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A mining bill that received its first public airing Wednesday was championed as an engine for economic growth and decried by opponents for stripping numerous environmental protections from state law.

More than 200 people attended a legislative hearing at Wisconsin State Fair Park, where emotions ran high over a bill that would rewrite mining laws by carving out special provisions for iron ore mining.

Even though the bill's first hearing took place in Milwaukee - a major center for mining equipment manufacturing - all of the attention was centered on a portion of Iron and Ashland counties.

It's there, southwest of Hurley, that Gogebic Taconite is proposing to construct a $1.5 billion mine that officials said Wednesday would employ 600 to 700 workers, with average salaries of $83,000 a year, including benefits.

Earlier this year, the company said it needed more certainty from the state's regulators, prompting a bill on Dec. 8 that supporters believe will give the company assurances to construct a four-mile iron ore mine, providing a jolt to one of the poorest regions in Wisconsin.

Without the changes, Gogebic President Bill Williams told the Assembly Jobs, Economy and Small Business Committee, he doubted outside investors would lend money for the 1,000-foot-deep mine.

The bill, Assembly Bill 426, would relax numerous environmental standards, including wetlands protection, well drilling and public participation in the review process for the mine. All of the changes are intended to speed the oversight process and provide timelines to mining companies.

Even with the changes, Williams said, existing state and federal regulations will assure environmental protections.

"We have to meet those requirements," he said. "If not, the mine will not be built."

But many concerns were raised.

For example, the legislation could conflict with the Great Lakes Compact, adopted in 2008 by eight Great Lakes states to prevent others from drawing water from the basin.

Under questioning, a state Department of Natural Resources water regulator, Russ Rasmussen, said the bill's provisions to regulate high-capacity wells could run into trouble with the compact.

In an interview, Rasmussen said "there is a potential conflict" because the legislation allows the DNR to give strong weight to economic considerations when evaluating the effects of a well at the expense of protecting water resources. Gogebic needs large amounts of water for its operations.

Another change would require the DNR to approve a mining application within 360 days.

DNR officials said it might be able to meet the timeline, depending on the complexity and size, but the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers raised questions about a time limit. Typically, the DNR and corps work together on facets of a mining application.

"Our concern . . . is that 360 days is not enough time to partner with the state," said Rebecca Graser, program manager of regulatory affairs with the corps.

From the start, the hearing grew heated as Democrats on the committee objected to what they viewed as a rush to advance the 183-page bill.

Rep. Penny Bernard Schaber (D-Appleton) said she believes that wetlands and groundwater protection will suffer under the bill.

"This bill raises major concerns for me because it does not protect the environment," she said.

Democrats also repeatedly demanded to know who authored the bill, which didn't include sponsors on Wednesday afternoon, nearly a week after it was introduced.

Rep. Mary Williams (R-Medford), chairwoman of the committee, replied it was a "combined effort" but declined to name specific authors.

Bill Williams of Gogebic told legislators that he did not have a personal hand in the bill but said in an interview that he had conversations with aides in the Assembly, Senate and Gov. Scott Walker's office.

An earlier draft had been largely written by Gogebic lawyers.

Many who came to the hearing traveled from northern Wisconsin.

John Sendra, chairman of the Republican Party in Iron County and the owner of a restaurant and hotel in Mercer, described himself as someone who wants to protect the environment. He thinks the bill balances economic and environmental issues.

"We are tired of struggling all of the time," Sendra said.

Wisconsin's tribal leaders, including Marvin Defoe, vice chairman of the Red Cliff band of Lake Superior Chippewa, oppose the mining legislation.

Defoe said legislators should examine the effect of the bill decades from now.

"Trees, fish and water need a voice, too," he said. "People in my community would rather have clean water than a job."