Author Archives: Save the Wild UP

Record Eagle Blog by Todd Sears

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Sulfide mining? Mr. Rational Man says, ‘bad idea’

By Todd Sears

This whole donnybrook up in the U.P. regarding proposed sulfide mining on the Yellow Dog Plains has me a bit bewildered. Working in the federal government for over 20 years I have a good feel for how bureaucracies work, or don’t. Granted, my experience has been with defense and defense-related organizations and not environmental ones, the lessons learned are applicable to any large organization.

I don’t buy into the commonly made assertion that organizations act or don’t act in a certain way. Organizations are made of people. Typically these peoples’ actions are bounded by mission and vision statements, and guided in their day to day activities by policies, regulations, standard operating procedures or other governance, and plain old common sense when required.

To read the rest of the article click here

Area physicians pass resolution opposing sulfide mine

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MARQUETTE – Area physicians concerned about the public health implications of a proposed sulfide mine voted overwhelmingly last week to pass a resolution opposing the project.

At a quarterly medical staff meeting, 117 physicians cast their vote in favor of the resolution, which expressed their wish to “urge the Michigan DEQ to deny the permits (air, water, mining, and state land use) for the Kennecott sulfide mine proposed in Marquette County.”

Scott Emerson, MD, was in attendance at the meeting and said the mood was one of euphoria because the physicians were grateful for an opportunity to discuss the project and their concerns.

“Would you allow a surgeon that had a history of complications to work on your mother? That’s really what we’re talking about with this mine, isn’t it,” Emerson said, explaining the comparison of mining to medicine. “The best predictor of future behavior is past behavior and physicians understand that.”

Emerson, an area emergency physician, said the health of the community was one of the major driving forces behind the vote.

“It’s a health issue and, as physicians, we are concerned about preventative medicine. That means we are concerned about our air and water, too. Many physicians have been told by patients how concerned they are and really wanted the medical community to stand up for their health concerns,” he explained.

Prior to the vote, physicians discussed a number of concerns in addition to the health implications, including inadequate hydrology studies, potential for Lake Superior contamination, air exhaust carrying particulate dust, and general errors and assumptions that do not meet state environmental statutes.

In addition, Emerson said there is general concern about what he called a “threshold phenomenon.”

“You’re opening the gates. This isn’t about approving one mine, but opening the gates to 20, 30 or more. That’s what physicians are also worried about. Is that part of the DEQ calculation? We don’t think so,” he explained.

The resolution passed by the physicians was read in Lansing Wednesday at the final public hearing on the proposed sulfide mine.

MLUI Investigation into Kennecott Lobbying

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Mining Company Lobbied Hard in U.P., Lansing 

By Glenn Puit

As a large, Utah-based mining company’s push for permission to dig a sulfide mine directly beneath an unspoiled Upper Peninsula trout stream heads for hearings in Lansing today, many opponents of the project wonder whether the state agency considering the company’s application is actually listening to their concerns.

The firm, Kennecott Minerals Company, claims that its proposal to extract nickel and copper embedded in sulfur 1,000 feet directly beneath the Upper Peninsula’s Salmon Trout River will provide badly needed jobs for the region without harming the environment. But many green organizations that either helped write or subsequently praised the state’s new regulatory regime say that if officials are even considering the idea of mining sulfide beneath a river—where any accidental mixing water, oxygen, and sulfur would produce what the company calls “dilute” sulfuric acid—something is awry.

 Click here to read the full article from MLUI

After-work Jam with Joshua Davis in Traverse City

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Josh DavisEnjoy good FREE music, good company, a couple beers, and help stop a mining company from digging nickel and copper sulfide from directly beneath the Salmon Trout River. There will be a cash bar.

Where: Traverse City
The Hagerty Center on the Campus of Northwestern Michigan College (715 East Front Street)

When: September 28, 5:30pm

Sponsored by GLBioneers, the Green Party, Michigan Land Use Institute, Northern Michigan Environmental Action Council, SEEDS, and Social Exploration.

Letter to DEQ/DNR on the Kennecott permit application

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Here is a letter that you can print and send to the DEQ/DNR, the Governor and your elected representatives on the Kennecott permit application for a mine on the Yellow Dog Plains.  You can also send one online by clicking here

Date____________________

Dear [Insert recipient],

I oppose the proposed Kennecott sulfide mine beneath one of Lake Superior’s key tributaries, the Salmon Trout River. These are some of the reasons:


•Water: Discharge of acid-polluted water by a risky sulfide mine threatens two watersheds and the wildlife living there, aquifers and groundwater for thousands of people and Lake Superior, our country’s largest source of fresh water.


•Air: Discharge of at least 20 tons of toxic dust each year threatens surface water, forests, towns, cities and the health of the people and wildlife in the area and beyond.


•Land: The region of the proposed mine is a Michigan treasure worthy of the protection required by Michigan laws. Some of this land is owned by the people of Michigan.


•Recreation: This unspoiled area draws sports enthusiasts, tourists and is a reason people settle in our area.


•Noise: Mine operation and truck noise threatens the health and safety of people and wildlife throughout the area.


•Infrastructure: Heavy loads, truck traffic and acid fallout will destroy area roads, create a safety issue and lower property values for residents in Northern Marquette County.


•Economic: Declining property values and loss of tourism dollars will not be offset by 75 short-term jobs.


•THE LAW: The new mining law and regulations require the DEQ to reject any sulfide mining request unless the mining applicant demonstrates clearly that it will not “pollute, impair or destroy” land, air, water, or groundwater.


As I understand Part 632, you are legally required to oppose this mine application and I would appreciate your reply.

Sincerely,

[Insert your name and address and sign when printed]

LETTERS SHOULD BE SENT TO:

(cut and paste into address and greeting):

Use the elected official finder on our web site if you live outside the Marquette area

(http://capwiz.com/savethewildup/directory/statedir.tt?state=MI&lvl=state)

Governor Jennifer M. Granholm
P.O. Box 30013
Lansing, Michigan 48909

Representative Steven Lindberg

S 1488 House Office Building
PO Box 30014
Lansing, Michigan 48909-7514

Representative Michael Lahti

S 1489 House Office Building
PO Box 30014
Lansing, Michigan 48909-7514

Representative Tom Casperson

PO Box 30014
Lansing, MI 48909-7514

State Senator Mike Prusi

PO Box 30036
Lansing, MI 48909-7536

Representative Bart Stupak

2352 Rayburn Office Building
Washington, D.C. 20515

Citizen letter about Kennecott’s Flambeau mine

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To The Editor:

As a former Wisconsin resident, I found it interesting that Kennecott Mining Company points to their success with the Flambeau sulfide mine in Ladysmith, WI to promote their proposed sulfide mine in Marquette County. Your readers should be aware of these facts:

The total mining tax revenue to Ladysmith, the Town of Grant, and Rusk County from 1989 through 1999 was less than 1% of the profits garnered by the mining company from their exploitation of Rusk County’s mineral resources.

Much of the “investment as a result of mine-stimulated project” claimed by mining promoters was actually state and federal development money coming out of tax dollars.

In 1993, the year with the greatest local employment by the mining company, the annual unemployment rate for Rusk County shot up to an unprecedented 11.8%, over three times the statewide jobless rate of 3.1%. Even at peak operation, the Flambeau mine only employed about 40 “local” residents, some of whom were actually long-term Kennecott employees, brought into the area early enough to establish local residency according to the local agreement, and itinerant miners.

Rusk County ranked next to the bottom in western Wisconsin in both 1997 equalized property values and percent increase in property values since 1996. While most of western Wisconsin saw unprecedented growth between 1989 and 1997, the population of Ladysmith actually decreased during these years of mine operation.

In 1997, Rusk County received a grant from the Governor’s Juvenile Justice Commission because it had the lowest income per capita and ranked third in juvenile violent crime offenses in the state.

Ladysmith’s economic gains compared with other north central Wisconsin communities over the same period show that sulfide mining does not draw people to an area to recreate, relocate and spend money like communities with recreational assets. People don’t vacation at a sulfide mine.

If Ladysmith is an example, the claim of economic revival resulting from massive influx of capital into the region due to a sulfide mine is a myth. The profits and the jobs went out of the county, state, and country along with the gold, copper, and silver.

In Marquette county, will jobs and businesses be at risk with loss of tourism dollars? If people don’t move here, will property values decline? Aside from the serious environmental and health risks associated with this mine, your readers along with city, county, and state leaders should ask if this community will be economically better off with a sulfide mine in its backyard.

Merrill Horswill

Marquette

Press Release on the Marquette DEQ/DNR hearings

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Citizens push MDEQ to reject proposed mine

Hearings reveal informed citizenry opposed to risky sulfide mine

Marquette, MI – People of all ages, professions, educational backgrounds and income levels spoke as one this week when the overwhelming majority told state regulators in no uncertain terms that permitting a metallic sulfide mine on the Yellow Dog Plains would be a grave mistake.

Over the course of four days of public hearings in Marquette County, the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality listened as everyday citizens including doctors, engineers, lawyers, and even miners spoke of air quality, water pollutants, quality of life, and an abiding love for Lake Superior and the Yellow Dog Plains.

What they heard very little of was support for the proposed mine. A handful of individuals with direct financial ties to the proposed mine spoke in favor of the project but were far outnumbered by opponents who expressed concern about the applications submitted by Kennecott Eagle Minerals Company and informed skepticism for mining company promises.

Dick Huey, co-founder of Save the Wild UP, reflected on the hearings.

“This has been a week that proved anew that the citizen side of democracy is alive and well. People have learned the issues that plague sulfide mining, they’ve researched their facts, gathered to testify in an orderly way, and have become a tide of opposition to this mine for a host of good reasons. It just remains to be seen if the governmental side of democracy will work as well, or whether politics as usual, big money, and spin will rule the day,” Huey said.

Michelle Halley, attorney for the National Wildlife Federation, commented on the employment-related testimony of the few who spoke in favor of the project.

“There is absolutely nothing in the nonferrous mining law or rules that allows the MDEQ to base this decision on economics – even if the company could prove the state and local governments would get their fair share – which they can’t. MDEQ is charged with evaluating the applications based on whether they meet the required standards, and countless experts have provided irrefutable testimony that Kennecott’s plan will not protect the environment and cannot meet the standards of law,” Halley explained.

Both Huey and Halley were reassured by the testimony of Marquette County citizens.

“The testimony this week provides additional reassurance that we are on firm ground and representing the wishes of the majority,” Halley said, adding, “and convincing MDEQ to grant these permits is just the beginning of the company’s battles. Kennecott is ignoring the fact that the United States Environmental Protection Agency is also requiring federal permits because the mine threatens drinking water; those permitting procedures have barely even begun.”

One inaccuracy that was pointed out by several citizens during testimony was Kennecott’s representation of the situation at its Flambeau mine in Wisconsin. Contrary to company statements that the project received its 2007 Certificate of Completion, Wisconsin court documents show that Kennecott received only a partial certificate of completion due to problems with 32 acres of the site. According to the documents, Kennecott must continue remediation efforts and monitoring of water, soils, crayfish and walleye in that area for a variety of heavy metals. The company, according to court documents, cannot apply for a certificate of completion for at least three years.

“I wonder which 32 acres on the Yellow Dog Plains would be sacrificed if Flambeau is the example to which Kennecott aspires,” Huey remarked. “To label Flambeau a success when 32 acres requires on-going remediation and monitoring because of pollutants in the soil, water, and aquatic life is shameful. Citizens who knew the real facts of Flambeau proved once again that company spin is no match for those willing to dig deeper for the truth,” he said.

The MDEQ panel will accept additional public testimony on September 19 at a hearing in Lansing at the Lansing Center. Written testimony will also be received through October 17.

Click here for our online letter campaign

Click here to download Flambeau information

Earthwork Music and SWUP comment on the Marquette DEQ/DNR hearings

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Resounding Public Opposition to Proposed Sulfide Mine at Marquette Hearings, Lansing Hearings Scheduled for September 19th

Contacts:

Susan Fawcett, www.earthworkmusic.com info@earthworkmusic.com 231 622 2333

Alexis Raney, www.savethewildup.org info@savethewildup.org 906 228 4444

Opponents of Kennecott’s proposed metallic sulfide mine turned out in force this week at public hearings held in Marquette. With mine supporters outnumbered nearly ten to one, the public demonstrated disappointment at the Department of Environmental Quality’s decision to grant preliminary approval to Kennecott.

Groups like the Yellow Dog Watershed Preserve, Save the Wild U.P., Earthwork Music, League of Conservation Voters and many others have teamed up to raise awareness and unite the community to protect our most precious resource. Thousands of Michiganders have agreed that the risks of contaminating our water and harming our wildlife do not warrant the insignificant promise of fewer than one hundred jobs for fewer than seven years. Marquette native and Earthwork Music collective member, Joshua Davis shared his thoughts:

I’ve spent countless hours in and around the Yellow Dog River. From running around the County Road 510 as a kid, to sharing the incredible sights, smells and sounds of the Yellow Dog Plains with my family and friends. The decisions we make now – right now – about this land are going to affect us for generations to come. The problem here is that we’re too quick to jump on short-term remedies. The damage to…our remaining pristine land would never be undone. Once this door is open, I believe we would find it nearly impossible to shut. I travel all across the country playing songs about Michigan, and when I talk about the UP, people applaud. Everywhere we go, people know how wonderful the Upper Peninsula is. Let’s keep it that way. History has shown us that politicians and corporations can’t be trusted with the foresight to protect our water and land. They look for money and for re-election. We have to think in the long term, and if we want to keep our land pristine, we have to work for it.

The public is encouraged to come to Lansing for the DEQ hearings this September 19, 1 – 4:30 pm and 6 – 9:30 pm at the Lansing Center, Rooms 203 and 204, 333 E. Michigan Ave. and/or to send written comments to the DEQ until Oct. 17th

DEQ/DNR Kennecott Comments, Office of Geological Survey, P.O. Box 30256, Lansing, Michigan 48909-7756

or e-mail DEQ-Kennecott-comments@michigan.gov

For those interested in sending comments to the DEQ, learning more, or attending the hearings, there will be speakers and information material on Tuesday evening, Sept 18th at Dagwood’s in Lansing.

This is a historic moment in Michigan’s environmental movement. It’s time to galvanize this momentum and make your voices heard in the public hearings.

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Video interview with SWUP’s Dick Huey

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Mark Evans from the Upper Peninsula News Magazine Show “FROM STUDIO A” interviews Save the Wild UP’s Dick Huey:

The public is encouraged to attend the DEQ Public Comment hearings in Lansing for this Wednesday (September 19) from 1 – 4:30 pm and 6 – 9:30 pm at the Lansing Center, Rooms 203 and 204, 333 E. Michigan Ave. and/or to send written comments to the DEQ until Oct. 17th.

DEQ/DNR Kennecott Comments Office of Geological Survey P.O. Box 30256, Lansing, Michigan 48909-7756 or e-mail DEQ-Kennecott-comments@michigan.gov.