Tribal Meeting With EPA Thursday Will Address More Than Penokee Hills Mine

Native American leaders from the Upper Midwest will meet Thursday with top regional officials of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. The proposed iron ore mine in northern Wisconsin is expected to be a topic of discussion, as are more widespread environmental concerns.

Tribal officials and leaders of the EPA’s regions get together a few times a year under a partnership started during the Clinton administration known as the Regional Tribal Operations Committee. On Wednesday, about 20 tribal leaders from Wisconsin, Minnesota and Michigan held a preliminary meeting of their own at a tribe-owned hotel in Traverse City.

Eric Chapman, of the Lac du Flambeau Band of Chippewa in Wisconsin, is the local RTOC co-chairman. He said a lot of tribes in the Great Lakes region will urge the EPA to pursue more action against climate change.

“At the same time, we want to be able to do our part to not only reduce greenhouse gases, but also to develop adaptation strategies to make sure resources are available not only beyond tomorrow, but beyond 50 years from now,” said Chapman.

The resources Chapman is concerned about include wild rice beds and fish spawning areas that could face additional challenges if global temperatures continue to rise.

Lac Courtes Oreilles Chairman Mic Isham, who chairs the Great Lakes Indian Fish and Wildlife Commission, is also urging the EPA take a wide view of environmental threats. He said he’d like more attention paid to the cumulative impact of mining, oil pipelines and coal-fired power plants.

“If you look at the other lakes and the shape that they’re in, it’s not because of one project. It’s because of an accumulative impact of all the projects.”

Thursday’s meeting between the tribes and EPA is expected to be behind closed doors, but tribal officials say they’ll talk to the media afterwards.