Wis. mine plans pit jobs against environment

[October 06, 2011]  MADISON, Wis. (AP) -- Republicans looking to deliver on job promises have decided to help a Florida-based mining company extract what it says are billions of tons of iron ore buried beneath the Penokee Range in northwestern Wisconsin.

The company has promised the project will generate millions of dollars in tax revenue and hundreds of well-paying jobs for a region that has little else to offer beyond a chance for outdoor getaways.

But it also could transform the pristine landscape into a polluted eyesore, setting up a debate over how much a state that prides itself on conservation should sacrifice for paychecks.

Republican Gov. Scott Walker is taking a middle-of-the-road stance on the mine, saying he supports it as long as it doesn't jeopardize farming and tourism.

[Associated Press; By TODD RICHMOND]

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