Mining here is not subject to federal hazardous waste laws, allowing mining to simply landfill wastes even if cyanide is present. Mining in Wisconsin is also subject to less restrictive groundwater and wetlands standards. Nicolet Minerals' Crandon proposal would use 10 times the amount of cyanide as used by any other state company. We need SB 160 to ban cyanide use by an industry that would produce far more toxic wastes than any other in the state and incredibly, is subject to fewer environmental restrictions. The Campaign countered absurd comparisons of small amounts of cyanide in coffee to that of cyanide in mine wastes.
Humans can metabolize low levels of cyanide found in some foods.
However, fish and other wildlife cannot. The tiniest amount of cyanide is toxic to fish and aquatic life. It said that the devastating environmental damages caused by cyanide accidents worldwide illustrate the extreme toxicity of cyanide. On May 18, Australian protesters carried signs opposing the Crandon proposal outside a BHP shareholder's meeting in Melbourne. It is legislation crafted to protect the lakes, streams and rivers of Wisconsin from the serious risk of cyanidecontamination.