Author Archives: Save the Wild UP

Recent Letters to The Editor

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Click on the links below to view recent Letters to the Editor. We ask that you consider writing a letter to the Editor of your local paper voicing your concern about metallic sulfide mining in Michigan or other related topics.  Call us here at the office or e-mail if you need resources/research for your letters.

Thank you to all the authors of these letters, we appreciate your efforts.

Nov 26, 2007 Mining Journal-kennecott-research-

Dec. 7, 2007 Mining Journal-great-lakes-are-at-risk-right-now

Dec. 18, 2007 Freep Press-op-ed

Dec. 18, 2007 Mining Journal-water-water

Dec. 26, 2007 Mining Journal-mj-water-pollution

Dec. 21, 2007 Mining Journal-protect-great-lakes

Jan. 11, 2008 Mining Journal-lte

Time for ACTION!

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Public Comment Period still Open on the Land Use Lease.

Even though the comment period has ended for the mining permit, concerned citizens can still send letters to the DNR’s Natural Resource Commission (NRC) on the “Metallic Mineral Mining Operations Surface Use Lease.”

Kennecott wants to lease 120 acres of public land for 35 years from the state of Michigan to use for most of the surface facilities associated with their proposed mine. The NRC will discuss this permit at its regular meeting, on December 6, 2007, with a possible decision at the January, 2008 meeting.

The next NRC meeting will be on Jan. 10, 2008 (Click here to see the agenda)

Kennecott has yet to receive approval from the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality for its Mining, Air and Groundwater Discharge permits, as well as a Wetlands Permit. Also, the EPA has yet to issue an Underground Injection Control (UIC) permit and the Mining Safety Health Administration has not yet received a permit application. These permits must be fulfilled before the DNR considers the Surface Use Lease, which would close off 120 acres of state land to the public for 35 years.

Take Action!

Please take some time read the online letter, add your own comments, sign and e-mail to the DNR. We also ask that you print the letter and send it to each NRC commissioner and the Director of the DNR. If you have difficulty with the online version a printable version is attached below.

Contact Info for NRC Commissioners

Letter to be personalized and printed

Surface Lease Map
surface_lease_map.jpg

Chinese Looking to Buy Rio Tinto

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China studies Rio bid weak spot

Jamie Freed
December 27, 2007

The Chinese Government has reportedly sanctioned large state-owned corporations to look at three strategies to thwart BHP Billiton’s proposed offer for Rio Tinto.

One of the options could defeat the deal at a cost of $9 billion without requiring Australian Foreign Investment Review Board approval.

 Click here to read the full article from the Sydney Morning Herald

Colorado City Says No Uranium Mining

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Citizens across the nation are taking action…

“On Dec. 4, the Fort Collins City Council made Colorado history.
With a standing-room-only crowd that had just spent one hour testifying, the council took the bold leadership step of helping to secure the future of northern Colorado’s economy and environment. Amidst hoots, hollers and eruptive applause, Fort Collins became the first Colorado city to pass a resolution against uranium mining in the northern part of our state. ” Click here for the rest of this Dec. 19, Rocky Mountain News story

Maybe our state and local leaders will take bold steps to help secure Michigan’s future?

MDEQ Sued for Issuing Illegal Permits

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One week after a controversial decision by the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality to permit a sulfide mine in the central Upper Peninsula, the National Wildlife Federation, Keweenaw Bay Indian Community, Huron Mountain Club and Yellow Dog Watershed Preserve today filed a contested case petition and a lawsuit against the MDEQ as the first step in a legal challenge to halt the mine.
“The opponents of the mine have presented MDEQ with over 1000 pages of unequivocal evidence that Kennecott’s proposed sulfide mine does not meet the state’s legal requirements and would result in profound pollution, impairment, and destruction of air, water and other natural resources,” Michelle Halley, attorney for NWF and the other co-petitioners explained. “The MDEQ has issued permits that are based upon defective,
inadequate and incomplete applications and are therefore illegal,” she added.

Click here for the full Press Release

Click here for the Mining Journal Story

TAKE ACTION NOW!

2008 SASM Calendars Available

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Students Against Sulfide Mining (SASM) have created a wonderful calendar that features these student activists in their natural state! Tastefully executed and fun, this calendar will delight you throughout the year.  The calendar is spiral bound, and features black and white photography.  Each month is different photo with a caption explaining issues facing this beautiful area.

“You must be the change you wish to see in the world.”— Mahatma Gandhi

This calendar was made by Students against Sulfide Mining at Northern Michigan University. Their goal, along with working for a sustainable future, is to inspire the beauty of the Yellow Dog Plains in all and promote awareness about the mining threat it’s currently under.

“To waste, to destroy, our natural resources, to skin and exhaust the land instead of using it so as to increase its usefulness, will result in undermining in the days of our children the very prosperity which we ought by right to hand down to them.”— T. Roosevelt

The cost is $22/ea. and includes shipping.

Please order by sending a message to sasm@nmu.edu and mail $/checks to SASM, Box 44, Bottum University Center, Marquette, MI 49855.

For more information call (313) 806-4861 or (612) 718-3593.
Unfortunately the calandars cannot be shipped until mid-Janurary, when the Winter Semester starts.

Disclaimer: So no one is surprised, this calendar does include partial nudity!

October sneak peek