In a surprising admission yesterday, Tom Tiffany, the nominal author of SB1, allowed that the bill allows for more environmental depredation in the area of the mine. When pressed on the issue he stated:
“The bill reflects the reality of mining. There are going to be some impacts to the environment above the iron ore body,” said Tiffany, R-Hazelhurst. “If the law is challenged and ends up in court, the judge needs to know it was the Legislature’s intent to allow adverse (environmental) impacts. That way, a judge can’t find fault if the environment is impacted.”
Although this has been obvious from the start, it's surprising to hear Tiffany admit this, particularly after all of the obfuscation from him and the Walker administration that the bill does not lower environmental standards. Read the full article at the Capital Times.