Author Archives: Save the Wild UP

Environmental Groups to Michigan DNR: Deny UPX Mineral Lease Requests

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Major environmental groups have joined forces with the Mining Action Group of the Upper Peninsula Environmental Coalition (UPEC), calling on the Michigan Department of Natural Resources (DNR) to reconsider or DENY metallic mineral leases that would impact sensitive areas such as rivers and streams, lakes, wetlands, residential neighborhoods near the city of Marquette  – even the Upper Peninsula Environmental Coalition’s Vielmetti-Peters Reserve, and the DNR’s own Rocking Chair Lakes, located 25 miles northwest of Marquette.

“UPX’s mineral lease requests appear totally oblivious – they clearly don’t care about surface ownership, environmental management goals, the potential for environmental damage, legal or regulatory restrictions, or proximity to water,” said Kathleen Heideman of the Mining Action Group.

The Mining Action Group worked with concerned landowners, encouraging them to submit detailed written comments to the State, requesting an extension of the Public Comment period, and asking the DNR to provide detailed Parcel Classification Review summaries in order to gain insights into stipulations or concerns raised by State Forest, Fisheries, Wildlife division staff, or the State Archaeologist’s office. The DNR treated this basic request as a Freedom of Information Act request, which required over 3 weeks to process.

Prior to making any lease decisions, we ask that the DNR complete boots-on-the ground assessments for many of the nominated parcels, where requested by landowners, and in order to give informed consideration to:

  • sensitive ecological conditions identified by surface owners
  • potential for significant impacts to parcels dominated by wetlands, or including trout streams, or lands within a half-mile buffer of rivers and lakes and streams

Surface landowners should be viewed by the DNR as collaborators, not impediments to mineral leases. They are passionate and informed as to the unique environmental features of their properties, and eager to protect their land. We ask that the DNR deny leases that would threaten destruction of ecologically and recreationally valuable parcels, both public and private.

Multiple parcels have been assigned overly permissive classifications, which must be reconsidered. We collectively voice our unified opposition to the proposed mineral leases and urge the Michigan Department of Natural Resources to reconsider their approach to mineral leasing in general, and many of these UPX lease requests in particular.

 

Environmentalists have asked the DNR to hold a Public Meeting, prior to any decision, to discuss the mineral lease requests with the impacted communities, and respond in person to their questions and concerns.

Comments opposing the UPX mineral lease requests were jointly submitted to the DNR by UPEC’s Mining Action Group, the Upper Peninsula Environmental Coalition, the Yellow Dog Watershed Preserve, the Superior Watershed Partnership and Land Trust, Friends of the Land of Keweenaw (FOLK), Freshwater Future, Concerned Citizens of Big Bay, the Michigan Environmental Council, and the Michigan League of Conservation Voters.

Read their full comments, here.

 

This Smells Bad: Aquila Back Forty Wetland Permit Approved

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE — JOINT PRESS STATEMENT

DEQ Director Approves Aquila Back Forty Mine Wetland Permit, Despite DEQ Objections

STEPHENSON, MI — Environmental groups are crying foul over Monday’s decision by the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) to approve the Aquila Back Forty Wetland Permit. In a joint statement, the Mining Action Group (MAG) of the Upper Peninsula Environmental Coalition (UPEC), the Front 40 Environmental Fight, and numerous regional environmental groups say they are outraged by the unwarranted approval and are calling on DEQ Director to explain her decision.

“This smells rotten. Director Grether’s approval of the Aquila Back Forty Wetland permit was a political act, directly contradicting the recommendation of DEQ’s own Water Resources Division (WRD). This permit is inconsistent with the Clean Water Act,” said Kathleen Heideman of the Mining Action Group.

The Wetland permit should have been denied, according to the agency’s “Findings of Fact”:

“After due consideration of the permit application, on-site investigation and review of other pertinent materials, the Water Resources Division finds that the project does NOT demonstrate that an unacceptable disruption to the aquatic resources of the State will not occur and that the activities associated with the project are NOT consistent with the permitting criteria for an acceptable impact to the resources regulated under Parts 301, Inland Lakes and Streams, and Part 303, Wetlands Protection.”

Even the DEQ’s decision letter was not an endorsement: “We have determined that the (Back Forty) project as proposed could not be permitted without additional supporting documentation because the hydrologic modeling provided does not define the anticipated impacts to aquatic resources.”

Ron Henriksen, spokesperson for the Front 40 Environmental Fight, was stunned. “Against the findings of Water Resources staff, Director Grether of the DEQ granted a permit with 28 pages of ‘Special Conditions.’ Why wasn’t this permit denied? The serious hydrological concerns we’ve raised remain unaddressed. Aquila’s mine will harm wetlands of the Menominee River and aquatic resources shared by Michigan and Wisconsin, yet these concerns were somehow overruled. The Menominee River certainly deserves better.”

Overlooking the application’s gaping holes, DEQ issued Aquila’s Wetland permit “conditionally” and has required “submission and approval” of key additional information including “revised hydrologic modeling, an adaptive management plan, a comprehensive monitoring plan, and requisite wetland and stream mitigation.” Under the Clean Water Act, however, this information must be provided BEFORE a wetland destruction permit is granted, not after.

“Accurate hydrologic modeling, monitoring, and compensatory mitigation based on real data are the foundational requirements of a wetland permit application, not special permit conditions! By law, Aquila should have provided this information at least two years ago. This is fundamental to the review of any Wetland permit application,” said Steve Garske of the Mining Action Group.

The Clean Water Act requires compensatory mitigation ratios based on total wetland impacts, and a clear demonstration that the proposal is the Least Environmentally Damaging Alternative. According to the DEQ Water Resources Division’s “Finding of Fact and Conclusion of Law”, the “application does NOT demonstrate that a feasible and prudent alternative does not exist. The application fails to fully define the extent of impacts to regulated resources.” Grether, in approving the permit, ignored the conclusions of those regulators who understood the permit application and its myriad failings.

How Was the Back Forty Wetland Permit Approved?

In a “Wetland Augmentation Plan” recently submitted to the DEQ, Aquila hedged the validity of their data, claiming that “confirmation of the findings pursuant to the modeling can only be accomplished by wetland hydrology and vegetation monitoring during mining operations.” Bad data? No problem, the mine said. Simply pump water from the Menominee River into the wetlands if impacts exceed estimates.

A few weeks earlier, Aquila recalculated their wetland impacts using a hydrological method recommended by multiple technical reviewers, and reported a 50% increase in the total acres of wetland impacts caused by dewatering — the application was getting worse, rather than resolving state and federal concerns.

“I am shocked by DEQ’s approval of the Aquila Wetland permit: in my judgement, there was an airtight case against it. We stand by our extensive technical comments, even though Grether chose to ignore the independent reports we commissioned. With her hasty political decision, the Director says science will not sway her approval process: ‘Mines first, environment be damned!’ Through our efforts, reviewing this permit, regional environmental groups demonstrated the Back Forty mine is a disaster in the making. Polluting the Menominee River again? Harming aquatic life? Damaging wetlands? For our survival, Aquila Resources and the State of Michigan must look beyond short-term profits,” said Horst Schmidt, president of the Upper Peninsula Environmental Coalition.

Strong Federal Objections

The EPA’s objections were first announced in a March 8th, 2018 letter to the Michigan DEQ:

“The applicant has not provided a complete description of the project, including a final site plan identifying the final location of key project features, including storm water and waste management features. The proposed site layout is not consistent with the approved state Permit to Mine. Nor are all impacts of the project identified in the application, including impacts caused by any planned underground mining, a power plant, and mining water management systems. Without this information, the reviewing agencies cannot adequately assess the extent of the proposed mine’s impact on aquatic resources as required by the CWA, and or determine whether the applicant has minimized and avoided aquatic resource impacts, as required.”

The EPA letter pointed out that Aquila “states that the project will not adversely affect water quality of the Menominee River but does not explain how the project will be managed to ensure discharges will meet water quality standards, including sufficient monitoring locations, minimization measures, and adaptive management procedures to prevent leaching of toxic compounds from mine storage facilities and from the mine pit into the River.”

The EPA objected to “Aquila’s failure to adequately characterize secondary impacts to wetlands and “lacks information regarding the extent of wetlands that will be impacted by the project and how these wetlands will be affected by the proposed project’s Menominee River drawdown of some 125,000 gallons per day.”

The EPA found that Aquila failed to provide adequate support for their determination that “offsite upland alternatives for some mine features (e.g., tailings storage) are not practicable”, and that they did not provide “needed information to determine whether some 500 acres of wetlands and uplands that were selected for preservation meet statutory requirements to be used as wetland and stream mitigation.”

EPA directed the DEQ to “resolve those concerns” within 90 days. If not resolved in that time, DEQ was “directed to deny the permit for the mine.” But Aquila Resources did not resolve these concerns. There is still NO finalized site plan or acknowledgement of planned underground mining facilities, NO approved plan to prevent leaching of toxins into the Menominee River, NO accurate hydrological model for the mine site, and the Back Forty wetland impacts remain UNKNOWN.

All Federal Objections Were Mysteriously Rescinded

“This decision is a stunning example of big-money politics taking precedence over the public good,” said Garske.

“I’d like to say I was surprised by the approval of the Back 40’s wetland permit, but actually was not,” said Deb Skubal of the Front 40. “This whole outcome is consistent with how the DEQ has operated thus far. The Director went so far as to write “the project as proposed could not be permitted without additional supporting documentation”. My conclusion: Aquila Resources has never put any effort into a serious wetland permit request, and DEQ knows it.”

“Aquila’s Wetland permit is the most inept, shoddy heap of paperwork I’ve ever seen. When the permit is held up to the light of legal scrutiny, light will shine in through a thousand holes,” said Heideman.

Environmental Groups Cry Foul: Statements on the Michigan DEQ Approval of Aquila Back Forty Wetland Permit

“We’re appalled that DEQ would overrule its own experts to cater to this company. The issuance of this permit defies the law and betrays the public trust.” – Dave Dempsey, senior advisor for FLOW (For Love of Water).

“A sulfide mine on the shores of the Menominee River endangers the health and way of life of the entire region to profit a foreign owned corporation. Michigan DEQ’s approval of the wetland permit an injustice to all of us.” – Raj Shukla, Executive Director of the River Alliance of Wisconsin.

“I pray for the wild rice people while I take note of the names of each and every federal and state official approving every single aspect of this 800 foot deep open pit mine less than 100 feet from the great Menominee River. Every single one of them must be held accountable when this fails and harms the fishery, the drinking water for millions of people and more. Accountability is a predominate conservative principal. They must all be held accountable in full measure.” – Jeffery Loman of the L’Anse Indian Reservation.

“The Michigan DEQ Director has issued the Back Forty Mine’s Wetlands Permit with 31 pages of conditions ignoring the scientific recommendations of the DEQ’s water quality division, and the overwhelming public opposition to the permit!” – John Engel, Sierra Club John Muir Chapter Executive Committee at Large Member.

“The MDEQ decision is a fundamental violation of their legal responsibility under the Clean Water Act to evaluate the impact of this project on wetlands, aquatic resources and the Menominee River. MDEQ has issued a permit without the faintest idea of what the impacts may be and have entrusted Aquila with the responsibility of assessing the impacts and taking appropriate actions to prevent the adverse impacts that are prohibited by the Clean Water Act. This is the same thing as letting the mining company write their own permit without transparency or accountability to the public, the Menominee Indian Tribe or the environment.” – Al Gedicks, Executive Secretary of the Wisconsin Resources Protection Council.

“DEQ’s approval of the wetlands permit obviously ignored the opposition to this mine by thousands of people. Why were we ignored?” – Dick Dragiewicz, avid Menominee River fisherman.

“The Wisconsin Smallmouth Alliance is extremely dismayed at this blatant disregard for our pristine environment and cultural heritage.” – Jerry Pasdo, President of the Wisconsin Smallmouth Alliance.

“This certainly is not the end of our opposition; it is the resurrection of government ‘of the people, for the people, and by the people.’ We stand united with organizations all across the state of Wisconsin and Michigan, and we are in it for the long haul.” – Dale Burie, President of the Coalition to SAVE the Menominee River, Inc.

“The fact that eight Native American tribes have fought this mine should have been enough. Or the fact that the Menominee River was selected as one of the ten most endangered rivers in America. Or the amount of local opposition. An open pit mine on the edge of a river that flows directly into the Great Lakes — SWP staff can’t imagine a worse location.” – Carl Lindquist, Executive Director of Superior Watershed Partnership and Land Trust

“The Department of Environmental Quality’s disappointing decision represents yet another fundamental failure by the agency to safeguard Michigan’s precious water resources. We continue to see the DEQ give preference to polluting industries, in this case allowing a mining company to make fortunes while polluting the pristine waters of the Upper Peninsula. The impact of this reckless decision will be felt for generations, with negative impacts on waterways in both Michigan and Wisconsin.” – Bob Allison, deputy director at Michigan League of Conservation Voters.

“Michigan Environmental Council (MEC) and our members are extremely frustrated by DEQ’s issuance of this wetland permit. In particular we are concerned by the large and complex nature of the many extra permit conditions that the DEQ has elected to apply in this case. These additional requests appear to be an attempt to force the mining company to fix major shortcomings that should have been resolved as part of their Part 632 mining permit — including mine closure issues, groundwater modeling needs, adequate baseline data, etc. The extensive conditions of the wetland permit, alongside the basic fact the the mine site plan the company used to get their wetlands permit was completely different than the plan they used in their earlier Part 632 mining permit, suggest to us that the DEQ is simply determined to allow risky mining operations to move forward, even if their plans to protect our water resources are inadequate and flawed. If this company can protect Michigan’s precious water resources as required by law — and that is a big “if” — then the MDEQ should require them to prove it before granting them rights to dig an open-pit mine, unleash acid mine drainage, and process their ore with cyanide in this beautiful and uniquely vulnerable place.” – Chris Kolb, Michigan Environmental Council President.

Key Files
Aquila Back Forty Wetland Permit, Issued 6-4-18
https://www.michigan.gov/documents/deq/wrd-back-forty-permit-wrp011785_624647_7.pdf

Supplemental Comments on Aquila Back Forty “Wetland Augmentation Plan”, Mining Action Group, 5-31-18
http://bit.ly/Augment-Deny

Findings of Fact and Conclusions of Law – Water Resources Division, Michigan DEQ, 4-30-18
http://bit.ly/Findings-of-Fact

EPA Objection Letter, 3-8-18
http://bit.ly/EPAobjects-Back40

EPA Objects to the Issuance of Aquila Back Forty Wetland Permit, 3-15-18
http://bit.ly/EPA-Objects-to-Wetland-Permit

Acknowledgements

Technical review of the Aquila Back Forty Wetland permit was made possible by the generous support of groups and individuals concerned about the future health of the Menominee River. Working collaboratively, the Mining Action Group of the Upper Peninsula Environmental Coalition and the Front 40 secured grants and donations from Freshwater Future, Superior Watershed Partnership, the Western Mining Action Network, DuPage Rivers Fly Tyers (DRiFT), Northern Illinois Fly Tyers (NIFT), Badger Fly Fishers, M&M Great Lakes Sport Fisherman, Wisconsin Smallmouth Alliance, Fly Fishers International, Great Lakes Council of Fly Fishers International, the Emerick Family Fund, and individual fishing enthusiasts throughout the Great Lakes area.

Mission of the Upper Peninsula Environmental Coalition

Founded in 1976, the Upper Peninsula Environmental Coalition’s purpose remains unchanged: to protect and maintain the unique environmental qualities of the Upper Peninsula of Michigan by educating the public and acting as a watchdog to industry and government. UPEC is a nonprofit, registered 501(c)(3) organization. For more information, call 906-201-1949, see UPenvironment.org, or contact: upec@upenvironment.org.

Mission of the Mining Action Group

The UPEC Mining Action Group (MAG), formerly known as Save the Wild U.P., is a grassroots effort to defend the clean water and wild places of Michigan’s Upper Peninsula from the dangers of sulfide mining. Contact the Mining Action Group at info@savethewildup.org or call (906) 662-9987. Learn more about the Mining Action Group at miningactiongroup.org.

Mission of the Front 40 Environmental Fight

The Front 40 is a grassroots organization that was formed in early 2003 in response to the threat of a metallic mineral mine potentially being developed on the shores of the Menominee River in Lake Township, Michigan. It is the principal objective of the Front 40 Environmental Group to ensure that metallic sulfide mining operations are not allowed to adversely impact our rivers, lakes, groundwater and lands. Learn more about the Front 40 group: menomineeriver.com

Action Alert – Petition the Michigan DNR to DENY Mineral Lease Requests by UPX

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Concerned? SIGN ON.

The Mining Action Group is working with concerned citizens who received letters notifying them that UPX has requested mineral rights underneath their private homes, camps and wild lands. The public comment period ends on June 11th, 2018. This petition will close at 2 PM Eastern on June 11th, and will be submitted to the Michigan DNR along with our public comments on the proposed leases. Please join us in asking state environmental regulators to PROTECT Michigan’s Natural Resources!

– – – – – – – TEXT OF SIGN ON PETITION – – – – – – – –

Canadian conglomerate Highland Copper’s wholly-owned subsidiary, UPX Minerals Inc., is targeting 3,800+ Acres in Marquette County and Iron County for sulfide ore exploration and mining by requesting mineral leases now owned by the Michigan Department of Natural Resources (DNR).

Because granting these mineral leases will:
(a) Pollute our air, quiet forests, ground water, and watersheds to
Lake Superior;
(b) Damage the use and enjoyment of surface rights on land of
many private homeowners;
(c) Damage the natural environment on our public land; and
(d) Damage the “Pure Michigan” ethic/image of a growing multimillion $$$$ recreation economy in the Upper Peninsula,

We, the undersigned, petition the Michigan DNR to DENY “UPX Mineral Inc.’s Request for Direct Mineral Leases.”

DNR: Deny UPX Mineral Inc.’s "Request for Direct Mineral Leases"

Thanks, the petition is now closed.

End date: Jun 11, 2018

Signatures collected: 237

237 signatures

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If you have additional concerns about the UPX mineral lease request, please send written comments providing additional information “relative to the request to lease the specified mineral rights” by June 11, 2018 to DNR, Office of Minerals Management, P.O. Box 30452, Lansing MI 48909, or DNR-Minerals@michigan.gov

Thank you for defending the wild U.P.!

Lawsuit Targets EPA’s Pruitt for Refusing to Hold Mining Industry Accountable for Toxic Pollution Cleanups

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Bravo! “Shouldn’t the mining companies that generate the pollution, like the Gold King Mine that polluted the San Juan basin here in Northern New Mexico, be the ones held accountable for cleanup costs?” said Rachel Conn, projects director for Amigos Bravos. “Unfortunately, under current law, the EPA can’t require a mine to demonstrate it has the funds, up front, to pay for cleanup. Too often, mining companies are able to simply walk away, leaving the local community to deal with the mess and taxpayers to pay for the cleanup.”

Read the whole story: Lawsuit Targets Pruitt for Refusing to Hold Mining Industry Accountable for Toxic Pollution Cleanups – Earthworks

Landowners Alarmed by UPX Mineral Lease Request

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MARQUETTE, MICHIGAN – Local property owners are expressing alarm over mineral lease requests made by UPX Minerals, a wholly owned subsidiary of Highland Copper. UPX is seeking to lease nearly 4,000 acres of State-owned minerals in Iron and Marquette Counties. Most of these mineral properties are in Marquette County, and many are underneath private property, homes, camps, rivers and streams, lakes, wetlands – even nature reserves.

“We opened our mail and found a notice from UPX Minerals requesting a direct metallic minerals lease from the Department of Natural Resources — under our own home. We were horrified! The owner of mineral rights can access your property, conduct exploration or drilling, or potentially develop a mine under your home or camp, and as the landowner you have very little control over that. Doesn’t that seem outrageous?” asked Sue Beckstrom Noel, a concerned local resident.

CONCERNED? SIGN THIS PETITION ASKING MICHIGAN DNR TO DENY THE UPX MINERAL LEASE REQUESTS!

More than 3,800 acres of the requested mineral leases would be located in Champion, Michigamme, Negaunee, Ishpeming and Marquette townships, and include sensitive and scenic areas. Some mineral lease requests could impact the Noquemanon Trail Network in the Forestville Trailhead area, Echo Lake Nature Preserve, Teal Lake, and the Vielmetti-Peters Conservation Reserve, owned by the Upper Peninsula Land Conservancy.

The UPX mineral lease request also targets the Rocking Chair Lakes – considered by the DNR to be one of Marquette County’s wild gems, and recently nominated to become “The Rocking Chair Lakes Ecological Reference Area.” This remote area of state land includes four different Ecological Reference Areas (ERA’s): Northern Shrub Thicket, Dry Mesic Northern Forest, Mesic Northern Forest, and Granite Cliff. The rugged terrain of the Mulligan Escarpment is also the heart of Michigan’s moose range.

In 2017, UPX Minerals acquired nearly 500,000 acres of mineral properties in the Central Upper Peninsula of Michigan – lands formerly owned by Rio Tinto and Kennecott. UPX is reviewing historic mineral exploration data, and conducting “field exploration” in search of orogenic gold, magmatic nickel-copper and zinc-copper deposits in the various properties. Their goal is to “define drilling targets” this year, creating a “pipeline” of future mining projects. Highland Copper is currently developing projects in Gogebic and Ontonagon counties, and in the Keweenaw Peninsula. They own the Copperwood Project, where they propose to mine adjacent to the Porcupine Mountains Wilderness State Park, and potentially underneath the park itself.

“We built our family home on Neejee Road in 1992 primarily because we loved the natural beauty of the wooded lands near the McClure Basin. Other people appreciate the scenic beauty of the region also, because the old steel bridge and the new high bridge on Co. Rd. 510 over the Dead River are two of the most photographed areas in Marquette County. Imagine having a mine in the background of your next bridge photo! It is shocking to consider. This would also impact the Noquemanon Ski Trail, the Hoist and McClure Basins, and the nearby Ore to Shore bike race,” said Julie Hintsala, a local landowner.

When asked why the company wanted to conduct mining exploration in residential areas, a UPX representative contacted by phone replied: “We’re just trying to tie areas together that we already have rights to.”

“I am a life-long Yooper and I do appreciate the historical and current importance of mining to our area. However, we are much more than mining now. Tourism, mountain biking and cross country skiing in this area would be devastated by possible mining operations. Is it worth forever changing our landscape and risking our environment including the nearby Dead River basin for a short term mining operation? Why would the State of Michigan consider allowing mineral rights to be leased for exploration so near a community in Negaunee township in an area that will impact recreation and tourism?” asked Hintsala.

“After many years living in Chicago and then nearby Indiana, my wife and relocated last year to the UP because we fell in love with the abundance here of clean air, fresh water bodies and unspoiled natural beauty of mountains and woods, and all the opportunity for outdoor recreation and enjoyment offered by this beautiful environment. However, we now face a grave threat to that environment because UPX, Inc., subsidiary of Canadian conglomerate, Highland Copper, has targeted Marquette County for exploration and potential development of sulfide ore mining, a form of extraction that may leave the air, streams and groundwater polluted with toxic by-products. To pursue their destructive plans, UPX has requested that our Michigan DNR grant it ‘direct mineral leases’ over areas which DNR now holds in trust for the benefit of all Michigan residents. We ask our fellow citizens to join us in urging DNR to reject this corporate poaching of our environment by submitting comments before the public comment period expires,” said Dennis and Kim Ferraro of Marquette.

“Granting the mineral lease rights allowing exploration could lead to a possible mishap such as what occurred in the Porcupine Mountains wilderness area. Degradation at that exploration site could have been prevented had there been proper oversight and inspection by the DNR and DEQ,” said Richard Sloat, a resident of Iron County.

Approximately 119 acres of the lease requests are located in the Crystal Falls Township of Iron County, adjacent to the East Branch of the Fence River, and underneath Wilson Creek and wetlands.

“Iron County communities and watersheds continue to feel the impacts of the iron ore mines that have been closed for more than 40 years. The parcels identified for mineral exploration, and potential mining in Iron County, are remote, water-rich sites. It is in our best interest to protect our watersheds from wide-scale ecological disruption, and look instead toward a future that allows our local economies to thrive because of the natural beauty that attracts people to our area,” said Maggie Scheffer, a board member of the Upper Peninsula Environmental Coalition who resides in Iron County.

“If Highland Copper / UPX succeeds in taking even a fraction of these sulfide-mineral deposits from exploration to development, the risk to the Lake Superior watershed will be significantly heightened,” warned Louis Galdieri, a writer and filmmaker interested in the history and long-term prosperity of the Lake Superior basin.

After hearing from concerned citizens, the Mining Action Group, Upper Peninsula Environmental Coalition, Superior Watershed Partnership and others requested an extension of the public comment period (originally set to expire in early May):

IMPORTANT UPDATE – DNR’s OFFICE OF MINERALS MANAGEMENT

“This is to notify you that we are extending the public comment period for this lease request to June 11, 2018 to allow members of the public additional time to review the request.”

The public is urged to submit written comments expressing their concerns and providing additional information “relative to the request to lease the specified mineral rights” by June 11, 2018 to DNR, Office of Minerals Management, P.O. Box 30452, Lansing MI 48909, or DNR-Minerals@michigan.gov

CONCERNED CITIZENS MEETING

The next meeting of landowners to discuss the UPX mineral lease requests will take place in Marquette on Thursday April 26th, from 5-7 pm. Contact miningactiongroupUPEC@gmail.com for location.

LEARN MORE

Michigan DNR: UPX Mineral Lease Request: Parcel List and Maps
https://www.michigan.gov/documents/dnr/UPX_Parcel_List_and_Maps_617392_7_619894_7.pdf

Michigan DNR: Rocking Chair Lakes
http://www.midnr.com/Publications/pdfs/ForestsLandWater/Cmpt_Reviews/Gwinn/2019/RockingChairLakes.pdf

Extracting Metals from E-Waste Costs 13 Times Less Than Mining Ore

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April 9, 2018 by Alyssa Danigelis

Recovering gold, copper, and other metals from electronic waste isn’t just sustainable, it’s actually 13 times cheaper than extracting metals from mines, researchers report in the American Chemical Society’s journal Environmental Science & Technology.

Researchers from Tsinghua University in Beijing and Macquarie University in Australia looked at data from eight recycling companies in China and calculated the cost for extracting metals from e-waste in a practice called urban mining. They note that a typical cathode-ray tube TV contains almost a pound of copper and more than half a pound of aluminum. It also contains 0.02 ounces of gold.

The recyclers’ expenses, which were offset by government subsidies and revenue from selling the recovered materials and components, included costs for waste collection, labor, energy, material and transportation plus capital costs for equipment and buildings, according to American Chemical Society.

“The researchers conclude that with these offsets, it costs 13 times more to obtain these metals from ore than from urban mining,” the ACS says.

Although the study was limited to copper and gold extracted and processed from e-waste streams made up of recycled TV sets, the researchers say their results indicate a trend and potential to be applied across a broader range of e-waste sources and extracted metals.

“If these results can be extended to other metals and countries, they promise to have positive impact on waste disposal and mining activities globally, as the circular economy comes to displace linear economic pathways,” they wrote in the abstract.

Extracting metals from e-waste has long made financial and environmental sense to companies like Dell. Michael Murphy, vice president of global product compliance engineering and environmental affairs at Dell Technologies, told Environmental Leader that PCs are a complex product type, but value streams come out of them.

“One key is the extraction of precious metals,” he said. “We’ve helped design for recyclability so our partners can get the materials that are of most value easily, and either get them back into our product or into other sectors.”

Earlier this year, Dell collaborated with actress and activist Nikki Reed on a limited edition jewelry collection made in the United States using gold recovered from Dell’s recycling programs. Since 2012, the company says it has turned more than 50 million pounds of post-consumer recycled materials into new products.

Who’s Digging Under Your Camp? UPX Minerals….

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UPX Minerals Inc, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Highland Copper, a Canadian mining company, already owns half a million acres of mineral properties in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan: in 2017 they acquired all of the mineral properties previously held by Kennecott and Rio Tinto.

Now they want more –approximately 4,000 acres of minerals owned by the State of Michigan. Many of these minerals lie under private lands, where mineral ownership is severed from surface ownership:

UPX Minerals Inc., of Wakefield, Michigan, has requested direct metallic mineral leases from the State of Michigan covering Department of Natural Resources (DNR) metallic mineral rights located within T46N-R31W, Iron County; and  T48N-R26W, T48N-R27W, T48N-R29W, T48N-R30W, T49N-R26W, and T49N-R28W, Marquette County; containing a total of 3,964.78 acres, more or less.

Private landowners in Iron and Marquette Counties have received letters from the Michigan DNR notifying them that UPX Minerals wants to lease state-owned minerals located underneath their homes, camps, rivers, wetlands  – even nature preserves, and the DNR’s own ecological reference areas! Read this Letter to the Editor from a local landowner: http://www.miningjournal.net/opinion/letters-to-the-editor/2018/04/letters-to-the-editor-90/

After meeting with concerned citizens, the UPEC Mining Action Group requested an extension of the public comment period (originally set to expire on May 11th):

“On behalf of numerous concerned citizens, impacted landowners and stakeholder groups, I am requesting that the State of Michigan extend by at least 30 days the public comment period for this lease request, in order to allow impacted landowners and members of the public to further investigate this significant request, providing valuable resource information regarding the proposed leases, and ensuring informed comment.”

UPDATE: The DNR has granted the request for an extension. According to the DNR’s Office of Minerals Management: 

“This is to notify you that we are extending the public comment period for this lease request to June 11, 2018 to allow members of the public additional time to review the request.”

Our next meeting with impacted landowners to discuss the UPX mineral lease requests will take place in Marquette on Thursday April 26th, 5-7 pm. Contact the miningactiongroupUPEC@gmail.com for location and additional information.

U.P. Environmentalist Named a “Freshwater Hero”

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HOUGHTON, MICHIGAN —  Last week, environmental group Freshwater Future announced the winners of their annual Freshwater Hero awards, which they “bestow upon unique and pioneering water protectors in the region.”

Among the recipients of this year’s award is Kathleen M. Heideman of Marquette, Michigan — a writer, artist, and environmentalist who’s been defending clean water and wild places from the dangers of sulfide mining for years. Heideman serves on the board of the Upper Peninsula Environmental Coalition (UPEC), and works with the Mining Action Group. 

Freshwater Future previously supported Kathleen and her colleagues for their work opposing Upper Michigan’s Aquila Back Forty project, and Eagle Mine.

Freshwater Future recognizes the power of citizen activism, noting that “in every community around the Great Lakes, you’ll find thoughtful, committed residents taking action to protect our lakes, rivers, streams, wetlands, shorelines, and drinking water. Small, individual actions can make a big difference, and at Freshwater Future we’re inspired by those who devote their time to making things better. It’s this collective involvement that helps keep our waters safe, clean, and accessible to all.”

Freshwater Future is a watershed-wide organization dedicated to “supporting the needs of community-based groups” who work to protect Great Lakes land and water resources.

Kathleen M. Heideman, photo by Christine Saari

Each year, Freshwater Future awards recognizes “a handful of the good people doing good things to protect the water in our Great Lakes region. From social justice activists in Detroit, Michigan to tribal leaders on the remote shores of Lake Superior, every one of these Freshwater Heroes is not only working to safeguard their water, but also caring for the people in their communities and serving as an inspiration to us all.”

“I applaud Kathleen’s diligent efforts, working along with other talented individuals in the Mining Action Group. She urges us to work collaboratively, and stay vigilant. She understands that what we have up here are not merely natural resources, but the wild and sustaining essence of our lives,” said Horst Schmidt, president of the Upper Peninsula Environmental Coalition.

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Mission of the Upper Peninsula Environmental Coalition

Founded in 1976, the Upper Peninsula Environmental Coalition’s purpose remains unchanged: to protect and maintain the unique environmental qualities of the Upper Peninsula of Michigan by educating the public and acting as a watchdog to industry and government. UPEC is a nonprofit, registered 501(c)(3) organization. For more information, call 906-201-1949, see UPenvironment.org, or contact: upec@upenvironment.org.

Mission of the UPEC Mining Action Group
The UPEC Mining Action Group (MAG), formerly known as Save the Wild U.P., is a grassroots effort to defend the clean water and wild places of Michigan’s Upper Peninsula from the dangers of sulfide mining. Contact the Mining Action Group at info@savethewildup.org or call (906) 662-9987. Learn more about the Mining Action Group at miningactiongroup.org.

 

Environmental Groups Respond To DEQ Decision On Nestlé Permit Request

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Michigan Regulators Hand Multi-Billion Dollar Company Permit to Pump Millions of Gallons of Groundwater – for $200 Per Year

MARQUETTE, MICHIGAN — On April 2, 2018, the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) announced that it had issued a controversial permit authorizing Nestlé Waters North America, Inc. to withdraw increased quantities of groundwater at their White Pine Springs site, located in Osceola County, near Evart. Environmental organizations are stunned by the DEQ’s decision, noting the overwhelming public opposition to Nestlé permit, and calling the DEQ’s action as “destabilizing” and short-sighted. The decision “represents yet another fundamental failure by the agency to safeguard Michigan’s precious water resources,” according to Lisa Wozniak, executive director of the Michigan League of Conservation Voters. “Michigan’s abundant water defines who we are, and we have a responsibility to protect our water for future generations.”

“Michigan residents are putting up with unaffordable and sometimes unsafe drinking water, while Nestlé, which had sales of $7.4 billion from water alone in 2016, pumps Michigan groundwater basically for free. To add insult to injury, many Flint residents have been forced to buy bottled water to provide safe drinking and bath water for themselves and their families. The situation is outrageous,” said UPEC board member Steve Garske.

In response, Upper Peninsula Environmental Coalition President Horst Schmidt has released the following statement:

Nestlé’s press release is telling. Nestlé says they “appreciate the MDEQ’s careful review and consideration of our application, in what it has called its most thorough review ever, and we look forward to providing them with the monitoring plans as required.” The fact that the DEQ approved this permit before groundwater monitoring plans were in place demonstrates a lack of oversight of big business – Corporate Resource Extractors – in our state. Once again, we see that Michigan regulatory agencies have been “captured” by the very entities they are supposed to be regulating.

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