December 12, 2009
As the result of tightly-controlled verbal public comment, few participated in that part of the PolyMet DEIS process; Photo courtesy Lori Andresen
Hundreds of PolyMet Mining Company supporters were bussed to public meetings in Aurora and Blaine to provide comments on the company’s draft environmental impact statement (DEIS) for the proposed NorthMet project. The organizing effort was combined with a public relations blitz of endorsements from Minnesota state and federal politicians -including the late endorsement of Senator Al Franken – the Minnesota AFL-CIO, construction groups and the Chamber of Commerce. Despite the large turnout, the public was unable to speak at either meeting.
“The ‘public hearings’ didn’t actually allow public comments to the audience,” said retired miner, Bob Tammen. “The only oral comments allowed were by individuals to stenographers in a tightly monitored room separate from the auditorium. That meant that the only outside speakers allowed were Iron Range legislators.”
Citizens wanting to give verbal public comment registered here in order to speak, privately, with a stenographer; Photo courtesy Lori Andresen
In a new public hearing format, described as “enhanced” by the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR), public comments were severely restricted with the only speakers allowed to voice opinions on the project being staunch political supporters of PolyMet’s NorthMet proposal. State Senator David Tomassoni and State Representative Thomas Rukavina gave speeches at the hearing in Aurora, on Wednesday, while State Senator Thomas Bakk chimed in at the Blaine hearing, the following day. Read the rest of this entry »
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Minnesota, economy, lake superior, public land, water pollution | Tagged: "Sustainable Mining", dnr, economy, Minnesota, PolyMet, water pollution | 
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Posted by LSMN
March 6, 2009
by Gabriel Caplett
The Ingham County Circuit Court has given the Michigan Department of Natural Resources the go-ahead to issue a surface use lease to Rio Tinto/Kennecott for its proposed Eagle Project mine. While not surprised with the go-ahead, Yellow Dog Summer opposes this political decision. The proposed lease allows the private, foreign-owned company to fence off 120-acres of public land for over 40 years. The proposed lease area contains the entirety of Eagle Rock, considered a culturally-significant and sacred location to the Keweenaw Bay Indian Community. Read the rest of this entry »
Leave a Comment » | Eagle Mine, Kennecott-Rio Tinto, Law, Michigan, indigenous, public land | Tagged: dnr, Eagle Mine, Kennecott, Law, Michigan, public land, Rio Tinto | Permalink
Posted by LSMN
January 25, 2009
by Gabriel Caplett
Marquette County, Michigan – New information has surfaced suggesting that the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) assisted Kennecott-Rio Tinto by forgoing proper procedure in allowing the company to reconstruct a road crossing in Fall of 2004. With Kennecott’s persistence, the DEQ approved an ill-designed plan to install a new culvert on the Triple A Road where a branch of the Salmon Trout River flows. Kennecott was contracting with Pete O’Dovero, of Associated Contractors, to rehabilitate the road crossing. Read the rest of this entry »
Leave a Comment » | Eagle Mine, Kennecott-Rio Tinto, water, wildlife | Tagged: coaster brook trout, deq, dnr, Kennecott, Michigan, Rio Tinto | Permalink
Posted by LSMN
February 23, 2008
by Gabriel Caplett
MARQUETTE – Forty-six citizens packed the chairs in a small room at the Ramada Inn, in Marquette, February 22, for a Kennecott-sponsored “Citizen Advisory Group” (CAG) meeting. Many citizens attended the meeting to express disappointment that Kennecott has kept many of its mining plans secret until after State approvals of its project.
Kennecott’s previous CAG meetings have required the public to sit, quietly, as Kennecott would give a well-rehearsed presentation with other members of the CAG board. CAG members were hand-picked by Kennecott and are not viewed by the public as representing citizens. The public was only allowed to introduce questions or concerns during bathroom breaks to CAG board members, who would then choose whether or not the question would be presented. The meetings are held during normal business hours when many people in the community have prior work obligations. Today, prior to the meeting, Bill Rustem, group facilitator and Kennecott consultant, confirmed that there would not be public comment at the meeting. Read the rest of this entry »
Leave a Comment » | Kennecott-Rio Tinto, Michigan, civil disobedience | Tagged: Rio Tinto, Kennecott, civil disobedience, Michigan, yellow dog summer, deq, dnr | Permalink
Posted by LSMN
February 16, 2008
by Gabriel Caplett
Twenty-nine people made it to Harlow Park, in Marquette, on a cold Valentine’s Day evening, last week, to show their appreciation for the Yellow Dog Plains and express dissatisfaction with the Michigan Department of Natural Resource’s (DNR) approval of Kennecott’s surface land use lease and mining reclamation plan. Simultaneous vigils were held in Big Bay and on Eagle Rock, on the Plains. The event was organized by Yellow Dog Summer and sponsored by Keepers of the Water, Northwoods Wilderness Recovery and Save the Wild UP. Read the rest of this entry »
Leave a Comment » | Eagle Mine, Kennecott-Rio Tinto, Michigan, indigenous, public land, wildlife | Tagged: Rio Tinto, Kennecott, Michigan, yellow dog summer, yellow dog plains, Eagle Mine, deq, dnr, wildlife | Permalink
Posted by LSMN
January 11, 2008
by Gabriel Caplett
Michigan Department of Natural Resources Director, Rebecca Humphries, has delayed, indefinitely, an expected decision on Kennecott Mineral’s permits for its Eagle Project. Approval of a surface use lease permit and approval of the mining and reclamation plan have been delayed over concerns regarding ground subsidence, water flowage into the mine and siting of surface facilities. Read the rest of this entry »
Leave a Comment » | Eagle Mine, Kennecott-Rio Tinto, Michigan | Tagged: dnr, Eagle Mine, Kennecott, Michigan, Rio Tinto | Permalink
Posted by LSMN
December 20, 2007
by Gabriel Caplett
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. Read the rest of this entry »
Leave a Comment » | Eagle Mine, Kennecott-Rio Tinto, Law, Michigan | Tagged: deq, dnr, Eagle Mine, Kennecott, Law, Michigan, Rio Tinto | Permalink
Posted by LSMN
February 7, 2007
by Gabriel Caplett
On January 9, 2007, the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) granted preliminary approval of Kennecott Mineral’s Eagle Mine permit. The potential metallic sulfide mine is on the Yellow Dog Plains, within a few miles of the shores of Lake Superior. This decision should not have come as a surprise to anyone. According to one member of the DEQ, “the DEQ [is] leaning toward approving the application regardless of any deficiencies.” This fact was already clear to anyone that has attended DEQ hearings/public forums on the issue. To be as polite as possible, the DEQ has found it difficult to mask their disregard for us Yoopers and citizens of Michigan.
Citizens rally in front of Michigan Capitol Building, December 2005; Photo courtesy Andy Gregg
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Leave a Comment » | Eagle Mine, Kennecott-Rio Tinto, Law, Michigan, Wisconsin, civil disobedience, human rights, indigenous, uranium | Tagged: civil disobedience, deq, dnr, Eagle Mine, economy, human rights, Kennecott, Law, Michigan, native american, public land, Rio Tinto, uranium, Wisconsin | Permalink
Posted by LSMN
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