Several Native American leaders from Wisconsin say they’re happy with environmental meetings they had with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency that wrapped up on Thursday.
About 20 tribal leaders from Wisconsin, Michigan and Minnesota ended two days of semi-annual meetings by meeting twice with the Midwest Regional Administrator of the EPA. Eric Chapman of the Lac du Flambeau Band of Chippewa is co-leader of a tribal-EPA partnership committee. He said a key issue was making sure the federal government does all it can to protect the air, land and water, and that the EPA works with other agencies.
Lac Courtes Oreilles Chippewa Tribal Chairman Mic Isham said he told the EPA that the agency needs to collect more data on the potential cumulative impact of each proposed mine, pipeline or fracking operation in the Great Lakes Region.
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“Not that we’re opposed to development, not that we’re opposed to a mine. We’re opposed to pollution,” said Isham.
Bad River Chippewa tribal chairman Mike Wiggins, Jr. said he made a pitch for the EPA to use part of the Clean Water Act to potentially stop the proposed iron ore mine in the Penokee Hills of northern Wisconsin. Wiggins said it won’t be the last such request.
“Today was like a little bitty lightning flash in what will be a very cleansing thunderstorm, I think,” said Wiggins.
Others at the meeting who declined to be recorded say they think the EPA is unwilling to make commitments to a strenuous review of the Penokees mine, due to the November elections.
EPA Regional Administrator Susan Hedman said that she had no comment as she left the discussions.
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