View our handout about Health Effects of Metallic Sulfide Mining here.
The air, water, and soil pollution caused by mining has numerous detrimental health effects. No matter which material is being extracted, the process of mining requires the destruction of forests or other vegetation in order to remove rocks and soil. This process disrupts ecosystems and sends dust into the air. This dust contains unrefined particles and toxic metals (i.e. mercury, arsenic, and lead). This air pollution causes frequent lung illnesses in miners, such as silicosis, but can also impact the health of nearby communities.
The waste from mines can also become acidic (called acid mine drainage) as it exposed to the air, making it difficult to retain in a protected area. This waste (called acid mine drainage) often pollutes ground and surface water with toxic chemicals and metals. These toxins can cause cancers, neurological damage, and even cardiovascular impacts.
For many years, Wisconsin’s Prove It First Law (also known as the Mining Moratorium law) protected Wisconsinities from new metallic mining projects. The Prove It First Law, passed in 1997, stated that a mining company had to identify an example of a sulfide mine that DIDN’T pollute during operations or after closing in order to obtain a permit. The industry failed produce a single such example, effectively halting all new proposals. However, in 2017, the Wisconsin legislature repealed the mining moratorium and altered the timeline for permit review, reducing the environmental health safeguards in place for Wisconsin.
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Mining In The News
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Gedicks, Blouin: Mining moratorium law essential to protect water
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel (January 22, 2017)
The Environmental Protection Agency estimates that the headwaters of more than 40% of the streams in the western United States are contaminated by acid mine drainage.
The Fight for Wisconsin’s Soul
New York Times (March 29, 2014)
Wisconsin has a history of environmental leadership, but recent legislation has paved the way for new mining projects in the state, threatening Wisconsin’s legacy.
It Could Be A Decade Before Mining Returns To The Northwoods. Residents Are Still Worried.
Up North News (June 30, 2020)
A 2012 study of 14 of the nation’s 16 copper sulfide mines found that all 14 have had at least one containment failure such as pipeline breaches and overflows that released sulfuric acid into the surrounding environment.