“I hope you die,” screamed one of the protestors in northern Wisconsin. The local miner who she was screaming at responded by saying, “We have a permit,” ignoring the countless expletives and threats he received by the masked protestors. As if that was not enough, the protestors continued by stealing and destroying some of the miners’ property. As a result of this altercation, the mining company responded by hiring armed guards to protect their investments. Without a doubt, the iron mine in northern Wisconsin has become a hot topic for debate among conservatives and liberals around the state.

Even though some fight for the mine and others vehemently fight against it, no one can deny the economic benefit that both the United States and Wisconsin would receive from the minerals in the northern part of our state. In fact, nearly 15 percent of the recoverable iron ore in the nation lies in these rich mineral deposits. In addition to this, the mine could directly lead to 700 new jobs in the region and contribute to creating 2,100 new jobs around the state.

Perhaps this would serve to further lower the Wisconsin unemployment rate, which has already reached its lowest since 2008 at 5.9 percent. However, the mine will not only affect those who get new jobs, but it will also benefit all Wisconsinites. Research estimates that this mine could contribute approximately $600 million to Wisconsin’s GDP as a whole. Despite these promising numbers, these are just estimates. Other states that have introduced mines like Minnesota and Michigan have experienced astounding growth in their economies due to their mines.

Despite these economic benefits, there will always be costs associated with any type of development. Whether you are building a new subdivision or mining for iron ore, costs will arise and take many different forms. One of the costs of mining in northern Wisconsin that some have proposed is its environmental impacts. Many argue that the costs are far too high and the project should be rejected altogether without any further investigation into the proposed plan. However, the mining bill passed in Wisconsin still leaves strict regulations in place to protect our groundwater and wildlife. Any mining company would still have to abide by both state and federal environmental regulations. In fact, the majority of the bill focused on just limiting the amount of time that the Department of Natural Resources can wait before issuing a permit or rejecting the plan. Therefore, if the plan does not protect the environment, it can still easily be rejected. While some may continue to argue that the proposed bill will allow the mining companies to damage wetlands, it also mandated that the company must replace any property that they have damaged.

Without a doubt, the Taconite Mine will drive economic development throughout Wisconsin, and it will improve the mineral supply for the nation. While some argue that there are far too many environmental impacts as a result of the mine, the process will be highly regulated to assure that we protect the wildlife and wetlands that everyone values. Therefore, what do we have to fear? Should we purposely avoid economic development out of some misplaced fear?