DEQ to Hold Lansing Hearing on Proposed Kennecott Mine

Source: Pure Bullshit from the Dept of Environmental Quality

The fact the DEQ is even considering allowing Kennecott to do business in Michigan - knowing full-well the reprehensible history of environmental destruction this company has left behind in other states - immediately calls into question the credibility and intelligence of the leadership of the DEQ and its staff. That Governor Granholm would allow Kennecott to do business in Michigan - also knowing full-well their disastrous practices - should also call into question the credibility of the governor's office. It is obvious from the following press release that the DEQ favors approval of the mining operations. If you think this is just one mine, you're wrong. Click here to find out more: Save the Wild U.P

The Department of Environmental Quality announced today it will hold a public hearing in Lansing on a proposed decision to approve a mining permit to the Kennecott Eagle Minerals Company to conduct nickel mining operations at the proposed Eagle Project mine. The Lansing hearing will be held March 12 at the Lansing Center from 1:00 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. and 6:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m.

The Eagle Project Mine proposes to produce nickel, copper, and other metals from a small but rich metal sulfide deposit located about 25 miles northwest of Marquette. Kennecott would use underground mining methods that are designed to avoid impacts to the nearby Salmon Trout River or adjacent lands. The entrance to the mine, as well as the associated surface facilities, would be at a remote upland location, and the ore would be transported by truck and rail to a processing site in Ontario. Kennecott proposes to backfill the mined-out areas with waste rock, gravel, and cement and reclaim the entire area to its original condition at the conclusion of mining.

The proposed mining project is the first to be subject to Michigan's new Nonferrous Metallic Mineral Mining rules that were enacted in December 2004. The rules, among the most stringent in the nation, were drafted by a multi-stakeholder work group led by the DEQ in response to concerns over potential environmental impacts from mining of metallic sulfide ores.

The DEQ has already scheduled a public hearing in Marquette on March 6, 7, and 8 at Northern Michigan University’s Don H. Bottum University Center. This additional hearing in Lansing is being held as an opportunity for further comment and review of the technical merits of Kennecott’s application.

The DEQ made the proposed decision to grant the permit on January 9, 2007, following extensive review of Kennecott's application by a review team made up of environmental and natural resource specialists from the DEQ, Department of Natural Resources, and outside contractors. The final decision to grant or deny the permit, which the DEQ expects to make later this year, will take into account all additional comments and recommendations received.

The DEQ will accept written comments on the proposed mine permit through April 5, 2007. Comments should be sent to Steven Wilson, Office of Geological Survey, P. O. Box 30256, Lansing, MI 48909-7756; or by e-mail to: wilsonse@michigan.gov (please include "Kennecott Eagle Project comments" on the subject line of the email).

If you're reading this, I know you care. It's time for you to stand up and join the opposition to Kennecott and to the corporate environmental destruction of Michigan. Your voice counts! We can't stop this without you! Click here now! Save the Wild U.P

Your letters and comments are needed, both to the DEQ and to your state representatives. Don't hesitate. Should this mining operation be allowed, a full investigation into the upper management of the DEQ by the state legislature and the Attorney General's office is warranted. Kennecott is a bad corporate citizen. The DEQ knows they are. Why are they even considering allowing them to do business here? Who is getting paid off?