The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel Editorial Board believes that a huge strip mine proposed for northern Wisconsin can "coexist with clean water and land," though the Board offers not a nugget of evidence to support this. The evidence, in fact, suggests otherwise.
The supposedly reclaimed Flambeau Mine, also an "open pit" mine in Wisconsin, was the target of a lawsuit back in January for being in violation of the Clean Water Act.
The Board believes a new mining bill that protects the Penokee Range is possible to write. But all the words and laws in the world have not prevented the obscene destruction of many Appalachian mountains, the pollution of air and water in the West, nor the miserable existence of Americans who happen to live near strip mines.
Perhaps the Journal Sentinel could send some "watchdog" reporters to West Virginia or Wyoming or Minnesota to investigate other strip mine sites. This would be an educational experience for the Board and its readers.
Blindly supporting the mining industry (thanks to the local presence of Caterpillar and Joy Global) is neither good journalism nor good citizenship.
The editors do offer "another view" brought to us by NotMine.net