Wis. committee to vote on mining bill

MADISON, Wis. — The public will get a chance to sound off on a Republican bill designed to help start a mine in far northwestern Wisconsin.

Gogebic Taconite wants to open an iron mine in the Penokee Hills just south of Lake Superior. The company says the mine will create hundreds of jobs, but environmentalists worry it will pollute the pristine region.

The company has put its plans on hold until legislators can promise a clear end point in the state’s rigorous permitting process. The new bill would require state officials to approve or deny a mine application within a year, eliminate administrative challenges to permitting decisions and limit lawsuits over permit violations.

The Assembly jobs committee plans to hold a public hearing on the bill Wednesday morning in West Allis.