In Mining plan a bust with us, the Petoskey News Review takes a stand against the proposed sulfide mining operation by the Kennecott Eagle Minerals Company in the Upper Peninsula’s Yellow Dog Plains. They cite the fact that every sulfide mine that could pollute its water did, and also note that the mine:
… is located on 160 acres of state-owned land, that would be closed off from the public for years. This means land your tax dollars have paid for will be used for the benefit of a private corporation and for an operation that could put waters of the Great Lakes at risk.
And all of this is being done for very little economic benefit. The mine is expected to create only 150 local jobs for only seven years. At the same time, the recreation industry that could be impacted by the mine’s pollution provides more than 1,700 jobs a year in Marquette County alone.
Photo credit: Mother by jcbetter from the Save the Wild UP Challenge group