Iron County To Seek Reimbursements For Mine-Related Expenses

The Iron County Board is seeking reimbursement from the state for expenses related to an iron ore mine proposal in the Penokee Hills that the company Gogebic Taconite has recently backed away from.

Iron County Board Chair Joe Pinardi said the board unanimously approved a resolution to seek around $60,000 to $70,000 in reimbursement from the state. Pinardi said the county’s Mining Impact Committee will submit an application to the Mining Investment and Local Impact Board.

“Sixty to seventy thousand dollars for Iron County? The highest unemployment rate in the state of Wisconsin, the lowest amount of jobs available … It’s pretty crucial to get that amount of money,” said Pinardi.

Mining Impact Committee Chairwoman Leslie Kolesar said the money will pay for several things, including “coordination with joint committee, with lawyers from the other municipalities, mining company lawyers, advice for us, (and) legal research.”

Kolesar said they’re also looking into whether the county could be reimbursed from a $75,000 payment Gogebic Taconite made to the state. A spokeswoman for the Wisconsin Department of Revenue said the Investment and Local Impact Fund has a balance of $281,000.