First Candidate In Northern Wisconsin Assembly Race Opposes Mine

Beth Meyers, who has served on the Bayfield County Board for the last four years, has announced her candidacy for the 74th District Assembly seat and has come out against the proposed Penokee Hills iron ore mine.

The first person to enter the Assembly race in the district that encompasses the proposed mine, Meyers also said that mining legislation should do more to protect the environment.

The 74th District seat is held by Rep. Janet Bewley, D-Ashland, who is running for the Senate seat currently held by the retiring Sen. Bob Jauch, D-Poplar.

Meyers said she knew she wanted to be in politics since her eighth grade civics class. She said she has more than 20 years of experience serving the district in the tribal, public and nonprofit sectors.

Meyers said access to affordable education and health care are top issues she would like to address if elected. She also said she would also make environmental protections tougher than in the iron mining law passed last spring.

“We need to work with the (Army) Corps of Engineers out of the federal government and other agencies,” said Meyers. “Until we can prove that we’re not going to damage the water in this area – we’re not going to deplete the wells of homeowners in that area – we need to step back and take some time to make sure this is the right thing to do.”

Meyers says it doesn’t make sense to construct an open pit iron mine in the Penokees. “If we mine the Penokees, we’re shipping that mineral oversees – most likely to China,” she said. “Someday we may need that. Then we’re going to be buying it back from somebody.”

Meyers says Iron County is in desperate need of jobs with more than 13 percent unemployment.

“I’m not sure that mining is a long-term sustaining economy for that region, and I’m going to try and figure out with my colleagues in the Assembly how we can get real jobs to Iron County and this area that do not deplete the resources,” said Meyers.