According to local media reports on Tuesday, the Wisconsin State Senate has released an altered version of the mining bill that had been recently passed through the State Assembly. The Senate added a new plan that would grant extensions by mutual agreements to the360-day time limit to approve new iron ore mines--which the Assembly had agreed to. The new additions also bring back contested-case hearings--which had originally been taken out when the Assembly created the bill. Opponents can now challenge various Department of Natural Resources (DNR) decisions. The city of Madison, Wisconsin would still get some of the tax revenue from mining sales for the first time--but to appease local officials, the Senate plan takes 30 percent of the cut instead of 40 percent. There would also be a new tax on mining sales to help pay for possible damage.
SteelOrbis originally reported on January 27, 2012 that the Wisconsin State Assembly had passed the bill over to the Senate that would allow Hurley, Wisconsin-based iron-ore producer Gogebic Taconite to build an iron ore mine in northern Wisconsin.The original bill from the Assembly would eliminate the "contested case hearing", which would reduce the amount of public participation. The bill had also required the DNR to approve a mine permit within a year and relax environmental standards for wetlands, groundwater and rock disposal.