The Detroit News/Detnews.com
Detroit News Lansing Bureau
By Gary Heinlein
Wednesday, January 10, 2007

Environmentalists question whether regulators are sacrificing wilderness for a few jobs.

It’s the classic confrontation between jobs and the environment in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula.

State environmental regulators gave tentative approval Tuesday to a nickel mine northwest of Marquette, leading to charges the state plans to sacrifice pristine wilderness for a relatively small number of paychecks. Kennecott Minerals officials predict the mine will create 120 jobs.

The Department of Environmental Quality will hold public hearings in March and make a final decision in the spring.

“The governor campaigned on moving the economy of Michigan forward and protecting the state’s natural resources,” said Marvin Roberson, a 16-year U.P. resident who works for the Sierra Club.

He was on Granholm’s committee to rewrite state mining laws and says this proposal is deficient.

“This type of mining is a return to the boom-and-bust resource extraction, which caused so much damage to the U.P. in the 1800s,” Roberson said.

But Granholm spokeswoman Liz Boyd stressed that the preliminary decision was made by regulators, not the governor, under a 2006 law intended to preserve natural beauty while miners extract valuable minerals.

“We have one of the toughest laws in the country for this type of mining which the governor was proud to sign with the consent of environmentalists and mining companies,” Boyd said.

She added that Granholm has directed DEQ chief Steven Chester “to apply the law in the toughest way possible and believes he will do so in a way that protects Michigan’s environment and health.”

The law regulates mining of minerals mixed with sulfides. Special techniques are needed to guard against contamination of soil and ground water from acidic compounds formed when sulfides mix with air and water.

Kennecott’s proposal has touched off a debate reverberating through the U.P. because the rich nickel deposit it wants to mine is close to the Salmon Trout and Yellow Dog rivers.

Tony Retaskie, executive director of the Upper Peninsula Construction Council in Escanaba, said his union favors the project because it will provide much-needed building trades work.

“I think there’s an opportunity to have this project and not harm the environment. I really feel it’s going to be a positive for the economy of the Upper Peninsula,” Retaskie said.

“One of our biggest exports up here is young people.”

Tom Petersen, a retired metallurgical engineer in Ishpeming, said success of the mine could lead to other mines that would help the U.P.

“There is a lot of sulfide mineral in the U.P. and that could lead to a lot of jobs,” Petersen said.

While mining was once a major occupation in the U.P., the last copper mine closed more than 10 years ago; and just two iron mines remain in operation.

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What’s next?

# Citizens can air their views on the proposed mine at three state public hearings March 6-8 at Northern Michigan University in Marquette.

# The Department of Environmental Quality will make its final decision on the mining permit later in the year.

You can reach Gary Heinlein at (313) 222-2470 or gheinlein@detnews.com.

Story appeared in the The Detroit News.
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