Kennecott Minerals Co. currently lacks all major state and federal permits required in order to open and operate its proposed Eagle Project metallic sulfide mine on the Yellow Dog Plains, in Marquette County.

Recently, the company purchased the site of the old Humboldt Mill, in Humboldt Township, that was used to crush ore from Callahan Mining Company’s Ropes Gold Mine decades ago.

Although Kennecott has yet to submit a permit for its processing complex, Eagle Project manager, Jon Cherry, claimed, at an October 6 meeting, that the mill will be operational by 2010.

Local Save the Wild UP Director, Kristi Mills, said “For Kennecott to announce that it is moving forward with its Eagle Project and Humboldt mill plan is grossly pre-mature when you consider the big picture. They have neither the legal permits nor public consent to boast their achievements.”

According to Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) deputy director Jim Sygo, at Humboldt, “There are Waters of the State issues, and the site is a facility under [Part 632, the new metallic mining law], which will generate significant issues to permit this site.”

In a July, 2008 letter, Sygo acknowledged “that the reopening of the Humboldt processing facility would require a separate permit.”

Sygo also acknowledged that Kennecott “would have to apply for an amendment of the Mining Permit for construction of a new haul road and would likely need permits under Part 301, Inland Lakes and Streams and Part 303, Wetlands Protection…as well.”

Regarding the company’s plans to power the mine, Sygo said that Kennecott “would have to apply for an amendment to its Part 632 Mining Permit before beginning activities to extend electrical service from CR 550 to the Eagle Project mine site.”

A mining permit for the Humboldt facility will require State review of Kennecott’s application and public hearings before approval would be considered.  Construction of their own haul road and extension of electric utilities will require Kennecott to amend its Mining Permit, effectively restarting the permitting process with public hearings and another DEQ decision.

To further complicate its plans, Kennecott lacks a required underground injection permit from the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

The US Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) has also requested that the EPA conduct studies relating to the endangered Kirtland’s warbler and the threatened Canada lynx before issuing a decision on Kennecott’s federal permit.  The USFWS has suggested that potential mining affects to the native Coaster Brook Trout could also complicate Kennecott’s application process. The USFWS will issue a 12 month finding on the petition on December.