A recent ‘Letter to the Editor’ explained that sulfide mining proposed for the Yellow Dog Plain cannot be done safely. The letter from 2/9/07 explained: the Wisconsin law prohibits sulfide mining until mining companies can demonstrate successful mining and post-mining without polluting surrounding surface and groundwaters. The aforementioned letter supports our position that this requirement makes it “…very difficult, if not impossible, for companies…”

Yes, we agree it is near impossible to operate a sulfide mine in a water-rich area with-out pollution. In desert or year-round frozen conditions sulfide mining has much less difficulties. Beyond that we are concerned about the potential loss of character of our region. We live here because of the extremely good salaries. Oh No! That’s not it! We live here because the open lands, minimal traffic and recreational activities give a wonderful quality of life.

Here are a few of our concerns:

~ Increased traffic: Our organization estimates that an additional 200 round trips per day of traffic to northern Marquette county will result from this first short-lived proposed mine. More traffic could come from additional sulfide mines.

~ Few short term jobs: Mining is a mature industry that employs very few compared to previous years. Mining now is very mechanized. The jobs are fewer and higher skilled. Many of us have met Kennecott employees who have moved here to work. Perhaps they are already taking the best of the promised jobs.

~ Fencing-off public land: The request to fence-off 160 acres of public land for 40 years sets a precedent that could require regulators to approve numerous other companies who could request fencing-off public land.

~ Dust exhausted from the mine: According to the Kennecott Air Use Permit application, approximately 20 tons/year (4.6 pounds per hour) of particulate matter will be exhausted from the main ventilation stack including some copper, nickel, and sulfur (acid generating). This stack would be about 300 feet from the Salmon Trout River.

~ Industrialization of our camp, hunting recreation land: This foot-in-the-door sulfide mine will lead the way for numerous other short-lived sulfide mines and cause an industrialization of our open lands that is unprecedented.

People talk about wanting jobs, which could help their young friends and family stay in the area. Many of the changes we see associated with sulfide mining could cause people to choose to leave this area anyway.

Respectfully,

Babette Welch

Director, Save The Wild UP

info@savethewildup.org

(This letter was submitted 2/14/07 to the Mining Journal in Marquette, MI)