make good.  They then promise jobs, jobs, jobs!  People who have been out of work are understandably attracted to these promises, and become instant cheerleaders for the new mine.  Environmental reviews are doctored or fixed to make it seem like the mine will be safe, and the mining group smooths over local concerns with praises of a new environmentally safe technology that turns their byproduct into delicious soft serve ice cream, and isn't it un-American to not like ice cream?

Time and time again, communities trust these multi-billion dollar international mining conglomerates.  Time and time again, the community, state, and tax payers get screwed.  When the engineers figure out there's limited precious metals left in the mine, the international mining group spins off it's local company, giving them full control of the mine, and all responsibility.  Old Pete walks out to discover the mine is dry and the environmental side effects are catastrophic.  Old Pete holds a press conference claiming he's sorry while declaring bankruptcy, leaving tax payers with the bill, and politicians who rammed through the approval act like a spurned lover.  "Who could've dreamed they would've done this to us?"  Every community who approved one of these mines, that's who.

That's why Governor Dayton became even more of a hero when he took it upon himself to go and see the communities who had been affected by sulfide mining.  The sobering tour convinced him there was too great of risk in approving this mine.  The US Forest Service agreed.

For the people who scream about the jobs these mines create, you do have a decent argument about the local community.  But before you buy into the multi-billion dollar international mining conglomerative's job promises, educate yourselves.  Are they trying to get around labor laws?  Are they all union jobs, or only a handful?  Are they planning on shipping workers in from Oklahoma or Arizona to work in the mines cheap?  Are they really going to pay everyone the salaries they promote, or are they only going to pay those wages to a handful of people?

Even if the mine does follow through and offers 850 people good paying, union jobs, the BWCA directly hires 17,000.  Are you telling me those 850 salaries will offset the loss of 17,000 salaries if the BWCA becomes terminally polluted for the next few centuries?  Of course not.

When we value what's on top of the land more than what lies underneath it, Minnesota, and the world, will be a lot cleaner, healthier and a much happier place.