Penokee Hills Education Project provides the truth amid a sea of mining misinformation

By Barbara With
Posted July 21, 2014, on Wisconsin Citizens Media Cooperative
Reprinted in part with permission

Penokee Hills Education Project (PHEP) helped sponsor this billboard south of Hurley, Wis., on Highway 51. (Photo © Bill Heart and courtesy Barbara With. Reprinted with permission.)

NORTHERN WISCONSIN -- On June 27, 2014, Penokee Hills Education Project (PHEP) offered information sessions at three locations around the proposed mine site in the Penokee Hills as a way to bring truth to the massive amounts of misinformation being spread by Gogebic Taconite (GTac), pro-mining elected officials, and state and local media. Frank Koehn, Pete Rasmussen and Mike Wiggins Jr. addressed a large crowd to share facts and answer questions that GTac and the Wisconsin DNR seem intent on avoiding.

One such misinformation session held on June 5, 2014, in Minoqua, Wis., was entitled, "Mining in the Penokee Range Forum." Ann Coakley, director of Mining and Materials Waste with the Wisconsin DNR, was asked about how much water the mine would use. Coakley’s answer, "A lot. A real lot," was indicative of the kinds of evasive answers concerned citizens receive when asking about substantial issues that will affect the entire region. ... Click here to read the rest of this article and see videos of the June 5 and June 27 meetings.

Editor's Note:
To learn more about the Wisconsin Citizens Media Cooperative, visit their Web site.